For people whose professions involve working outside, the problem of storing and transporting tools becomes urgent. And also the question of how to use them most conveniently if you have to work in less than ideal conditions. For such professionals, a tool bag will be an indispensable tool. Although, of course, there are also boxes.

What kind of bags can there be?

Bags are not only lighter and more practical than boxes, but they also cost less. The tool bag can have different appearances. One of the formats has a rectangular shape and is equipped with handles and a shoulder strap.

There is another option for a tool bag. It has a belt clip and, of course, has a smaller capacity. This tool belt bag is indispensable for minor repairs at home, and is also popular with electricians, gardeners and hairdressers. Also, all container options have different shapes. They can be completely fabric or have plastic inserts. You can easily make a tool bag with your own hands. But first, it’s still worth understanding the various options.

Classic bag for storage and transportation

The distribution of space inside the bag plays an important role when choosing a model. Usually the bag is closed at the top with a lock, which can have a different appearance. It could be a zipper, a buckle, a cord, or even a padlock.

Inside the bag is divided into several sections, different in size. Most often, such departments also have an individual clasp. Each pocket or part of them can be fastened. In addition, there are several pockets on the outside. Or there is another option when the bag consists of several departments that look like folders. These folders are fastened together with a zipper and can also have individual fasteners. This type of bag is suitable for storing a large number of small tools. While the first option is used for larger ones. In addition to sections and pockets, there may also be additional fasteners or elastic bands under which tools can also be placed. Many manufacturers even draw silhouettes of the tools that should be there under such fasteners.

Belt bag for tools

This type of bag is very convenient not only for home repair work. After all, by attaching a tool belt to yourself, you will always have everything you need at hand. This can be a full-fledged belt with compartments of various sizes located around the waist. There is also a multi-compartment pocket attached to the waistband. Or a similar tool bag looks like an apron. The latter is quite popular in gardening.

Barber bag

Hairdressers belong to that group of workers who often have to go to clients' homes. Of course, they will need a container to transport the tool. But that's not all. Since hairdressers are forced to move around the client during their work, belt bags will also be very convenient for them.

Bags for hairdressing tools used for transportation should have good, roomy compartments and preferably with thick partitions. A bag that fits on a belt may not have many pockets. Just a few are enough - for scissors, combs and clips.

Mounting belt

Any master of small household repairs knows first-hand what a mounting belt is. A tool bag of this type looks like an apron, equipped with two large and several medium pockets.

In addition, these pockets have slots for small tools, as well as loops for a hammer. Such belts are very convenient because they allow you to keep a large number of different tools with you. This container is often used as an electrician's tool bag. This is due to the ease of use of this option when working at heights. After all, with such an “assistant” you don’t have to constantly get off the stepladder to pick up a new tool.

Bag for manicurist

Manicurists do not need to use fanny packs, since they work at a table and all the tools are laid out in front of them. And it doesn’t matter where it happens: in the salon or at the client’s. But when going to a client’s home, they are forced to transport a large amount of materials and tools. In addition, the walls of the bag should be as tight as possible so that the materials being carried cannot turn over too much to prevent them from spilling or mixing.

Therefore, bags for manicure tools are large in size, like suitcases with several compartments that keep their shape perfectly, as well as many pockets. In such bags everything is always in its place. Such suitcases are fastened with a lock and have two types of handles: long and short. In addition to the usual sections, a manicure case usually has a plastic frame that is sliding. The tools that the master is currently using can be placed on it. After work, the sections of the bag simply slide together and the suitcase closes, which is very convenient.

Sewing a tool bag with your own hands

If you are not a professional in the sewing industry, then for manual work it is better to choose simpler models. For example, you can sew a bag for garden tools in the form of a belt or an apron. First, determine the volume of your future bag. It will depend on how many tools, as well as what size you plan to put in there. It is also necessary to represent the location of all pockets as accurately as possible. It's better to even draw a sketch.

Material selection

A DIY tool bag can be made from various materials. And they play not the least role. Of course, the materials used to sew bags are not particularly diverse. As a rule, preference is given to one of two options. It can be nylon or leather. The first one is the most accessible and also universal. It is much cheaper than leather, which is why it is used much more often. But still, leather bags are much stronger and more resistant to use. Leather bags are also heavier than nylon bags and require special care, and this can be attributed to their disadvantages. Nylon is lightweight and washable, yet quite durable. Another advantage of it is the variety of color shades, unlike leather, which is presented in only a few solutions. But the disadvantages include its fragility. Such material can be easily damaged by tools from the inside. But if you are planning to sew for the first time, then you can practice, for example, on ordinary oilcloth, which has a fabric base. After all, sewing a leather bag will require some experience and equipment.

Tool bag pattern

Patterns for bags of this kind are usually not too complex. As a rule, these are several squares and rectangles connected into one whole.

But the sequence of their connection will depend on the chosen model, as well as on the purpose for which this bag will be used. Before you calculate everything and build a pattern, you need to decide not only on the model, but also on its size and number of sections. It would be a good idea to foresee in advance exactly which tools will be located in which departments.

Also consider the location and type of fastener, as well as handles and the placement of the pockets themselves. They can be located on one side or around the entire bag. Consider this moment especially carefully in a belt bag.

Sewing process

Having decided on the model and selected the material, you can start sewing. The constructed pattern should be placed on the wrong side of the fabric, pinned and cut out. If you use oilcloth, then seam allowances are not needed. The easiest way is to sew a bag in the form of an apron. One main piece is cut out, onto which square or semicircular pockets of different sizes are sewn. All cut parts should be finished along the edges, for example with hemming tape. A fabric belt should be sewn to the main part at the top. Oilcloth will not work for this because it cannot be tied around the waist.

Now that the main part of the bag is ready, you should place the pockets on it where you want them to be in the finished version and pin them in place. Inspect the work, and if you are satisfied with everything, then sew the pockets finally. This model can be slightly modified. Make a wide belt from oilcloth that will not be tied, but fastened. Each pocket is sewn separately and in this case consists of two halves. After all the pockets are ready, they are sewn on top of the belt along its entire length. They can also be stacked on top of each other. This way you will increase the useful volume of the belt bag.

When starting to choose a bag model for your tools, the first thing you should correctly calculate is its volume. It will depend on how many tools you would like to store or carry there. It should be remembered that you cannot fill the bag to capacity. This will harm not only the product, but also the tools themselves. As they move, they will rub against each other, which will undoubtedly lead to faster wear. The next thing you need to pay attention to is the presence of pockets, compartments and their functionality. It’s very good if some of them are fastened, and some remain open, then the most necessary tools will always be at hand. The choice of color also matters. After all, when a bag is used for repair work, it is preferable if the dirt on it is not too noticeable.

There is a traditional section on air in which I talk about the things that I use and which turned out to be convenient and useful. Today the story is about a roll-up bag for automotive tools from the Delo Tekhniki team.

2. The guys from Delo Tekhniki are my old friends. Ever since my trip to Magadan, their excellent set of tools has been living in my car.

3. Two years have passed and I have no complaints about the instrument itself, but the change in the automotive concept has made the format of its storage inconvenient for me. If earlier a hard suitcase was very convenient for transportation in a pickup truck like this, now in the camper the storage of things and shmurdyak is organized a little differently and the suitcase began to get in the way.

4. And now, a new form factor for storing tools. The bag is made of oil-water-repellent Oxford fabric, profiled with 26 pockets and has a convenient carrying handle.

6. For me, the main bonus from it is that it is absolutely silent. It can be carried in a luggage locker, or under a seat in a car, and there is no metallic rattling from it on bumps. Actually, for this reason, she has now moved to live behind the driver’s seat, from where she can be reached at any time within a couple of seconds.

7. The bag is rolled up and locked with latches. It will not scratch the casing and will not leave abrasions on other equipment.

8. Spontaneous loss of the tool from it is also unlikely. As well as the accidental entry of water here.

9. I have the “filled/charged” option with a 43-piece tool set already packed

10. A set of the most popular keys for minor or local repairs. That's why he lives behind my seat.

11. Here is a full panorama of the contents of the roll-up bag

12. I'm pleased with the hex socket holder. What bothered me the most about the suitcase was when I opened it upside down and they effectively spilled out onto the folded side of the pickup truck.

13. The material of the bag allows you not to think about where you put it - be it snow, dust or spring dirt. You can clean it later by simply shaking it off or wiping it with a rag.

14. By the way, the flap valve is very convenient to use for unfolding the unscrewed bolts and the tool currently in use.

15. The bag has already gone through a baptism of fire with us and has been tested, so to speak, on living people.

16. Separately, I would like to note that this bag was designed and made entirely in Russia.

If anyone is interested, then

As they say, order should be everywhere. This also applies to your spouse’s tools. It is very easy to put things in order if you use an organizer for this. I suggest making your own organizer for wrenches. Now your accessories will be organized thanks to individual pockets. And the bag itself will take a very compact place among other tools.

We sew an organizer for wrenches with our own hands

01. To sew the organizer we will need a minimum of materials and time. I recommend using thick, wear-resistant fabrics such as raincoat or tarpaulin. I made it from thick denim. We will also need matching threads, scissors, a ruler and the wrenches themselves.

02. Decide on the size of the bag. To do this, you need to lay out all the keys in a row as they will lie in the finished product. That is, in descending order.

03. Now, using a ruler and chalk, mark the width for each pocket. The width of my largest pocket is about 7 cm. Further, in descending order, each pocket becomes narrower by 0.5 cm.
04. Keys can be removed. All that remains is to cut the pocket along the marked lines.

05. Cutting a pocket. I got the following. You may have different sizes depending on the number and height of the keys.

06. Cut out the resulting part and do not forget to add allowances for all cuts.

07. Fold the top edge of the pocket to the wrong side and hem it. For now we put it aside.

08. Let's work on the main part of the bag. We cut out the canvas according to the given diagram. The width of the organizer should be equal to the width of the pocket.

09. Cut out a rectangle and fold it in half.

10. Using pins, baste the pocket piece on top.

11. Sew using a sewing machine. We lay a line along each division on a turnkey basis. We fasten the ends of the lines.

12. Round and cut off the bottom corners.

13. Sew bias tape around the perimeter of the organizer. It can be cut from any suitable material. You can buy ready-made.

There are a lot of little things that make life and work more convenient and comfortable. In addition, such things can demonstrate your love and care, especially if you make them yourself. I propose to sew a convenient textile case for hand tools, which will allow the master to keep the necessary little things at hand and without unnecessary difficulties, transfer them from place to place. This pencil case will be an excellent gift for February 23rd.

You will need:

• a piece of denim or other thick fabric for the pocket and cover
• a similar-sized piece of batting or padding polyester
• lining fabric
• cord or braid for ties
• scissors, pencil, ruler, needle, thread, pins
• sewing machine

How to sew a tool case

The actual size of the pencil case will depend on what the owner will store in it. This could be pencils, which the soft cover will protect from splitting, or a set of screwdrivers and wrenches, and perhaps a case for cutlery for a picnic. Accordingly, the size will change both the size of the main part and the width of the pockets. I present the average size of blanks, which can be suitable for both office supplies and small tools.

For work, it is best to choose a dense and soft fabric of non-marking colors. I used jeans, because already unnecessary jeans can be found in any home. In addition, this color is well suited for a men’s pencil case. In addition to the denim, plain cotton fabric and batting were used as the lining.

You can sew this kind of pencil case in various ways. You can cut out the cover separately and, after designing it, sew the pocket detail to it. You can cut the pocket and cover in one piece, then bend it to the required distance. We will use the first method.

We cut out 3 identical parts from jeans, batting and lining fabric with dimensions of about 32x25 cm (a part from batting can be made 1 cm smaller on each side, and the blank of the front part, on the contrary, is 1 cm longer - 32x26 cm).

If you want to make the front side more elegant, you can decorate it using the patchwork technique, sewing from different pieces of fabric or making decorative stripes, like I did. To do this, first fasten the batting or padding polyester to the front part (you can use a random pattern, parallel or diagonal seams for this), and then sew on the decor. In any case, the entire decor of the front part is sewn on first.

A pad made of soft and thick material is needed to protect the contents of the pencil case from impacts, and also to prevent metal objects from rattling when carried. First, on the front side, using soap or a wax pencil, we mark the lines along which we will quilt, and then we stitch them on the machine.

After the front part of the pencil case is ready, we sew the lining to it. To do this, we fold the parts with their front parts facing each other, secure them with pins and attach them on three sides, leaving the lower part of the workpiece free. Turn the piece right side out. We will sew the pocket part to the bottom, for which we made the denim part 1 cm longer than the rest. However, before this, you need to prepare the pocket blank.

For the pocket, I also suggest taking thick fabric, because it must withstand significant loads. We cut out a rectangle with dimensions of 23x15 cm (however, the height of the pockets can be made to any height, including cutting it diagonally). After this, we bend and pin (or sew with a running stitch) three sides of the pocket except its bottom. We sew the seams on the machine to get neat edges.

After this, you can sew the pocket piece to the bottom of the main piece. We will get a kind of folding valve. Now we make another seam, simply connecting all the layers of fabric at the bottom. He won't be visible.

Now we connect the edges of the front part and the pocket with pins, not forgetting to put them inside and secure the edges of the pencil case strings. I used cut denim seams, which look quite brutal. String, sewn strips of fabric, or braid also work. We attach the side parts of the pocket to the main part.

After this, we use soap to mark the lines of the individual pockets, remembering that they do not have to be the same width, and sew them in. The patchwork technique and the use of denim fabric make the seams on the front of the pencil case a unique, but almost invisible part of the decor.

A pencil case for tools or any other of your needs is ready!