Sewing: DIY Bike Panniers
The finished panniers on my bike!
When I bought my new bike the shop threw in a set of panniers as part of the deal. They were fine for a year or so, useful for work when cycling to the station, but I began to get a bit fed up with them. There were some design tweaks I wanted to make, like a longer handle so I could use the panniers as a bag when I was off the bike, inner pockets for keys and purse and frankly something that was a bit cooler than the practical-but-dull design I had. I couldn’t find a pattern anywhere so I decided to make my own, like this:
You will need; about a 1.5 to 2 metres of oil cloth (I used this so it would be shower-proof), the same amount of cotton fabric for lining (I used a nice graphic IKEA print), some sticky backed velcro (about half a metre, mine was sticky backed on the grippy side, if yours isn’t you’ll need some glue), a long strip of nylon webbing for the handle (mine was ripped off an old messenger bag), sewing thread, chalk, two short lengths of dress elastic (optional, see below) and an iron. It will be easier if you have a sewing machine, and do use a needle made for heavy duty work – it is THICK! I also used some strips of reflective material I liberated from something else.
Cut one each of part A (right) and B in both the outer fabric (oil cloth or similar) and the lining.
Then cut 2 each of part C in each fabric, 4 of parts D & F, and 2 of part G, again in both outer and lining fabrics.
Cut 2 of part E in just the outer fabric. ‘E’ is the place holder for two little velcroed strips which will secure the bag to the pannier rack at the side, so cut the elongated ‘O’ shape in them to the width of the velcro you are using. I have to say that I never bother to fasten these as the bag is secure enough as it is, so I’ve marked this as optional, see what your fabric combination feels like it needs.
Another optional extra: If you want pockets inside your panniers, cut out two rectangles, about 3 cm larger than you’d like your pockets to be, out of the lining fabric. Turn over a hem all the way around and thread some elastic through the hem that will be at the top of the pocket. Secure the elastic with a few stitches so that it gathers slightly, like the waist of a dress. This will make the pockets more secure and not gape. No one likes a gaping pocket.
N.B. I decided to make this with an external seam, which meant that the panniers were more sturdy and sculptural in the making than if I’d have done it like a garment and kept the seams inside. Plus I wasn’t sure I could do inside seams with oil cloth, it just seemed too unwieldy. This did make the layers of fabric to sew through very thick, which is why I specify using a heavy duty sewing machine needle for this.
Lay the inner lining of A over the oil cloth, right sides both facing out. Use an iron to turn over a small hem on each, slightly larger on the lining so it is just inside the oil cloth. Both hems should be pressed against each other, so the ‘neat’ side is on show. Pin the 2 hems together, so you have one big, neat, lovely mat thing. Do the same for part B. Using your chalk trace the lines (shown as a dotted line in the diagram) onto part B.
Lining side of part B with elasticated pockets sewn in.
The central part will be over the bike pannier rack, so now (if you’re using them) you can pin on your pockets and see what they look like. As with all sewing, it’s good to try them on, so drape the fabric over your pannier rack and decide what a good height is for the pockets. Once decided, sew on the pockets, onto just the lining, so it doesn’t show through (see left).
The top of the panniers, with velcro tabs.
Take your part Fs (there should be 4 pairs of lining/oil cloth) and iron and pin the hems. Place the fuzzy part (as opposed to the grippy part) of the velcro onto them and pin in place at one end. Sew them together, joining hems and velcro (see right for the finished placement of them).
Hem and pin all the other pairs of lining/oil cloth together, rights sides out. This will take ages and you may lose the will to live during the process. I advise taking your time, doing it over an evening when you can have something brainless on TV to half watch, and taking deep breaths. Sewing is the path to Zen.
 The zen of pinning. |
 Pin the end of the strap. |
 The bags in place on the bike |
Next start assembling the panniers. Take part A and chalk a 16 cm wide rectangle in the centre, as you did for part B. Tuck the sewn velcro tabs on either side of the centre (to line up with the top of your pannier rack) and pin the end of the strap in the middle (see pics). The fuzzy velcro should be facing up. Flip it round 360 and pin the other end of the strap and the fuzzy velcro tabs onto the other side. Sew all around the edge, securing the velcro tabs and the strap. Place, pin and sew in some strips of (fuzzy side) velcro to the liningside of the flap vertically on each far edge.
Take part B and assemble the sides (parts D), bases (part G) and fronts (parts C) using pins, with the seams on the outside (see right). When you’re happy with the configuration, sew them together. Add the optional part E here if you’re using it, line it up with your pannier rackand sew it on.
 Part E - you can just use plain velcro as no one can see this! |
 The strap means you can use these as a messenger bag when not on your bike. |
 The velcro tabs hooked onto my pannier rack. |
Pin part A together along the chalked centre lines and sew along the lines to secure the top flap to the panniers.
Finally place and stick the grippy velcro to the top and sides of the panniers, to close the tabs and secure the flap. My velcro was sticky backed on the grippy side but if yours isn’t then glue would be fine. You can also glue or sew the reflective strips onto the panniers, I added them to the corners for added strength.
And that’s it. Phew. Enjoy your new panniers!
I’m very impressed by the effort!
The best cheap panniers I’ve seen recently in the bike sheds are the webbing components used by the armed forces. By design they’re very tough, spacious and a handy size, helpfully with several clips ideal for attaching them to a bike. The only downside being the colour.
Thanks! There’s a good instructable here http://bit.ly/cADe9O on making panniers out of old handbags too!
Brilliant, and so much more cheery than the boring ones in bike shops! Would it be possible for you to post a larger version of the pattern, or can I find it elsewhere?
Fiona, I’ve edited the article to include larger pictures – just click on the small pictures and they should enlarge. The article was supposed to be that way right from the beginning, not sure what I did wrong. Apologies
[...] going to create the pattern and share it here, but I did a quick search and found a great pattern here! I will post some pics when I’m done with it and show some of the changes that I made, but if [...]
Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me how much it cost to make (a rough estimate is fine) and how long it took to make. And…would you consider making one for sale??
[...] or leather, straps and clips or buckles can be added to your bag to attach to your rack. This post from Upcraft shows how to sew your own pannier from scratch but the velcro tabs could be adapted to any bag for [...]
Sam, thanks for these instructions, I’ve referred to your page at least thirty times since I started on my panniers. I decided to use oilcloth for both the lining and the outer shell and have broken 5 heavy duty machine needles so far. Okay, so I’m an idiot. But they sure do look pretty, even in their unfinished state. I’ve bought a Speedy Sticher sewing awl from Campmor which I may use to reinforce the bulkier corner seams and save my sewing machine from flaming out.
Thanks again!
Hi Nancy, I’m glad you’ve found the instructions helpful; respect on blazing through 5 needles!
I’ve re-enforced my seams since making the panniers and also added some reflectors on the corner seams which I (ahem) glued on because my sewing machine just refused to go near the sandwich sized chunks of fabric. Worked well though so I’d recommend as a back up if you’re nervous about any of your seams.
I’d love to see a pic of yours when you have them finished!
Hi there, Sam. I’ve got no compunctions about using glue, but what kind did you use?
There’s a chance I’ll get the top flaps done tomorrow in time for a photo. There’s also a chance I’ll pretend I don’t know where the sewing machine is!
I used Locktite Ultra-gel superglue – it’s meant to be flexible and rubbery rather than the usual brittle superglue. It’s worked well so far and is waterproof. Good luck with getting it done!
I made these about a year ago and they have been going strong! Thank you so much for this tutorial! I just wanted to say that the stick-on velcro did not work for me and created a sticky mess. I finally took all the velcro off (I had put copious amounts so the bags would fold up really small) and instead bought a snap fastener kit and added snaps to close the bags and also to attach them to the rack. I also didn’t make a lining (my sewing skills were pretty much maxed out by these panniers, so a liner just seemed too daunting). Also, it’s much easier to sew everything together if you put parchment paper over the oilcloth, sew it, and then rip the parchment off. Thanks again!
Wow, that’s so cool Salwa. Snaps are a really good idea and I am definitely going to steal your parchment paper idea the next time I sew with oil cloth, that’s genius. I’d love to see a pic of your panniers if you have one…:)
[...] also want to try this DIY Bike Pannier tutorial from upcraft.it Share this:TwitterFacebookPinterestTumblrStumbleUponEmailPrintLike this:LikeBe the first to like [...]