Dora the Explorer Party: Favors

For the kid's 1st birthday party, I knew I needed to give out favors to the dozen kids that we invited, but we were broke, so I had to get creative.  I googled "jungle theme favors" over 112 times and decided to make rain sticks out of rice and paper towel rolls and drums out of painted formula cans.  Genius, right?  WRONG.  It was a horrible mess.  The "drums" were peeling paint before I even packed them up and my dad and cousin were punching holes in paper towel rolls up until the party started.  It was a mess. 

So, this year when I told Matt I was going to make the kids Backpacks for Allison's party?  Let's just say I see that look quite often.  You know the one.  The "you're absolutely nuts but I'm not going to get involved" look.

But this time was different. 

This time they turned out.

Want to make one for your little Dora addict?  Here's how.

Tools:

1/2 yd purple felt (I was able to get 3 backpacks out of 1/2 yd)

1 sheet red felt

1 sheet white felt

1 sheet yellow felt

Backpack template

measuring tape

scissors

thread

glue

ink pen

black sharpie

1.  First cut out all your pieces.  (All dimensions in inches.  Because I'm in America, dammit.)

      2 - 11.5 x 11.5

      2 - 1.5 x 16

      1 -  3 x 11.5

      Backpack's face

2.  Then assemble by lining up the edge of the straps to the edge of one the large felt squares.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  Felt is very forgiving.  And they are kid's backpacks.  Are they going to criticize??

3.  Sandwich the straps with the rectangle piece of felt and stitch together the top edge to make Backpack's back.  I used a loose zigzag just to add some extra stability.  Because I've seen my kid with toys and frankly it's a little disturbing.  

4.  Placing right sides together, stitch the other felt square to the back piece on the remaining three sides.  (Don't forget to pin the bottom of the straps in place to keep them from going all crazy crooked.)  Turn Backpack right side out.  Sorry there's no picture of this, but when I try to take photos of items in my sewing machine, they always turn out horrible.  And kinda creepy.  In an Unsolved Mysteries kinda way.

6.  Apply Backpack's face with glue.  Eyebrows on the flap and face below.  I used Elmer's glue for this and frankly it didn't hold very well, so maybe fabric glue would be better.  And I was thinking that the pupils would be really cute with buttons.  But I stopped while I was ahead and used a sharpie.

7.  Lastly, round the edges of the flap for that signature "Backpack" look.  I actually folded the bag in half and cut both sides at the same time to make it a little more symmetrical.  Because asymmetry makes my OCD a little crazy.

That's it.  A project even I can't screw up. 

Then stuff to your heart's content!  I just went to Party City and bought Dora puzzles, notepads, and stickers and printed out some coloring pages from nickjr.com.  But honestly, the kids loved the backpacks much more than what was inside them. 

The kicker: The entire thing cost me about $3 for 5 Backpacks* (+ backpack contents).

*I made two more Backpack's for my older nephews in dark blue (to be more masculine, of course) and just increased the dimensions of the squares to 13 x 13, the rectangle to 3.5 x 13, and the strap length to 2 x 18 inches.