How to sew a Travel Art Kit for Kids

When my son was two, he was obsessed with trains. So I got the great idea that an epic train journey would make a great family holiday. I booked us on the Spirit of the Outback – a 26 hour train trip to the middle of nowhere in Australia (Longreach – a really interesting place to visit!).

With a toddler and a baby (my daughter was 9 months old!)!!!

How would I keep a 2 year old occupied in a confined space for such a long time? The felt car play mat I’d made and a couple of cars and trains were a good start, but I needed more than that!

I’d seen lots of crayon rolls on craft blogs, but crayons (or markers) aren’t much use without paper. So I came up with this Travel Drawing Kit for Kids:

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The travel art kit is designed to hold a pack of 8 washable markers and a small notebook/drawing pad.

Made in a nice dark quilting cotton to hide any, ummm, over-creativity.

These travel art kits stayed in my handbag for YEARS (I made a second one for my daughter). It kept my kids occupied on the train, in restaurants, in the car, and anywhere else where the kids were a bit bored and looking for something to keep them busy.

Here’s how I made it:

Supplies

Small Art Pad or Notebook (I used A5 size – 14.8 x 21cm/5.8 x 8.3 inch)
Pack of 8 Washable Markers
1/2 yard (45cm) of quilting cotton
Matching thread
30cm/12inch piece of double fold bias binding (in a coordinating color)
Iron-on interfacing (Medium or Heavy weight)
2 pieces of Cardboard 18x24cm (7×10 inch)
Button
Small piece of thin elastic
Sewing machine
Scissors

Instructions

Cut two 10.25″ x 16″ (26 x 40cm) rectangles of fabric
(Note: dimensions include the notebook, a 5/8″ (1.5cm) border around the notebook, 5/8″ (1.5cm) for the spine and a 3/8″ (1cm) seam allowance).

Cut one piece of fabric 4.75″ x 12″ (12cmx30cm) for the crayon/marker pocket. Cut one 12″ (30cm) long piece of bias binding.

(Please ignore the big crease in the fabric, it is actually a rectangle. I really should iron before I cut.)

Cut two pieces of iron-on interfacing approximately 1cm (3/8″) larger than your notebook on all sides.

Cut another piece of iron-on interfacing 2” (5cm) high and approximately an inch wider than your sketch book on each side.

Draw a rectangle approximately 1/4″ (1/2cm) high and 1/8″ (1/4cm) wider than your sketch book on the small piece of interfacing.

Pin this piece of interfacing with adhesive-side up onto the right side of one large piece of fabric in the location where the sketch book will slide in.

Sew all the way around the previously-marked rectangle with a straight stitch. Cut a hole with scissors or a craft knife down the centre of the rectangle.

Clip the corners of the interfacing (being careful not to snip the stitching!).

Pull the interfacing through the slit to the wrong side of the fabric, fold it along the seam line and pin into place.

Carefully iron the interfacing onto the wrong side of the fabric. Note: as there are pins in there, just press down onto the fabric and don’t move the iron from side to side to avoid scratching your iron.

Top-stitch around the hole approximately 1/8″ (3mm) from the edge

Iron two larger pieces of interfacing onto the wrong side of the other large piece of fabric, leaving the seam allowance around the edge and spine allowance in the centre.

Attach bias binding to the top edge of the smaller piece of cut fabric.

Fold the right-hand edge of the fabric under and pin to the right side of the fabric piece with the hole, aligning it with the edge of the spine section and the bottom edge. Sew along right hand side, reinforcing the top section by sewing over it 2-3 times.

Pin 8 pockets (one for each of the markers). As the markers lined up are approximately the same width as the sketch book, the top fabric is wider than the bottom for each pocket and wraps around each marker.

I tested each pocket as I went to make sure the markers would fit!

Sew along each of the pinned lines to create the individual pockets, reinforcing the top of the pocket by back-stitching.

With right sides of the two large pieces fabric together, sew around three sides. I sewed around the two long sides (top and bottom) and one short side.

(Really hard to see with matching threads!)

Clip the corners and turn fabric right side out.

Cut two pieces of cardboard slightly larger than the sketchpad (I reused a nappy box!).

Slide one piece of cardboard into the opening, and then sew two rows of stitches to hold the cardboard into position and define the spine of the folder.