You may choose to draw your horns in by mastering how to make your own lunch box. Handcrafting lunchboxes from scratch with the most ideal materials and tools provides a super-easy and economical way to feed your face with a moveable meal. Allergies, sugar-loaded and unhealthy diets blazed the trail for meals-on-the-go to school or work. Sniff out leftover fabrics, zippers, tissue and the whole shebang to start off the project. If you sink your teeth into the project and have a good nose for the best crafting materials, the lunch tote easily knocks spots off the flowery departmental display. Besides, you save big bucks on the premium prices gobbled up by top-end cooler bags in the market. Find below steps to construct a DIY cooler bag.
Things To Consider About How To Make Your Own Lunch Box-Step by Step Guide
1. Materials & Sterling Qualities
You’ll need various materials at hand to handcraft your lunch tote. The list does not purport to suggest anything carved in stone as you may go for Velcro closure instead of buttons or zippers. Neighborhood stores sell tools like hot glue gun and crotch straps. Vinyl fabric provides a sturdy, flexible and super-lightweight material endowed space-saving designs. You can add a tinge of personal taste with a fold-over, invisible zipper and rigid easy-grip handles. Depending on your level of sewing expertise, you may include other tools and materials.
- Hot glue, glue gun and tubes
- Fabric/vinyl and other tissues
- MIT Crotch Straps
2. Making A Start
- Slice the bodywork piece into three equal portions of each side and glue the pieces together for improved resistance and strength.
- Glue quickly before solidifying as the pieces won’t bind and you may have to detach or recreate new pieces.
- With your pieces at the ready, wrap them up and slice up the tissue with the scissors. Tool up with a hot glue gun to bunch them up.
- Do not glue the pieces to the tissue or apply to much pressure as the paste pops out on the other side leading to wastage and itchy fingers.
- Pour as much superglue and hot gun to band the pieces together.
3. Fixing the Zippers
- Pay attention to detail when fixing the zippers and attempt to zero in each halves of the fasteners at similar dimensions once you finish gluing.
- Match the zipper with the pull pointed downward to the top border of the fabric. Match up a single portion of your fabric face down onto the same edge. You can secure using pins slightly above the zipper.
- Leave the edges unglued for seamless opening as glue will seal off the interior
- Hook and loop, buttons, snap-on or fold-over closures does not take of skill demanded by zippers.
- You may want to sew the zipper but you’ve to hit the brakes halfway to get the zipper pull out of the way as you sew.
4. Fixing the Handles
- Get two fusible fleeces up to 2” × 28” and two handle fabrics 2” ×29”.
- Fix the fusible fleece to the interior and flip it to the opposite side according to manufacturer’s tag. Also fold the fabric over to the wrong side and press while adhering with glue.
- Turn in the sides to the midpoint and attach securely. Fold the long sides into the center as to match up the wrong side and press into place. Pin with clover or hair clips.
- Stitch across the border to let 1.5” of the fabric not stitched at either end to form the part that reinforces to the bag.
5. Points for Attachment
At this juncture, arm yourself with a couple of MTI straps crotch. Strip the rope into two equal halves based on the dimensions of your tote bag and the straps crotch. Keep them as small as you can for best results. NTI Crotch Straps with buckle fasteners and loop ends provide points for attachment. It’s reinforced sturdily for kids or adults while it offers maximum safety. Put them on both sides of the bag for convenient crotch strap attachment points. Split off the “deadlock” from the bag. A pair of straps easily install on your tote lunch bag adding extra security.
6. Extra Pockets
Carve out a pocket for ice packs or smaller pouches for smaller items. Depending on how you do it, you can add pouches on the flap or sides. If you get a fabric with a pouch on one side, you can convert it into a bag’s pocket by cutting and sewing with precision to keep it within close range. Create a zipper seam to add security to side pockets rather than leave them ajar. If you want a nifty pocket to store up personal belongings safely and securely, use easy-open Velcro strap or zipper. Patch up side pockets by cutting smaller pieces of fabric and use glue to attach firmly.
7. DIY Lunch Tote Designs
- Low-profile lunch bags: Use a variety of fabrics and top buttons to keep food items secure. It’s easy to sew on the closure than others
- Heavy-duty lunch box: High-grade fabric with superior durability, quality and water repellent properties
- Snaps or Velcro: Handcraft compact lunch sacks with Velcro or snaps to save time
- Fold-Over Style: Vinyl and other sturdy fabrics provide an ideal material a tote bag that folds over to stash food.
- Lightweight, Compact Bags: Kids under 6 yrs require a small-sized bag with easy-open closure such as button
- Drawstring Tote Bag: Sew the bag with a drawstring closure to stylishly keep food items safely and securely
8. Benefits of DIY Lunchboxes
- Slashes off your budget to zero if you have essential materials and equipment at hand
- Easy to make in the shortest space of time with modicum skills
- Decreases the landfill by avoiding plastic bags and utensils as its reusable
- Creating two insulation layers with foam to trap air helps keep food items chilled at a stretch
- Apply easy-open Velcro or zippers for kiddos to avoid a mechanism that they have to wrestle at school
- You can adorn the lunch tote bag with personalized with patterns, colors and shades shot through with seams or flowing lines
And there you have it. All dope on how to make your own lunch box reshaped by a variety of designs, materials and taste. A vast majority of the materials needed cost below $10 providing a subtle means to tighten the belt. Most DIY lunch tote bags tack together easily and at the blink of an eye. Have the bodywork patterned on closure systems, neutral or bright colors, size, handles and straps. For an insulated lunch box, use materials that deter the conductivity of heat and transfer of gases like vinyl fabric. Making a perfect lunchbox takes a few hours and easy as apple pie for do-it-yourselfers.