Design a book bag

Inspired by World Book Day and supporting the development of literacy, this fun teaching resource will enable learners to discover how to design and make a fabric bag big enough to carry their favourite book to school. The book bag will be decorated to inspire and encourage reading.

In this classroom activity learners will measure and cut the fabric and decorate it with a book or other personal theme. They will then sew their fabric to create the finished bag. Finally, they will test their book bag to see how well it carries and protects their book.

This teaching resource activity could be used as a main lesson activity to support learners’ engagement in literacy. It could also be used as part of a wider scheme of learning focussing on designing and making skills within design and technology and textiles.

We’ve created this teaching resource design activity to support the delivery of key topics within design & technology (D&T) and engineering.

Activity: Designing and making a book bag to carry your favourite book to school

Learners will design, make and test their book bag, taking into account the design brief, availability of materials, and user testing with a range of individuals including peers, teachers and even librarians.

Tools/supplies needed:

Resources required:

• Plain paper
• Pencil crayons
• Felt tip pens
• Ruler
• Fabric for the bag (around 350 x 350 mm for each bag)
• Ribbon (1 m per bag)
• Pins
• Fabric scissors
• Thread
• Sewing machine
• A range of books

Follow our step-by-step guide on how to design and make a book bag

Learners will work individually or in small groups to design and make a book bag using fabric and decorations.

• Measure the book
• Cut out the fabric
• Design the bag
  • Draw your ideas for the pattern that will be on your bag
  • Make the design colourful and clear
• Decorate the bag
• Sew the bag seams and don’t forget to add handles
• Test the book bag
  • Does your book fit in the bag, without being folded or crumpled?
  • Is it strong enough to carry the book?
  • What do you most like about the bag?
  • Is there anything that could be improved?

The Engineering Context

Understanding how fabrics and associated equipment are used to manufacture products allows engineers to apply this in a range of contexts. For example, the use of fabrics in the aerospace industry (from hang glider wings to airline seats), or how and why they are used within automotive interiors.

Engineers must be able to understand and respond to a design brief to produce a solution to the problem outlined.

Suggested learning outcomes

This resource combines design and technology with English and Art & Design with the aim that the learners will be able to follow a design brief to design and make a textile product, design and make a bag to carry a favourite book to World Book Day, and be able to perform basic techniques with a sewing machine.

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources

All classroom activity sheets and supporting teaching resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

The activity sheet includes teachers’ notes, useful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in each of the four devolved nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

You can download our step-by-step instructions below as either a classroom lesson plan or PowerPoint presentation.

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