Embroidering Book Bags Embroidery Project

The new school year always rings in a new season of sales for the embroidery entrepreneur. Obviously, there is plenty of opportunity for sports uniforms, spirit wear and special event promotions, but there is also the retail perspective, most notably book bags.

The range of choices for book bags is almost limitless, with the most popular items being knapsacks followed by tote bags. Other choices include portfolios, shoulder bags and attaché cases. These products are carried by many of the apparel distributors for the imprinted sportswear industry and are widely available to embroiderers.

Decoration choices are as simple as a monogram or as complex as a school mascot. It all boils down to the taste and available space on the bag. One of the hottest areas in the winter and spring of 2004 was large single letter monograms. These were in all the big-name retail clothing stores based primarily on the 70’s TV Show Laverne and Shirley, where Laverne was rarely seen without her trademark “L” monogram. This trend has continued, though it has cooled somewhat.

Another popular trend is to make a statement on a book bag, though it’s generally limited to the older kids. This includes reference to sports, activities, being a senior or the expression on ones thoughts. The timeless classic “CLASS OF …, pops up everywhere. For you as the seller, make a list of local favorites and be ready to make suggestions. Encourage multiple statements and decorations, as it increases your sales potential.

With the younger clientele, cartoon-like figures, icons related to schools, sports and just plain cutesy designs tend to more popular than any type of statement.

While the choice of decorations, slogans and statements is fun, hooping and sewing may not be. Knapsacks tend to have lots of compartments, straps and zippers, which makes hooping challenging, if not impossible. Couple this with difficult fabrics like cordura nylon and suddenly you are in a position where your brain is screaming “noooo”, while your heart is saying “ok, this will be ready tomorrow, your total is…”

Difficult embroidery applications are always caught up in the war between I Need Sales and Just Say No, with the former usually winning out. However, after a few costly experiments, you tend to learn all about the true meaning of the NO word. But it shouldn’t be that way. There are many solutions available for conquering modern hooping dilemmas. Don’t let the term “hooping” lock you into the use of traditional hoops. Instead, think outside the circle and focus on hooping as being a method for securing items for sewing.

For most book bag applications, the right choice is either a clamping system or a window system. With a clamping system, you install a base on your machine in place of the hoop. A clamp works kind of like a sandwich (unless you are hungry, then there is no similarity whatsoever). When it’s open or unlocked, you have two pieces of bread, one above the other, ready to receive the meat. You slide the (meat) item to be sewn in between the upper and lower pieces and then lock it all into place using a spring-loaded mechanism operated by a handle. The unique spring-loaded mechanism allows for a secure grip, regardless of the item thickness.

The other method is the window system. With a window system, you attach a small metal frame to your machine in place of the hoop. You then attach a piece of adhesive backing to the underside of the frame, with the adhesive side facing up. The backing attaches to the frame and also provides an adhesive surface within the opening of the frame or window. Now slide the item to be sewn over the frame and press down onto the adhesive surface. You are ready to sew. Just like clamps, window systems come with a variety of frame sizes, enabling you to handle a wide range of applications.

As you can see, book bags like many other products can be overcome with the right tools, making them fun, creative and profitable for your shop. So, set the clock a little earlier, pack those lunches and go meet that school bus. Then shake the cobwebs from your head and get cracking on those book bags. It’s all very elementary, you know…

SPECIAL NOTE: Though it’s cute, never put a young child’s name on their book bag, as it provides too much information for child abductors.