put-a-bird-on-it diaper bag

If there is anything I learned from years and years of helping in the church nursery, it's that behind every great baby there is a well-stocked diaper bag. In my middle school opinion, the best ones had a plethora of pockets, nooks and crannies carefully organizing the pacifiers, bottles, diapers, wipes and cheerios (though I think many of today's babies have traded in their cheerios for what my friend calls "baby crack"). I remember being especially impressed by the moms who somehow managed to carry around a diaper bag that was full of MacGyver-like tricks and preparedness, while simultaneously matching their bag to their shoes, belt and purse. Such a feat!

Despite my admiration for such fashion-forward parenting, I will throw aside all pretense and admit that there is very little chance I will fall into that category of well-coordinated moms. At least at this point my baby accessorizing choices are based on two main factors: I like simple and I like cheap. And generally the simplest and cheapest option is to re-use something I already have laying around the house. Perhaps like a canvas Land's End tote bag that I have used approximately once?

It's clean, it's barely used, it's sturdy, it has a big pocket on the outside and is lined with many smaller pockets on the inside. I think it could suit our needs very well.

For the most part this tote is exactly what I imagine proving useful for lugging around baby goods. Though I decided to make one minor change to the overall look of the bag by adding a larger pocket to the side that didn't have a pocket previously. To make the pocket I:

1. Took a swatch of upholstery weight fabric and embroidered an adorable bird scene that I came across on a bib tutorial here.

2. Sewed the embroidered piece to another heavy-duty fabric and ironed the edges of the rectangle flat.

3. Hand-sewed the rectangle to the bag around the two sides and the bottom, leaving the top open to serve as a pocket.

Currently the Little Oyster's new diaper bag is packed with all the essentials for the hospital, and looking quite sweet if I do say so myself. Though, I have to admit I've been a bit humbled by the whole bird-embroidery-situation. You see, a few weeks ago my dear friend Alyson sent me a Portlandia link called "Put a Bird on it", which essentially mocks people like me who think that a bird silhouette will improve nearly any crafted good. But despite the good dose of humor and humility I chose to go forth with what I'm now calling the put-a-bird-on-it diaper bag. I've weighed the costs and cuteness wins.