The end of mid-term break meant the end of day care for my little boy. 2.5 years old. Time to start school.

Our little boy had been ready for weeks. His BFF already started going to school earlier that month, so somebody was aching very badly to start going himself.

My plan to make his backpack myself had been ready for weeks as well. Same for me, actually. I had the pattern, and it looked easy enough.

The plan: Make a backpack in jeans, and applique a dinosaur on top. You can’t not score with a dinosaur. I ordered the perfect lining fabric from Etsy. Dinosaur fabric, from Michael Miller. And I got some fluorescent piping. No harm in making a toddler backpack traffic-proof. Yes, the plan was there, and it was a very nice plan.

However, some obstacles crossed my path. A green fluorescent zipper for example. Not a single shop that sold those. Yellow, orange and pink, yes. Bot no green. Orange it was.

The dinosaur fabric did not arrive on time. I really waited until the last minute, but alas. I used this jungle fabric instead. Having a lion in your backpack, almost as cool as having a dino in there, no?

I started with the outside. If I finished that, at least there already was a backpack to go to school with. I added bag nails at the bottom, for extra protection.

I also added some extra piping to the handle. And for the finishing stitches, I used fluorescent thread.

I finished the outside on Saturday. And no sooner was it finished, or our little boy was already walking around with it, ready to leave for school. Me on my side, I was already happy that I could let go of plan B (Using the reusable bag I made earlier this year as a school bag).

I made the lining on Sunday. I even took some time to add an extra pocket.

The whole thing was finished by Sunday 3 PM. Plenty of time left, don’t you agree?

And the first day of school? A big success. No tears at all, on neither side. Only a lot of enthousiasm. BFF was forced to take a good look at the dinosaur backpack the moment our little boy had caught sight of him. And as for the rest, hubby and myself were mainly in our little guy’s way, that morning. So much to discover, so little time. And then your parents are there, agreeing on milk arrangements. Milk, of all things.

Used materials

• Pattern: Toddler backpack – Made by Rae
• Outer fabric: Stretch jeans I already used before, for my pencil skirt
• Lining fabric: Jungle Jive by Maria Kalinowski, Butterfly fabrics, Inverurie, Schotland
• Fluorescent piping and green webbing: De stoffenkamer
• Fluorescent zipper, buckles, bag nails and fluorescent thread: Veritas