Handmade school backpack cover ideas: original and easy to recognize!
Seeing first graders with brand-new, shiny randoseru makes you feel that spring has arrived, doesn’t it?
Those school bags are surely your children’s favorites and very important to them, and since they’ll use them every day for six years, you want them to keep them as clean as possible.
For those who haven’t prepared a randoseru cover yet, here are some handmade randoseru cover ideas we recommend.
You can make one using vinyl tablecloths available at 100-yen shops or home centers, or using your favorite fabrics—create one to match your child’s preferences!
Handmade Randoseru Cover Ideas: Original and Easy to Spot! (1–10)
Easy cover with cut cloth
Let’s make a super easy randoseru (Japanese school bag) cover using a pre-cut fabric square! This idea requires no needle or sewing machine.
First, cut a piece of fabric about 1 cm larger than the size of the bag flap.
Apply fabric adhesive to the extra 1 cm on all four edges and press firmly to stick it down.
Using an iron to press it will give a neat finish.
Next, attach two elastic bands to the inside of the fabric to prevent the cover from slipping, and add a string so you can tie it to the shoulder strap hardware.
If you’re worried about rain, applying a waterproof spray is a good idea.
Decorate with your favorite materials
It’s an idea for decorating a randoseru cover that has a pocket on the front.
You can put various parts in the pocket to change the decoration.
Especially for girls, it’s common to like frilly pink designs in the lower grades, but then suddenly prefer calmer colors like black or purple and simpler designs in the upper grades.
This idea is perfect for that.
Just swap out the parts you put inside, and the cover can become any design you like, so you can decorate it with whatever parts you’re into at the time.
Heart motif cover
Here’s an idea for a heart-themed randoseru cover that I’d recommend for girls.
You can use vinyl cloth or any fabric you like for the base of the cover.
Cut the fabric to match the size of the flap, then sew it together while attaching bias tape or similar around the edges.
For the heart section, make a double-layer structure with fabric and vinyl cloth, and pop your favorite small items inside to make it even cuter! You can find lots of adorable pieces at 100-yen shops, so pack in whatever you like.
Once you sew the heart piece onto the cover, it’s complete!
Made with vinyl cloth and bias tape
Let’s try making a cover using vinyl cloth! Vinyl cloth is transparent, so it’s great because you can put it on without detracting from the color of your child’s favorite randoseru.
To make it, measure the size of the flap section of the randoseru and cut the necessary pieces from the vinyl cloth.
Sew bias tape onto the edges, and then just sew the pieces together! Attach a cord to the top of the cover so it can be tied to the bag’s shoulder hinge.
Try to find bias tape that matches the color of the randoseru, too.
Made using vinyl-coated fabric
If the fabric is vinyl-coated, it’s durable and reliable even on rainy days.
So, let’s make a randoseru (school backpack) cover using vinyl-coated fabric! First, cut the outer fabric, lining, and facing pieces from your fabric.
After sewing bias tape onto the facing, sew the facing onto the lining along with a color tape and flat elastic to keep the cover from slipping.
Finally, place the outer fabric together with the lining and finish by sewing bias tape all the way around the edges.
You’re done!
School backpack cover with pocket
School backpacks can look big, but they often end up full once you put in textbooks and stationery, don’t they? That’s where a backpack cover with a pocket comes in handy.
Rather than a small pocket, think of the entire cover as one large pocket.
Because it holds a lot, you can put a jacket or hat inside.
The method is the same as for a basic cover: double the cover fabric to create a pocket and sew on a flap.
To keep items from falling out, thread elastic through the pocket opening to cinch it, and it’s also recommended to make the flap on the larger side!
One-Touch Randoseru Cover
Since shopping bags started costing money, I think everyone carries a reusable bag.
There are many types of reusable bags, including the kind you can fold up small and tuck into your purse.
This backpack cover is exactly like that.
It’s great because you can fold it up and put it away when you’re not using it.
Cut the necessary pieces from the fabric and make the part that goes over the randoseru (Japanese school backpack) and the pocket section.
For the cover part, you’ll thread elastic around the edge, so be sure to create a casing for the elastic.
Sew the two pieces together and you’re done.
If you use waterproof fabric, it should be really handy on rainy days!