How to Create a Crafters Go Bag – The Perfect Travel Companion!

One of the smartest things a crafter can do is to create a Crafters Go Bag. With all this talk about creating handmade items for the home, we wonder if we will ever have time to make them all.  That is where your Crafters Go Bag comes in handy.

Consider how much ‘wasted’ time you spend in a week. We often find ourselves waiting in a doctor’s office for either your own appointments or a friend’s. There are times when you have to pick the kids up from work, or your spouse up from work, and get there a bit early.

Until I finally created my Crafters Go Bag, I often lamented the wasted time, and spent it thinking of all the other things I could be doing.

And then there are those days we have a bit of spare time and want to use it to visit with a friend or a relative.  With a Crafters Go Bag, you can increase the enjoyment of your visit by working on a simple project while you talk!

A Crafters Go Bag not only makes waiting more fun, but also turns it into productive time. It gives us a chance to work on some of those gifts we need to finish, or start a new project designed to help you spread your wings and learn a little more about your favorite craft.

Just so you know: This post contains affiliate links; if you click on a link and make a purchase I might make a small commission, but it does not affect the price you pay!

How to Create a Crafters Go Bag

There are actually 3 types of Crafters Go Bags you can create. They range from small, that holds only a small project and maybe a notebook, to one that holds several, as well as a few books and other items you may need.

To help, I will break it down by type, the bag, and what should go in it:

I’ll Only Be Gone for an Hour or Two…

Size:  Small

Bag: A small light-weight tote bag usually works well in this case. It’s best if you have one with pockets at least on the inside, but one without pockets can work just as well.

I have a soft-sided tackle box that works perfect for a crafters go bag. It is lightweight and comes with a small plastic tackle box. I fill the small box with needles, crochet hooks, scissors, and other small supplies.

(The link above is one that is close – however, mine came from Academy Sports!)

Contents: 

• A small craft project – usually knitting, crochet, cross-stitch or other easily portable craft
• Necessary Supplies – yarn, thread, needles, hooks, etc.
• A Small Sewing/Craft Kit

  • Small Scissors
  • Thimble
  • Seam Ripper
  • Stitch Counter
  • Row Markers

• Directions or Pattern
• Notebook
• Pen &/or Pencil

It’s Gonna be an All Day Kind of Day…

For appointments that are going to take all day long, you may end up getting bored with only one project, end up finishing it, or just need a change of pace. For this you will need:

Size: Medium

Bag: Consider a larger tote with multiple interior pockets. Even better, consider a backpack. These are usually easier to carry, and the weight of added items doesn’t get too heavy to lug around. There is room to store a couple of small projects and more.

Contents:

• All of the contents of the 1 Hour Crafters Go Bag
• 1 extra project (or two)
• A good Book
• Bottled Water &/or a Snack
• Electronic Tablet

Taking a Trip with a Crafting Go-Bag

Whether I am gone for a weekend or a week, I always carry a travel-sized Crafters Go Bag. Many of my crafts can be done while riding in the car, and they are perfect to keep me busy while staying in a hotel room in the evenings.

Size: Large

Bag: For a travel-size Crafters Go Bag, consider a small rolling travel bag. These are large enough to carry multiple craft projects…plus some of those supplies you found while traveling and just couldn’t resist!

Contents:

• Everything in the Basic Crafters Go Bags
• Additional Projects
• Two to Three Books (depending on size)
• Tablet &/or Laptop

How to Store your Projects & Supplies

Depending on my project, I usually use either a zip-top bag or plastic containers. With these, I can store all of my project supplies, as well as the pattern or directions. The type of project usually determines which one I use. If I am making pot scrubbers, I opt for the zip-top bag, as the toile strips can get bulky. I can store more in a bag than I can in a box.

If I am working on a small crochet project, such as coasters, an embroidery project such as dish towels, or a small weaving project (like a blanket made with a 4” pin loom), I prefer the plastic boxes (I use the Sterlite boxes with clips in different sizes that you can get at the Dollar Store). I can keep all my supplies and materials in them, especially with the looms. Pin looms have sharp pins that can otherwise destroy a zip top bag.

I do like to have a separate plastic container that stays in my Crafters Go Bag, and contains all the miscellaneous supplies I might need. The plastic container has less chance of getting torn, left open or a hole punctured in it from the small pair of scissors.

The Special Item in your Crafters Go Bag

Every Crafters Go Bag should have one, but few of us do. It Is that one thing that fulfills every crafters goal and that is to share your love of handmade items with others.  The special item? A small, completed project!

I never leave home without at least one set of crocheted pot scrubbers. If someone is intrigued with the work of my hands, often they come sit next to me and a conversation is started. Before they (or I) leave, I reach in my bag and pull out the pot scrubber set. The explanation of what they are is often overridden by smiles and joy of receiving a small example of a handmade craft!

It doesn’t have to be a large thing. Consider tucking pot scrubbers, a coaster, or some other small thing you created to share with those who you have met through the language of handcrafting!

Never ‘Lose’ Time Again

With a Crafters Go Bag, you no longer have to lament not having enough time to work on the crafts you love to do. Instead of wasting time waiting, take your bag with you and enjoy the wait.

Another benefit to taking a Crafters Go Bag. Those waiting rooms are usually filled with bored people. You may just find a like-minded soul sitting in a chair across from you, who speaks your same ‘language’. By the time you leave, you could garner a new friend, or even a new crafting idea!

Want more on a Handmade Home?

Don’t miss all the post in the Handmade Home Series for April!

A Handmade Home

Catch the Drip – Handmade Coasters

Handmade Gift Quilted Gift Tags

Make Baking Easy with Handmade Baking Mixes

Tempt Your Tastebuds with Handmade Seasoning Mixes

Maintain an In Home Library

Create a Barn Quilt – No Sewing Needed!

Keep your Feathered Friends Happy

• Author Details

The Farm Wife

The Farm Wife

https://www.thefarmwife.com

juliemurphree@hotmail.com

Julie Murphree is a blogger, newspaper columnist, and speaker on all things ‘Living a Simple Life on the Farm’. She is the author of \\\'The Farm Wife – Living a Simple Life on the Farm. She and her husband have 60 acres in NW Louisiana where they actively work on living as sustainable as possible.