Crafty Mini Backpack

Meet Custard. He's Michael's, and he stuffed him with love and gave him a heart many, many years ago on an end of the year field trip to Build-A-Bear with his kindergarten class. Custard has been sitting on a shelf in the basement since our move, but he willingly came out of hibernation to help me show you a new project I made today. I figured that having Custard model it will help provide some proportion perspective. Besides, he looks really cute with it, and I think there are lots of kids and moms who might have a really good time making this project for a special doll or stuffed bear.

Isn't this just one of the cutest little things you've ever seen? This mini backpack (finished dimensions are 3.5" x 6" x 1.75") is such a fun project! HUGE THANKS goes out to Tonya Klar, who took a template that was posted on SCS without any measurements and revised it into something VERY VERY helpful. She also went to the effort to make this video so that those who are visual learners would have a resource to help them be successful with this project. I utilized both, and am so thankful to Tonya for what she did for the stamping community.

This project utilizes 1-8.5" x 11" sheet of paper for the main body of the backpack,a half sheet for the outside pocket and flaps, and one-fourth of a sheet of designer series paper. I used 2' of ribbon, 12" per strap.


The little girls I know who have American Girl dolls of their own moved to California recently, so instead this will go to a friend I have who's in need of some encouragement (without Custard, of course). I'll be using my sneaky ways to get this to her. I made a coordinating note to slip inside it, along with some chocolates. Did you know Dove makes a new individually wrapped milk chocolate infused with a hazelnut caramel center?! Yum...

Tonya has posted her template for anyone to download, although it needs a few little adjustments. I've informed her of those, so hopefully she'll make those little fixes. It's a great project, and I want to make another, so don't be surprised if this becomes a special class soon! Let me know if you'd like to see this on my schedule of events, or if you know some moms and daughters who you'd like to gather and have me help you make these. They'd be a great little teacher encouragement too, or a very creative way to package her/his Christmas gift card.

Guess you know what this means...I have to go clean the bathroom now.