Tuesday 28 September 2010

.Lego Sack Tutorial.


I'm revisiting the Lego Sack today and sharing the promised tutorial so that you can make one yourself!  This really has been a great little bag and very helpful in playing with and packing Lego away.  Read more about the first Lego Sack here.

 


Before I go on, I need to stress that this ingenious sack is NOT my original idea.  Mothers and Grandmothers have been making these for their kids to store Lego in for years.  My guess is that it originated with someone using an old sheet to keep Lego mess to a minimum, and the drawstring sack idea evolved from there.  This pattern, however, is of my own workings out :)


LEGO SACK TUTORIAL
  
To make a Lego Sack, you will need:
One large piece of fabric for the exterior (at least 1 metre/1 yard square)
One large piece of fabric for the lining (same size as the exterior)
Two 1 1/2" x 70" strips of contrasting fabric for drawstring (or you could use rope)
Measuring tape, pencil, scissors, safety pin, sewing machine, etc.

Step 1.
Take exterior fabric and cut into a perfect square.  Obviously, the bigger the square, the bigger your sack is going to be.  My original Lego Sack started with a square 1m x 1m and for the amount of lego we have, it is a tad small.  I made this next one 130cm x 130cm (a present for a friend) and it is a much better size.


Fold your square into quarters.


Using your measuring tape, measure from the center fold to the edge of the fabric.  Mark this point with a pencil.  (In my case, the point that I marked was at 29".)  Continue moving the measuring tape in an arc around the fabric until you reach the other side.  Make sure that you keep the end of your measuring tape at the center fold.  Draw a curved line by following the same distance (29" for my sack) around the fabric.


Cut through all four layers of fabric along marked line.  When you unfold the piece of fabric you will have a perfect circle!!


Place the circle cut from exterior fabric directly on top of the lining fabric.  Use as a guide to cut a circle exactly the same size from lining fabric.


Step 2.
Fold lining piece in half and mark a crease with your fingers on either side of the fold.  Unfold and measure 2" from the outside edge of the circle at one crease mark.  Draw a line with an erasable fabric marking pen.  This will be where you sew a buttonhole.  Measure 2" from the opposite side of the circle at the other crease mark and draw another line for a second buttonhole.


Sew a buttonhole (about 1" long) directly on top of one of the buttonhole marks.  Repeat on opposite side. 


Carefully cut buttonhole open using a seam ripper.


Step 3.
With right sides together, place lining on top of exterior.  Pin into place around the entire edge of the circles.


Sew around pinned edge using a 1/2" seam.  Leave a 3" gap for turning.


To make the curved edges of your sack sit nicely, clip into the seam allowance around the entire edge of the circle.  Clips should be 1/2" - 1" apart.  Be careful not to cut your seam!


Turn right side out through the 3" opening.  Smooth out edges and press.


 Topstitch around the entire circle, about 1/8" from the edge, stitching the opening closed.


Make casing for drawstring by stitching 2" in from the edge of the fabric,making sure that the two buttonholes sit in between both rows of stitching.


Step 4.
Take strips cut from contrasting fabric for drawstring and make a center fold by folding in half, length ways, so that wrong sides of fabric are touching. Open out and fold both long raw edges of fabric in towards the center fold.

A much, much easier way to do this is to invest in a bias binding maker...they are GREAT! Very affordable (I think about $15 each?) and make light work of making binding. The one I used for this project is an 18mm made by Clover. The pink one - 18mm is used for the 1 1/2" wide strip of fabric and is the size I use most often when making clothing. (Nicole Mallalieu has a great tutorial showing how to use these cool gadgets on her blog).
 

Take one drawstring strip and fold in half, length wise once again so that raw edges of the strip are enclosed. Sew down opened edge of the strip, close to the edge to secure.  Repeat with second strip.
 

Attach a safety pin to one end of one drawstring and thread through the casing by inserting it into one of the buttonholes and threading it around half of the circle until it reaches the second buttonhole. 


Take second drawstring and insert through the opposite side of the casing.  There should be two ends of drawstring protruding from each buttonhole.


Tie the two ends of drawstring together in a knot.  Repeat for other ends of drawstring.


Fill up with Lego...


Pull the drawstrings...


Tie into a bow and hang up!


I'm sure you can think of 101 other things to store in your Lego Sack...hopefully this tutorial will be useful for someone out there and help control your Lego mess!!

60 comments:

Mel said...

thanks Toni!! You could pack a picnic in it and go to the park its so cute!!

Kate said...

Thanks so much for posting this. I tried making a lego mat for my little one last Christmas and it failed dismally. I can't wait to try again using this tute!

Miss Amy said...

Oh I have been waiting for this tutorial! Christmas present!! :D

Amy @ isewstitch said...

Thank you, my daughter has a birthday fast upon us and I know she's getting lego to add to the vast selection she already has, so this will be perfect. Now, where did I leave the to-do list...

Steven H said...

It amazes me how much creativity can be involved in parenting. I can't wait until I have kids so I can be my own MacGyver!

:)

Rebecca said...

Great! I've been waiting for this as I want to make a santa - type sack and this looks like something I can maybe manage!!

Karen D said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I too have been waiting for this tutorial...my cousin had a lego sack like this when I was a child, and it was awesome. I cant wait to make one for my little man and my nephews too.

Ingrid said...

Brilliant, Toni! I've just made a couple of the peek-a-boo toy sacks for my nephew following your tutorial along the way. What a quick, easy and fun project it was. I'll definitely have to try this big toy version.

Anna said...

so cool, I really should make one for us, but I think it would be even more fun to make for my new nephew

Shirley said...

I found this tutorial through the UCreate blog and I couldn't more excited!!! What a great idea, I cannot wait to make this and I might just make one for all of my daughter's Barbie dolls too. :)

Rachel@oneprettything.com said...

Oh wow, I love this! How perfect for holiday gifts! Thanks so much, I'll be linking.

made at greenlodge said...

great tutorial, thank you, my lego will never be the same again . . . nor will the little dolls and their tiny shoes !

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this tutorial~ I can think of lots of different ways to fill it up and also...glad to know I'm not the only one married to a 30-something y.o. lego man! :D

Magdalena said...

Thanks for a great idea!

LouAnneL said...

Thank you for this WONDERFUL idea!! My son is all about Legos, army men, zoo animals.. etc.. and this is going to be an amazing help in getting all that organized. Even for his little cars it would be perfect! Oh.. and using fabric to represent what's inside.. *sigh* what a GREAT idea!

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...
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Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

I really really love this - sounds like a great Christmas present!

Anonymous said...

Totally awesome idea! Thanks for sharing it. :)

Jessie said...

Thanks so much for the simple tutorial--my daughters have about a million little princess/Polly Pocket doll pieces, and this is PERFECT for keeping them all together. Even the shoes can stay in the sac. I cannot thank you enough. :)

Hopefully I'll get pics of mine up soon, but I used a green vine-y floral as the lining, with the thought that it'll be enough like grass for my girls to want to use it as a play yard for their dolls. I'm so excited, thanks again.

Kirstey said...

Thank you thank you thank you xxxooo

Anonymous said...

Toni, I just finished my third lego sack. Two small ones for the little kits and one really huge one for all the bricks. I love them. Thanks.

pamela said...

I found your link on EarthgirlFabrics.com and called in for a closer look. Just the job for christmas makes for the grandchildren - I'm going to be so busy (and popular with mums and dads!)

Thank you!

pamela x

Unknown said...

Thanks for this tutorial Toni. I was wanting to make a toy sack for some friends' children - my previous idea was to use rivets but this saves on getting any extra equipment. I found it a bit tricky (in Hobart) to find much fabric that was wide enough to make it 1.3m x 1.3m so in the end just had the lining in 2 pieces. Thanks again. I am looking forward to making some more things using your patterns.

Erica said...

What a fabulous tutorial... Easy to understand and adapt... will provide great storage for my son

Anonymous said...

Great! I'm going to do this. My 11 year old STILL hates putting lego away!

Unknown said...

I love this, Toni! I have never seen one before, so yours is totally new to me... it's great! perfect for any little toys. I'm thinking Star Wars guys...

Rachel said...

I love this idea! I will be making one for my son, soon.

Lisa said...

I made one of these and it turned out so cute!

http://iwaslaughingactuallylaughing.blogspot.com/2011/03/busy-busy-busy.html

The undomesticated scientist said...

My mum made one of these (circular and everything) many many years ago for my brothers lego (must be over 30 years now). His lego still lives in it so it proves what a fantastic lego holder this is! (and yes we do still buy him lego for christmas and birthdays!)

Amanda said...

My husband has been wanting me to make one of these for our boys for months now. Thanks for the tutorial! Maybe I will actually get around to doing it now! :)

Kris C. said...

Do you think two layers of flannel would be too bulky? Should I go with two layers of regular cotton instead? My husband insisted that we NEED this when I showed it to him. ;)

Anonymous said...

Thank you. Whipped one up today for my son and now my two daughters want one for their barbie bits and pieces! And I am making one for a present. AND my sister has requested one to lay her newborn baby on when they go out. So sincere thanks for a fantastic, easy to follow tutorial.

Jenny said...

Just found this tutorial! Featured in on my blog since it's so cute and such a good idea!

Jenny
daysofchalkandchocolate.blogspot.com

MadebyaPrincess said...

Will be making a couple of these for my Lego loving boy for Christmas. Thank you for the tutorial! www.madebyaprincessblog.com

Anonymous said...

I have a 'pre'teen who has his older brother's legos plus a 'few' more... LOL and this project is perfect b/c he can help pick out the fabric and the size and everything!!!! I am so excited I came across your blog and tutorials. TY so much for sharing with us all!!! You are sooo crafty!

Paula -- CutieFruity said...

I just made this with cotton wovens and a bias tape drawstring. Great in theory..horrible in practicum. The kids try to draw up the mat, and toys spill everywhere. Then when the bag is drawn, I can't get it undone again, let alone lay it flat for playing on. I could see the kids getting it open a few inches and still dumping it all out. I'm going to try replacing the bias tape with satin ribbon, maybe something more slippery will open a little better in the casing, but for now, all the cottons gripping on each other is not going well.

Quiltomatic said...

Fantastic tutorial! I've been wanting to make a couple of these for our family (5 with 3 boys!) and friends with lego nuts for a while!

I think these will be a lovely New Year project :-) !!

The undomesticated scientist said...

he he, only just found this post. This is sooooo similar to one my mum made for my big brother way back when we were little (probably about 1982/3 ish). He still keeps his lego in it! (yes he may be 38 but he still gets lego every christmas and birthday!)

Anonymous said...

Brilliant! I am so glad that you thought of this b/c I never would have!

pandielleando@gmail.com said...

I made one for my son 7 birthday! He loved it! thanks for sharing!!
http://pandielleando.blogspot.com/2012/03/saco-de-lego-para-el-cumpleanos-de-hugo.html

Heims verden said...

Thank you so much for the tutorial! I finished mine yesterday;) Although I think my fabric was to thick(and I had three layers) because i could not close it all the way;) I will only use two layers next time:)

Thanks again!

Manda said...
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Manda said...
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Manda said...
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Manda said...

Just made this as a baby travel play mat... VERY cute:) Thank you so much for the tutorial!!!!

lisajayne365 said...

Just made this for my 6 year-old son. I used ticking fabric and an old shower curtain (fabric) from Pottery Barn as the liner. I also used cotton cording for the drawstring. My son adores it and instantly poured his legos on it. I will be featuring it on my blog with your permission...Urban Cottage Decor.blogspot.com

xo Lisa

Kris C. said...

Just wanted to let you know that I finally made it a priority and sewed one up! Love it! (And my husband loves it even more!!!)

http://drclements.blogspot.com/2012/08/lego-sackplaymat.html

My version is from striped sheets - a poly cotton blend, I'd say - with drawstrings from a poly cotton broadcloth. The strings slip through the casing very easily.

Lesley said...

Hi there - I'm visiting from the Mousehouse blog - great tutorial - I made one of these a while back with no tutorial (should have googled!) - turned out slightly imperfect in that it doesn't drawstring completely closed - fabric too thick) - I'm going to add a link to your tutorial as I get a lot of traffic to my post. Must go and read some more of your lovely blog now.... : )

Andy said...

Thank you for this tutorial! I've been wanting to make a lego bag for my boys and your tutorial is the one I'll follow!

Jason Ellis said...

I absolutely LOVE this idea! As a parent of two boys, I have legos EVERYWHERE. I've been using those clear plastic bins but i think this is way more visually appealing. I'm a pretty artsy dude so I think even I can swing this craft. Thanks for posting this cool weekend project.

Unknown said...

This is SUCH a good idea....Thanks for sharing. We love Legos also...but the clean up, not so much.

Emmalee said...

It is sew cute!:)My 'Baby' sister has a birthday coming up, and she loves Legos!(except for when she steps on them).

Jeans and a Sweatshirt- said...

Thanks for the tute! I've been thinking of making one for a friend but had no idea how big to go. I was however thinking of using grommets. I hate button holes! I guess my hate has carried over from when machines were not automatic. :-)

Joke said...


Thank you for this nice and usefull turorial.
But can i ask you a question: when i close my sack there is still a big hole on the top? I cann't pull any further so i can't close it.
Is is because i use rope instead of ribbon?
Or is it because i sewwed on 1cm instead of 2 cm to make the corridor for the rope?
I want to know this because then i can make more of it.
Now i made it for instruments so it's not a real problem
Thank you Joke

Amy B said...

Awesome tutorial! I have a question for you, and the contact button is not getting me anywhere for some reason. Any chance you would be willing to help me reach you? My email: bayeramy@yahoo.com Thanks a million!

Matula H said...

Thank you so very much for this tutorial. Got a sewing machine for Christmas and this was my very first project. Your instructions were simple to follow and now my girls has a fabulous Lego mat.

Unknown said...

great tutorial will make three for the grandchildren for xmas, it will also keep their mother sane. thank you very much

lizad said...

Thank you. I just completed this as a gift for my boy's friend for his 6th birthday. I think that he is going to love it :)

Mrs.T said...

I have made so many of these over the years. Just finished up one more for a granddaughter's Christmas gift. Thanks so much!

Unknown said...

ძალიან დიდი მადლობა👍❤️

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