Small-Space Storage Solution (for Sleeping Bags)

Now that I've started this blog, I feel pressure to get a few more posts on here quick.  But I can't craft that fast!  So allow me to post an idea I had about 6 years ago.  (Don't worry, I usually have ideas more often than once every 6 years.)

At that time, my family of 5 was living in a 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom, 16-foot wide mobile home, with no basement and no garage.

To make our space troubles worse, my husband was using our storage/mudroom as his home office.  Isn't he handsome?

It was great to have him home, but I was literally running out of space to put things.  HOWEVER, I felt it was important to be as prepared as possible for emergencies and hard times.  Some of the things I worried about (living in Northern Alberta) were having to evacuate due to forest fires, or being without heat in the middle of the winter.  So I felt we should invest in some decent sleeping bags which would be helpful in both situations (not to mention family camping fun!).  The trouble was:  sleeping bags take up room.

So, one day, I was actually wandering around the house, looking for possible places to store these new sleeping bags.  I came to my daughters' room (they were sharing bunkbeds) and I stood staring at my 4 year old's bed.

In a lightbulb moment, I realized that she didn't take up all of her bed!  She used maybe two-thirds of it when she stretched out.  That meant there was space available!  And I knew just how to use that space for our sleeping bags.

First thing I needed to do was measure the sleeping bags, first the round end, then the length of the two of them end to end:

The diameter of this circle was 11 inches.

The length of two bags end to end was 46 inches.

I found some fabric to match my daughter's comforter, and I cut out 2 shapes:  One circle, and one large rectangle.

Sewing Instructions

(Sorry I don't have step-by-step pictures of me cutting and sewing.
Six years ago I had no idea I'd be sharing it on a blog today!)

Circle:  Since the end of the sleeping bag was 11 inches across (diameter), and I wanted to add another inch to allow for a 1/2 inch seam all around, that made the diameter 12 inches.  So I cut out a 12-inch circle.

Rectangle:  Knowing what length to cut the rectangle fabric was easy because I already knew that the two bags end to end were 46 inches.  I needed another 1/2 inch seam allowance for one end, and enough extra fabric on the other end to hem it and make about a 1-inch casing to later thread a drawstring cord through.  That equalled a length of about 52 inches.

Now was a chance to use my Grade 7 Math skills:  The width of the rectangular piece of fabric would be sewed to the circle, so I had to figure out the circumference of the circle.  This was pi x diameter or 3.14 x 12 inches = 37.68 inches, rounded up to 38 inches.

So the rectangle I cut was 52" x 38".

Then I sewed one length of the rectangle to the other length of the rectangle with right sides together.  Then I sewed (slowly to make the curves) the circle to one end of the rectangle to make a hollow cylinder.  (Remember, all the seam allowances were 1/2 inch.)

Next, I hemmed the unfinished end, made a casing, and threaded the cord through it.

Then I stuffed the two sleeping bags down inside this cylindrical, draw-string bag and tied off the end nice and tight.

I put it on my daughter's bed like this:

It was a perfect place for her stuffed animals to sit!

She loved leaning against it when she read in bed at night.

I loved it because it was a great use of space.  The only problem?  Now my other daughter wanted one too.  Good thing I had two more sleeping bags to find homes for!