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AI generated image of a hobo puffer bag... |
Was it a natural progression from a fascination with puffer jackets and coats
to puffer bags? Up front, I have to say that I would not carry a bag or purse made out of
this material, but then, that's me. (I also think those long puffer coats make
people look like they're wearing bedspreads.)
However, in my earnest desire to inspire and put ideas forward, I thought that
perhaps some of you might appreciate me sussing out free options
to make such a bag.
Not to mention that maybe you have a puffer jacket or coat that no longer
appeals to you that you could sacrifice to the cause. (Because I'm all about
recycling wearables
where possible.)
[AI note: a Google Lens search of the above image came back with
the info that it resembled a Quartz Co. Molly 2.0 bag;
however, when I looked it up, it differed by quite a bit.]
While catching up with my subscribed sewing channels on YouTube in early April, I came across a puffer tote bag pattern by Miko Craft (he of my Eggsy backpack and sling bag projects). At first I thought it was a novel item, but seeing it reminded me of something I had glimpsed in a store window at the "Big Mall." (There is a section of WEM devoted to high end brand names and while I cannot recall specifically which designer label the shop belonged to, I am positive it was in that area.)
While catching up with my subscribed sewing channels on YouTube in early April, I came across a puffer tote bag pattern by Miko Craft (he of my Eggsy backpack and sling bag projects). At first I thought it was a novel item, but seeing it reminded me of something I had glimpsed in a store window at the "Big Mall." (There is a section of WEM devoted to high end brand names and while I cannot recall specifically which designer label the shop belonged to, I am positive it was in that area.)
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| image courtesy of Miko Craft on YouTube... |
As far as seeing a tutorial on YouTube for such a bag, however, it was a
first for me, leading to the conclusion that this must be in response to some
trendy thing. A quick check online –
are quilted puffer bags in style right now – confirmed it. Adjectives
like fashionable, practical, soft, cozy, playful, light and spacious are
applied to them. Pair that with the exposure given by high end designers and
online influencers and apparently that's the winning formula for ensuring that
something is "in style."
Personally – as with almost all trends initiated by high end designers and
online influencers – I find most of them butt ugly and the rest just
tolerable. (Oops — I guess I'm not exactly being kind, am I??)
Miko's version (DIY - Puffy Tote Bag, uploaded on March 23, 2026) uses
pre-made quilted fabric. His projects are always generously provided with full
pattern templates, so I highly recommend his videos if you're looking for any
sort of bag project.
On another sewing channel that I hadn't checked in on in quite some time –
AePooiM – a second puffer bag jumped out at me, this time from a
video (My First Puffer Tote Bag!) that was uploaded March 2, 2026.
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| image courtesy of AePooiM on YouTube... |
Her bag uses a separate layer of polyfil under the main fabric, which is then
quilted before being cut and assembled into various components. If you're up for
the challenge, it seems quite doable and again, I can vouch for the quality of
her videos and instructions, having made one of
her early projects.
Of the two bags, Miko's is the more advanced pattern, incorporating three
zippers (one to fully close the top opening and two others on pockets above and below the band that's on one side of the bag). Both
bags have exterior side gusset pockets as well as interior pockets (divided
one on AePooiM's and a full width one on Miko's).
Sort of intrigued, I then did a search for a basic DIY puffer bag and came upon one on a new (to me) channel called cheche_stitches. It's actually one of several puffer bag tutorials she has posted.
This particular video (how to make a stylish puffer tote bag) was uploaded
February 3, 2026 and features a design that is the simplest to make, of the
three that I've highlighted today. (By the way, while I will not be providing hyperlinks to any of the projects described, there are enough details here that you should have no trouble finding them on YouTube yourself.)
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| image courtesy of cheche_stitches on YouTube... |
I really liked the carefree way in which the creator
demonstrated how to make this bag, in just under eleven and a half minutes. It
is just a basic tote without pockets – although it does have a zippered top
opening – but the addition of the creatively quilted polyfil layer (from free-hand drawn wavy lines) seemed to elevate the whole bag. I was impressed.
Was it possible that by the time I saw a third version of this "trend" that I
was coming around to liking the idea?? Nah. I still don't feel any affinity
towards puffer bags. It's occurred to me that I am reminded of winter whenever I see fabric like this. (And as a resident of a northern city where winters are often interminably long, who needs that?) In
the case of this last bag, maybe it was just the elegant stitching on a simple
black background that grabbed my attention.
What about you? Do puffer bags turn your crank at all?
'Til next... 🇨🇦🍁
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