Back-to-School: Promise Ring Backpack

Today’s Back-to-School pattern in this week’s series is the Promise Ring Backpack. Don’t forget that you can receive 20% off all school-related patterns in my shop using coupon code backtoschool (this includes the Peas and Corn Lunch Bags, Edelweiss Backpack, Promise Ring Backpack, and Creative Maker Supply Cases). Use any of these patterns to sew a bag and enter it into my sewing contest, which will close on September 15th (plenty of time to get your sew on!). More details on that next week.

I originally designed this backpack to be a purse-like backpack for ladies (in the original blog post about the pattern, you can see an adult – me – wearing it), but it is really adorable for kids too. This backpack was sewn by Maria of Beautiful Blooms. The fabric for the backpack is Girl Friends by Ann Kelle for Robert Kaufman (with Ann Kelle Rainbow Remix for the lining), and it is available at Hawthorne Threads and at your local quilt shop. I was particularly drawn to this print because it shows girls working in different occupations (including one with a sewing machine! Yeah!!).

The backpack was made using two interfacings by Pellon, their Flex Foam and Shape Flex. There is a front accent on the flap and the edges are finished using binding (either machine sewn or hand bound – I show an easy way to attach the binding by machine in the pattern instructions).


The straps to the backpack are adjustable and made using hardware from my shop. Two d-rings and two swivel clips are needed to make the strap, as well as an adjustable slider. The flap is secured using an invisible magnetic snap (although you could also use a traditional magnetic snap instead).

There’s a zipper pocket in the lining also, for keeping treasured things safely inside.

Maria’s done a beautiful job of finishing everything about this backpack. It’s so cute for kids. Robert Kaufman does kid-friendly fabrics really, really well, and these Girl Friends fabrics are the perfect compliment to the pattern! If you’re making one of your own, don’t forget to tag your bag on Instagram using #sewsweetnesspattern and #promiseringbackpack! We’ll see you back here tomorrow for another school-friendly sewing pattern!