Our New Flaphappy Backpack-y

With back-to-school reminders everywhere we look I'm trying to get prepared for fall since September is right around the corner (yikes!!).  As a homeschooling family we don't necessarily "need" backpacks for school, but we still use them a lot.  They're great when we're on field trips, heading to the library or doing our extracurricular classes.  And they look so cute with the bright colors & prints.  My 5yr old really digs wearing them too, so I wanted to make one just his size and simple enough in design for him to load & unload himself.  I call it the Flaphappy Backpack-y.  The name comes from the fold over flap at the top which makes it easy to open & close and has its own built-in pocket.  

I used 4 coordinated fabrics from the Organic Shipyard collection by Timeless Treasures.  I really love how boyish and super colorful the prints are.  That can be such a hard combination to find in "bigger boy" prints and being organic cotton was a huge plus too.  I used a bright blue crosshatch print for the straps, handle and decorative stripe down the middle, a busy shipyard construction print for the body and zig zag print for the pocket section on the flap.

The roomy interior is a matching polka dot and the sides are pleated together at the top so it stays closed easily, but the bottom of the bag is wide enough for filling up as needed.

I used Pellon's Décor Bond fusible stabilizer to make the backpack retain it's shape nicely and be durable enough to handle whatever we toss in it.  To make the straps comfy on his little shoulders I padded them with cotton batting and made them adjustable with buckles.

He already loves marching around with it on his back and being super colorful means it's easy to find.  No need for zippers, snaps or complicated closures means he needs less help (and we can get in and out the door a lot faster).  Fun for him and helpful for me!

Sharing this with my FAVE LINK PARTIES too so click HERE to check them out!