I love placemat crafts, and I love backpacks. Put the two together and what do you get? A backpack made out of a placemat! Christy from Craftygal posted a tutorial on making a backpack using four placemats (and two ties for the straps! Love that!).

Choose some sturdy placemats with interfacing in them from the dollar store, and get to work! You might also be able to find ties at the DS, or you can use some ties from the thrift store, or the back of your dad or husband's closet (ask first!). If you don't want to use ties, it's a pretty simple matter to sew straps up yourself. You can even use placemats or tea towels (pad them with a bit of batting to make them more comfortable).

Project Estimate:

• 4 placemats, $4
• 2 feet of cord, $1 or on hand
• Button or velcro, on hand
• 2 neckties, $2 or on hand

Total cost: $4 and up