18 Jul DIY Dog Lovers Beach Backpack

Now that summer’s in full swing, it’s time to hit the beach with our four-legged furry friends. And we’ve got the perfect carryall for you to bring on your next sunny day adventure!

This DIY Dog Lovers Beach Backpack is the pawfect bag to tote beach essentials. Fill it with sunglasses, suntan lotion, a phone and keys for you… and a water bottle, tennis ball, frisbee and doggie treats for your pup.

Our favorite thing? All it takes to make this super-duper quick and easy project is some rope, glue and a set of kitchen towels in a fun dog-inspired print and your vaca getaway backpack is complete.

You’ll need…

Step 1

Unfold one of your towels with the wrong side up – so that you’re looking at the back of the towel. (If your print has a top and bottom, make sure the print is oriented properly.) 

Fold the bottom edge of the towel up so that the fabric is about 6.5 inches long and then iron it flat, making a nice crease at the fold. This will help the fabric from shifting around on you while you work on the next step.

Step 2

Time to make the inside pockets! Place fusible adhesive tape along the right edge between the two layers of fabric and iron them together. Do the same on the left side of the towel to create one huge pocket. Then, tuck vertical strips of adhesive tape inside the pocket (one strip about every 5-6 inches) to divide your large pocket into 3 smaller ones. Iron the tape to secure it in place.

Step 3

Now it’s time to make a hem (open on both ends) where the cord handles will eventually go. 

Fold the top of your towel down about two inches and iron it flat to make a crease. Open up the flap and place a double layer of fusing tape along the fabric that aligns with the top edge and use an iron to activate the adhesive. Now you have a nice “tube” opening that you’ll be using later for the rope to slide through.

Step 4

Snip the four corners of fabric you’ve ironed down to remove some of the bulk. Repeat steps 1-4 for the second kitchen towel.

Step 5

There’s one final step on the second towel that you’ll need to do next. Cut a piece of ribbon about 4 inches long. Fold it in half to make a loop. Use adhesive tape or fabric glue to secure the ends of the ribbon at the base of the towel, so that the loop sticks out past the pocket edge by about an inch.

Step 6

Place both towels together with the wrong sides facing each other. Use fabric glue or adhesive tape to adhere the left, bottom and right sides together. When gluing the sides together, stop when you get to the top hem you made (two inches from the top), so you don’t glue the tube openings together.

Step 7

Cut a piece of clothesline cord about 65 – 70 inches long. Attach a safety pin to one end of the rope and run it through the hem opening on the right side of the top towel and continue moving it through the bottom towel hem until the safety pin is on the right side of the bag again. Remove the safety pin. 

Stick one end of the cord through the ribbon loop you made at the base of the right side of the bag and tie the ends together. 

Repeat this step, but this time start your safety pin on the left side of the bag, loop it through and around the hem openings until the pin ends up back on the left side. Remove the pin, tuck an end of cord through the left ribbon loop at the bottom of the bag and tie the ends together. And you’re done!

If you haven’t had a chance to hit the beach yet this summer, now is the time to grab your bestie and your bag and make memories by the water! Sling your new fido-inspired backpack over your shoulder, head for the nearest lake, and you and your pup can happily romp along the shore.

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Don’t forget to share your pictures with us below or on Facebook. We always love seeing what you make for your furry best friends!

Want to see this LIVE VIDEO? Check it out HERE! https://youtu.be/K4eRE2R3Erc