Back in 2019, I crafted a unique item: a Taco Purse. Crafting it was a joy, and using it became a delightful experience. Almost immediately, I felt the urge to create something complementary, something hot sauce-themed to go hand in hand with the purse. After some thought, I decided to embark on the journey of making a backpack adorned with Taco Bell hot sauce packets.
Throughout the entirety of 2020, I eagerly indulged in Taco Bell deliveries, always making a special request for as many hot sauce packets as they could spare. Each time, I meticulously snipped the bottom of the packets, carefully emptied the sauce, and thoroughly cleaned the packets in preparation for their new purpose.
Now, I'm gearing up to stitch together this backpack, and I'm thrilled to share every step of the process with you.
Supplies
I have included links to everything needed to make your own Hot Sauce Back Pack. Some links are affiliate links, and I do earn a tiny commission
Order Taco Bell from Uber eats
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eats-jennh1084ue
For $10 off your order
Purse feet
Overall Buckle set with adjustment links
Pattern:
Clear Vinyl:
Magnetic Closure
Lining Fabric - 3/4 yard
Woven Fusible Interfacing - 1 yard
One 18" Zipper
Cleaning
To amass the greatest number of hot sauce packets for my project, I discovered that Uber Eats was the most generous provider. With each order, I could request up to 10 packets of each sauce, resulting in a substantial collection of 30 packets per order. Although occasionally I received even more, my average haul was around 30 packets per order. Considering I utilized approximately 200 hot sauces for this endeavor, it took several orders to accumulate enough.
For each hot sauce packet, I carefully snipped off the bottom and emptied the hot sauce into a container. Then, I submerged the emptied packets in soapy water for a thorough cleaning before rinsing out the interiors. Engaging in this process inevitably left my hands permeated with the scent of hot sauce for hours afterward. Fortunately, I discovered that hand sanitizer effectively neutralizes both the smell and the lingering burn.
Now that everything has been washed and dried, I find myself faced with a pile of empty hot sauce packets. Moving forward, next week's task of creating the fabric should prove to be a less messy endeavor
Making Hot Sauce Fabric
To prepare the hot sauce packets for sewing, I meticulously emptied and cleaned each one, ensuring they were ready to be transformed into fabric. Sewing them together required joining the two right sides of each packet with a small 1/4" seam allowance. During this process, I made a conscious effort to mix up the pieces to create a more randomized pattern as I sewed them into progressively larger sections.
Referring to the instructions and pattern pieces, I cut the hot sauce packet fabric into pieces slightly larger than necessary. Once all the pieces were sewn together, I placed heavy books on top to flatten them and left them overnight to set. It's worth noting that the distinct aroma of hot sauce tends to linger on your hands after handling the packets, so washing your hands after sewing is advisable.
Next, I cut the yellow fabric and clear vinyl to approximately match the size of the hot sauce packet pieces. Using tailor's chalk, I marked lines every inch on the fabric. With all three layers—yellow fabric, hot sauce packets, and clear vinyl—stacked together, I began quilting them. Placing the vinyl down first, followed by the hot sauce packets with the right side facing the clear vinyl, and finally the yellow fabric with the chalk markings facing outward, I secured everything in place using clips.
As a tip, I avoided using pins to hold the layers together, as pushing a pin through all three layers could leave a permanent hole. Instead, I sewed along the chalk lines using a long stitch, ensuring the layers remained securely in place.
Pattern Cutting & Strap making
With the fabric pieces now cut into their final shapes, I moved on to shaping the pieces with pattern weights for those that required a paper pattern. Securing the pattern in place, I carefully cut along the edges to ensure precision. For pieces designated by measurements rather than a pattern, I followed a predetermined list to make the cuts.
The straps, for instance, were cut into two strips measuring 4.5 inches by 40 inches each. To create a neat finish, I drew a line 1 inch from the edge on the backside of the vinyl. Using binder clips or sewing clips to secure the fold, I then folded the 3.5-inch strip toward the line, followed by folding the remaining 1 inch toward the line and folding it in half once more.
With the straps prepared, I proceeded to the sewing machine. First, I stitched down the center fold, then sewed 1/4 inch from each edge, creating three lines that not only secured the strap folds but also added an interesting detail. Following the instructions outlined in the pattern book, I assembled the bottom of the strap, incorporating the slider and overall buckle as directed.
Sewing
Now for the straightforward part: following the instructions provided with the pattern. Instead of delving into step-by-step details, I'll share a few helpful tips that have made the process smoother for me.
Firstly, I found that using plenty of clips to hold everything together is key. Especially when attaching the sides to the front and back of the bag, pre-clipping the curves proved essential. Unlike materials with bias stretch, such as fabric, vinyl and hot sauce packets lack this flexibility, making it necessary to pre-clip the curves before sewing to ensure a clean finish.
These small adjustments have significantly improved the efficiency and quality of the assembly process, making the creation of this unique Taco Bell hot sauce backpack an enjoyable endeavor
Lining
For the lining of the Hot Sauce backpack, I opted for a charming rooster fabric. While my heart was set on a Taco-themed fabric, unfortunately, I couldn't find any within the necessary time frame.
The process of making the lining closely resembled sewing the main part of the bag, with one notable difference: I chose to hand-sew the entire edge along the closed portion of the bag, foregoing a tucked seam.
However, after spending two hours meticulously hand-sewing and testing the backpack, I realized that I wasn't satisfied with the structure of the bag. Consequently, I've decided to undo all of the hand stitching and replace it with a thicker and stiffer interfacing. This adjustment should provide the bag with the much-needed structure it requires.
Finishing Details
I finally finished my Taco bell hot sauce backpack! Initially, I spent 2 hours hand-stitching the lining. I took a few photos, but I wasn't happy with the final look. The backpack didn't hold its shape well, and I couldn't put anything inside, making it completely useless.
So, I decided to remove all the hand stitching, cut some rigid interfacing, and glue it into the bag. Then, I hand-sewed the lining back in.
I'm much happier with the result now. The backpack holds its shape and can carry many items.
Next, I've decided to make a fanny pack to complete my bag collection. I'll keep you updated on that adventure!
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