Beads of Courage – Bead Bags

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Beads of Courage is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen children and families coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path.

Making a Bead Bag

You will need:

Two – 9” x 12” pieces of focus fabric
Two – 9” x 12” pieces of lining fabric
Two – 26” long pieces of thin cording or ribbon
One – Beads of Courage label

Instructions:

  1. If available, sew label in middle or lower right corner to RS of one piece of focus fabric.
  2. Focus Fabric – with RS together sew 1/2″ seam on both long sides making a tube. Press seams open.
  3. Lining Fabric – repeat Step 2.
  4. Turn lining right side out and place inside focus fabric (RS together).
  5. Line up seams and sew a 1/4″ seam around top of tube.
  6. Turn right side out. Press seam towards lining. (You now have 1 long tube.)
  7. Tuck lining back inside and press top seam flat.
  8. Sew a seam 2″ from top. When you get to each side seam, back tack 1/4″ across seam.
  9. Sew another seam 2 ¾” from top, back tacking at both seams. (This makes stronger seams where cording will be pulled.)
  10. With seam ripper, pop both seams of focus fabric between the back tacks.
  11. Turn project wrong side out. Sew seam 5/8” from edge, then zig-zag edge. OR, serge all layers together.
  12. Turn right side out, press bag.
  13. Fold back 1/2″ of cord/ribbon. Put large safety pin through fold.
  14. Starting at one seam, thread all the way around bag. Tie ends of cord/ribbon in a knot.
  15. Repeat steps 13 and 14 at the other seam.