Last year, while coping with severe sleep deprivation due to the birth of my second daughter just a few months earlier, I came up with this Valentine-project-worthy pattern during the 3am feeding. This is a sweet, fast project that can serve as a fun gift for the little toddlers in your life.

I Love You Messenger Bag Pattern for Toddlers
© 2010 Windows of Agate

Materials

Outer fabric, enough for 2 hearts
Inner fabric, enough for 2 hearts
Interfacing, enough for 2 hearts
Button
Thin string or ribbon, 6 inches long
Thicker string or ribbon for shoulder strap, about 28 inches long

Instructions

Draw a heart pattern on card stock or stiff cardboard and use the template to cut 2 hearts from outer fabric, 2 hearts from inner fabric, and 2 hearts from the interfacing.
Iron interfacing onto the wrong side of the outer fabric.
With wrong sides together, place one of the outer fabric hearts on top of one of the inner fabric hearts. Sew around the heart leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Leave 1 inch unsewn toward the bottom of the heart - this gap will allow you to turn it inside out.
Repeat step #3 with the second set of hearts, only sew the thin string or ribbon in a loop at the top of one side of the heart (where you want the loop to fasten to the button). The loop should be sewn in between the two hearts with the loop on the inside of the two hearts.
Cut notches along the curved part of the hearts, being careful not to cut into your sewing line.
Turn both hearts inside out through the one inch gap and iron.
With inner hearts facing each other, sew the two pieces together starting at the bottom of the two curves of the heart with a 1/4 seam allowance. Sew along the curved part of the heart that does not have the loop and insert one side of the thicker string or ribbon for the shoulder strap. Continue along the bottom and up along the other side of heart and stop where the heart starts to curve again.
Sew on a button so that the loop can close over the button. This serves as a clasp for the bag.
Sew the other shoulder strap on the inner heart that has the loop.
Stick a fun gift from the {NewNew} team in the bag and give it to your favorite little friends! Type "newnewteam" in the search bar on the Etsy.com website to find a great variety of cards, toys, prints, jewelry, and other fantastic Valentine-themed items from your very own New York metro area artisans.

Karina Glaser

Windows of Agate