School's been rollin' for awhile. Lockers are filling up with paper and books and perhaps a few weeks' worth of lunch bags. It's probably time to force a little organization on the chaos with this super cute locker caddy. There's just a little bit of sewing and a whole lot of glueing.

We used some very specific sizes and items, and we've linked directly to products wherever possible. But not to worry, it would be easy to revise the shapes and sizes to best fit your locker and whatever dry erase board you find. Some schools have full lockers, some have half lockers. The actual locking mechanisms and hinges will be in different places on different types, so if at all possible, it's best to measure the actual locker this caddy will be helping to organize.

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome Jem Platinum 760)

Fabric and Other Supplies

• ½ yard of 44-45" wide print fabric: we used Michael Miller Fabric's Black and White in Bird Swing
• 2 yards of ½" double fold, pre-made bias tape: we used Michael Miller's Black and White bias trim in Pindot
• 1 yard of fusible web: we used Wonder Under
• ¼" foam board, enough for an 8" x 13" cut
• ¼" cardboard, enough for an 8" x 13" cut
• One 6" x 8" dry erase board with attached marker: available at most variety stores
• Two 5" x 8" adhesive magnetic sheets: These sheets are often available at craft or even variety stores. We found our pack of two at Walmart.
  NOTE: If you want extra 'sticking power,' we suggest adding a small block magnet in each corner. These can be attached with hot glue or epoxy.
• Craft glue: we used Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue
• Craft knife
• Fabric pen or pencil
• All purpose thread to match printed fabric
• Rotary cutter and mat
• See-through ruler
• Ironing board and iron

Getting Started

1. Using the cutting mat and craft knife, cut the following:
   ONE 8" x 13" piece of foam board
   ONE 8" x 13" piece of cardboard
   
2. Using a cutting mat and rotary cutter, cut the following from the print fabric  (Black and White Bird Swing in our sample):
   TWO 10" x 15" rectangles
   ONE 4½" x 10" rectangle for the pocket
3. Using a cutting mat and rotary cutter, cut TWO 10" x 15" pieces of fusible web
4. Use the craft knife to round the corners of the foam board and cardboard to match the rounded corners of the dry erase board.
   

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

1. Cut an 11" length of bias binding.
2. Encase the top edge of the 4½" x 10" pocket piece with the binding. It will extend about ½" on either end. Pin in place.
3. Edgestitch the binding in place along the upper edge of the pocket.
   
4. With both pieces facing right side up, place the bound pocket piece on the lower edge of one 10" x 15" piece, matching the side and bottom raw edges. Pin in place
   NOTE: If you choose a directional print as we did, make sure both pieces are running in the right direction.
5. Machine baste the two pieces together ¼" along both sides and across the bottom.
6. With a fabric pen or pencil, draw a vertical line, dividing the pocket exactly in half.
   
7. Stitch along the drawn line to create two pockets, backstitching at the beginning and end of the stitching.
   
8. Apply a 10" x 15" piece of fusible web to the wrong side of each 10" x 15" rectangle of print fabric (the plain piece - the back, and the piece that now has the pockets attached - the front), following the manufacturer's instructions.
   
9. Carefully remove the paper backing from the 10" x 15" back piece (the plain piece without the pockets).
   
10. Center the cardboard on the fusible web. Press to adhere in place.
11. Wrap the raw edges around the cardboard and iron in place, clipping corners as needed to create a smooth edge. Iron again from the front (the covered side) to secure the fabric to the finished side of the cardboard.
    NOTE: It goes without saying that your iron should be on a low setting. But I'm sayin' it anyway!
    
12. Apply the two 5" x 8" adhesive magnetic sheets to the fabric covered side of the back piece (the piece you just wrapped around the cardboard). Position one sheet 1" below the upper edge, and the second sheet 1" above the lower edge. Press (with your hands - NOT the iron) in place firmly to ensure both pieces are completely adhered. Set aside.
    NOTE: While you're working on the front piece, you could put a heavy book on top of the magnets as further help to adhere.
    
13. Remove the paper backing from the pocket unit piece. Cover the foam board using the same technique you just did to cover the cardboard.
    NOTE: Because this piece is two layers instead of one, at the pocket corners, you can use dots of craft glue if necessary to cover the corners smoothly.
    
14. Remove the marking pen holder from the dry erase board.
    
15. Run a bead of craft glue along the rim of each side of the board, and wrap the edge with the bias tape trim. Overlap the ends and trim the bias tape at the point where the pen holder was removed so the overlap will be hidden. Use a wet cloth to remove any excess glue from the front of board.
16. Allow to fully dry, then replace the marking pen holder.
    
17. Glue the foam board to the cardboard, matching all the edges. The magnet side should be facing out on the back, the pockets facing out on the front.
18. Glue the dry erase board above the pocket, keeping it centered.
    
    

Contributors

Project Concept: Liz Johnson

Sample Creation, Pattern Design and Instructional Editing: Michele Mishler

Other machines suitable for this project include the Elna Sew Fun and the Singer 3323S Talent.