How to: comfortable handle pads for briefcase or travel bag

Hello, and welcome. Today I'm going to show you how to quickly and easily create pads for those briefcase or bag handles that hurt your hands when you have to pick them up.

The handle pads featured here were actually made a couple of months ago for my son's art supplies briefcase. He has to take this briefcase to school twice a week, and with all the supplies inside it gets heavy and the plastic handles really dig into his fingers. So, I had to come up with a solution to help him, and this tutorial is the result of that. 

Scroll down for the how to: 

You can make these pads in two different options - a permanent one (showcased here), where the pads are sewn in place and therefore not removable, or a removable option, where the pads close with velcro and you can change them from bag to bag (I've made these the past too, but to be honest I find them less comfortable as the velcro makes the pads bulkier and not so comfortable).

What you need: 

• two pieces of fabric with enough to cover the handles (one for each handle, and don't forget to include seam allowances) and long enough to go around the handles twice - the easiest way to do this is to fold the fabric in half and measure from there. 

 

If you want to make the velcro version of the handle pads your fabric needs to be at least 2 to 3 centimeters longer than what is shown above, as the two edges of the pad need to overlap.

• a bit of polyester filling

• sewing thread

• velcro - only if you want the handles to be removable, otherwise you just sew them in place

Instructions: 

• Fold the fabric right sides together and sew all around, leaving just a small opening

 

• Turn inside out and fill with the polyester. Don't over fill, as the pads will become too bulky. Add just enough for them to become pillow-y soft. 

 

• Close the opening, put the pad around the handle and sew in place: 

You can then roll the pads downward to hide the seam. My son preferred to keep the seams visible - he doesn't really care about the aesthetic side of things and says it's more comfortable this way...

For the velcro version, of course you need to sew your pieces of velcro at the tips of each handle edge.

And you're done - one simple and easy way to create soft handles for our briefcase or bag!

 

Happy Monday!