instructables
Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!
by Chrononaut
I love Indiana Jones's famous bag, but the last thing I
need is yet another mid-size satchel. I've been
looking unsuccessfully for another small purse to
replace one that's falling apart... so I decided to
combine the two!
In the movies, Indy's bag is a World War II British
MKVII gas mask bag with the cloth strap replaced by
a leather one. You can still buy these as military
surplus, and there are a few prop replica makers that
sell them. According to an Ebay listing for a vintage
Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 1
MKVII, the dimensions of the original bag are
approximately 10" x 10" x 3".
This half-size bag will be 5" x 5" x 1.5", though you
could also scale up the pattern to make a full size
bag. It is big enough for a phone, coin purse, and a
wallet, with just a little room to spare. I have left off
the bottom drain vents and the round circular thing on
the side of the original, but these can be replicated
with grommets and the right button.
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1 1

1. Looped end of strap in front 1. Photos of a vintage MKVII bag from Ebay.
1. Looped end of strap in front 2. Preliminary sketches for scale

1. All this fits inside the bag when closed - I've just pulled it out so you can
see what's in it.

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 2

Step 1: Parts

You will need: For dyeing:

green tea OR sage/ parsley/ thyme/ basil
1/2 yard canvas (or heavy linen) - washed to pre- pot that can hold 8 cups of water + fabric
shrink spoon/tongs
thread stove top
dark brown leather (or cloth) strap - 3/4" by 65" or so, white vinegar
depending on your preferred length old pillowcase (zippered or tied shut)
1 inch rings - 2 dryer
gold snaps - 2 container for soaking
silver rivets - 2
silver square buckle for 3/4" strap Note: it's ok to use food dishes for this project since
pins you are dyeing with edible items and not using
chemicals.
paper to make the pattern
pencil/pen Optional:
metal edge ruler zipper
fabric scissors fabric for purse lining
iron and ironing board/surface
sewing machine with a needle that can handle
canvas (or a needle and some patience)
snap setter and hammer for snaps

1. these should be gold, but this is what I had in the drawer.

2. optional
3. some of the hardware

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 3

Step 2: Pattern

Using computer jiggery-pokery or a ruler, draw the
pattern out to the proper size on some paper. If using
regular typing paper, you will need to tape sheets
together. Unless otherwise specified, the seam
allowances (dashed lines) are 1/2 inch wide.
The original bag would have the side, front, and back
pieces separate, but this version streamlines a small
bag made with heavy fabric. To make the bag exactly
like the original, you would need one piece 9.5 x 5",
one piece 5 x 5", and three pieces 1.5 x 5" (plus
seam allowances). The ring tabs are webbing on the
original.
You could also add interior pockets and a lining, but I
didn't.

7
2

1. corner fold lines

2. clip seam allowances here and at
corners
3. Do not clip this corner
4. The center portion of this seam
allowance should be 1.5" wide. I forgot
to draw it in.
5. Flap --->
6. Back --->
7. Bottom ---->
8. Sides and Front --->

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 4

Step 3: Dyeing Fabric
First, wash and dry your fabric to pre-shrink it and
remove any dirt or oils. If you don't, you won't be able
to wash the bag later without damaging it, and the
dye may not take as well. Canvas WILL shrink.
Lay the pattern pieces out on the pre-shrunk fabric
and cut one big piece bigger than what you need.
This will give you some extra room to play with in
case the fabric shrinks any more during the dyeing
process, without having to dye a huge piece of fabric.
Soak the fabric in a solution of half vinegar and half
water. I used about 3.5 cups of each. Let sit for half
an hour or so; make sure there are no air bubbles in
the fabric. Squeeze the extra vinegar water out of the
fabric when done. Save the vinegar water.
TEA:
In theory, green tea should have given me a nice
yellowish green like the original bag, but the mint
green tea I had was cheap and very old. I used 8 tea
bags in 8 cups of water (doubling the tea would have
given me better color). Boil the water, turn off the
heat, then steep the tea bags for 15-30 minutes. Take
the tea bags out, and simmer the fabric for 30
minutes, making sure the fabric stays submerged and
1 2
1. Not very green tea
2. Looks like mud
Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 5
has no air bubbles. Turn off the heat and let sit until
cool.
SPICES:
Since the tea didn't turn out very green, I also tried
various kitchen spices. I used about 1/2 cup ground
sage and about 1/2 cup of combined parsley, thyme,
and basil (basically whatever green spices that we
had a lot of in the cabinet). Boil about 8 cups water,
then simmer the spices for 10 minutes and let them
steep for 20 minutes or so. Add the fabric and simmer
for 30 minutes, making sure the fabric stays
submerged and has no air bubbles. Turn off the heat
and let sit until cool.
The longer the fabric soaks, the darker it will get. You
want to go a shade darker than you want- the fabric
will dry a little lighter. I let the fabric soak in dye for
over 3 hours. Rinse the excess dye from the fabric. I
gave it an extra rinse with the vinegar water to set it,
just in case, but I don't think it was really necessary.
Put the fabric in the old pillowcase, and dry it in the
dryer to set the color.
1. Leave extra fabric all the way around all of the pattern pieces in case it
shrinks more while dyeing
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1. This tea has been in the pantry for several years. At least it finally got
used!

Step 4: Dyed Fabric

My fabric still smelled like tea and spices, so I
washed it with some hot water and dish soap in the
sink, then ironed it dry.
The dye is semi-permanent - it can be washed
occasionally by hand in detergent that does not have
bleach or oxy cleaners, but it may fade over time with
a lot of washing. Also, apparently tea dyeing will
shorten the life of your fabric to 40-50 years...so it
won't become a real antique? I don't need my purse
to be archival quality, so that's fine.
Both the tea and the spices gave a fairly subtle color.
The tea ended up with a slight reddish brown, and the
spices gave a faintly greenish khaki, which was
closer to what I wanted, though a little darker would
have been better. Since I didn't strain out the spices
before putting the fabric in, the green has some
darker splotches. More tea or spices should make the
dye darker.

2
1

1. Undyed canvas 1. without flash

2. Tea (old mint green tea)
3. Spices (ground sage, plus parsley, thyme, and basil)

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 6

Step 5: Assembly - Ring Tabs

Cut out the pattern pieces: one main body, one
bottom reinforcement, two ring tabs, and if you want
to add a zipper you may need an extra rectangle 1" x
6", depending on how wide your zipper is. Clip the
corners of the seam allowances. Press all the seam
allowances and fold marks in place. It would be a
good idea to zigzag all of the seam allowances to
prevent fraying, though I didn't.
Fold the short sides of the ring tabs over 1/4 inch and
press. Fold the long sides in so they meet in the
center and press.
Fold the tabs in half and press. Thread your rings into
the tabs and set aside.

1. When laying out the pattern, take a look at the dye job and adjust your
spacing to get the best parts. Go with the grain of the fabric.

1. It's easier if you press the seam allowances and fold marks first.

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 7

Step 6: Assembly - Bottom Reinforcement

On the bottom piece, fold over the seam allowances catch the sides or seam allowances.
and press flat. Lightly press the fold marks to crease.
(I did the pin tucks on the main piece first, but it might
Align the piece, seam allowances down, with the have been easier to sew the reinforcement on first.)
bottom of the bag (the 1.5" tall section inside the main
body) and trim the side seam allowances to match The reinforcement piece is now attached to the flat
the ones on the larger piece. Sew closely around the body of the bag. Leave the side seam allowances
edges of the entire piece, and along the lines that open for now.
mark the bottom of the bag. Make sure that you don't

Step 7: Assembly - Main Body of Bag 1

Fold the top 3/4" inch of the center seam allowance of
the front edge over and press. Fold the rest (3/4")
over again and press. Fold and press all seam
allowances. Fold the corners of the front flap to the
inside and press. Trim the corners so that there's not
extra layers of fabric, or the snaps may not go into the
fabric.
Fold the sides in, and on the outside of the bag, sew
along the edge of the front corners (like making a pin
tuck).
Unfold, and sew on the ring tabs. I forgot to do this
until the bag was assembled, and it was much more
difficult.

Sew along the lower folds of the hems on the top

edge of the front and sides.

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 8

 2
1

1. Side has been folded under, and the very edge of the corner sewn to 1. clip the corners on the front flap to remove a layer of fabric, otherwise
make a pin tuck. the snaps won't go through.
2. Sew the hem to match its width on the inside.

1 1

1. Not impossible to sew on after the bag is assembled, but easier to do

when flat.
1. Not impossible to sew on after the bag is assembled, but easier to do
when flat.

Step 8: Assembly - Main Body of Bag 2

Flip the bag inside out and sew the seam allowances
at the sides together.
Flip the bag right side out again and align the sides
and back. Sew them together so that they also look
like a pin tuck like the front. The sides of the bag
should naturally want to bend in, and the front and
back should be flat.
Sew up the edges of the flap, and follow the inside
edges of the folded corners.
Put a gold snap in both corners of the flap, and put
the backs on the corresponding spots on the front of
the bag.
Originally I thought about adding a zipper, which
could be sewn in by hand, but in the end I didn't think
I needed one.

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 9

Step 9: Assembly - Strap
Finish, dye, and seal the leather strap if necessary. In
the movies, the color ranges from dark brown to
almost black.
Rivet one end to the center bar of the buckle. Thread
the strap through one of the rings and back up
through the buckle.
Check the length and trim the strap if necessary.
Rivet the other end to the other ring.
Update:
I had a hard time finding a leather strap, and in the
end I decided to go with a woven one. This actually
made things a lot simpler. I also lost the buckle
pictured in the materials photo by the time I figured
this out, so I used an old watch band buckle. This had because you can slip it between the threads.
the advantage of having a tongue, so the buckle won't
slip, and also is "pre-aged", for that well-worn look. :D
Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 10
The strap was found in the trim section of the fabric
store, and has a loose chevron sort of weave.
First, push the buckle tongue through the woven
strap, leaving a few inches from the end. Fold this up
so that the end of the strap will be hidden inside the
fold. Sew this down so that the folded part lies on the
same side as the buckle face.
Then, draw the strap down through one of the rings
on the bag and back up through the buckle. Then,
loop the loose end through the other side temporarily.
Adjust the strap so that the buckle sits about in the
center of your chest at a comfortable length. Cut off
the excess at the other end, fold the end under, and
sew it down so that the fold is to the underside. With
a loosely woven strap like this one, you don't need to
worry about making a hole for the buckle tongue
 DSC01865.JPG
1 2
1. Top end of buckle
2. Fold strap to the inside to prevent fraying

DSC01868.JPG 1 DSC01867.JPG
1
1. When worn, this is the top side of the strap's loop 1. Close up of watch band buckle. The loose weave of the strap allows
the buckle tongue to be pushed through without having to cut a hole.

1. Inside of strap

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 11

Step 10: Go Adventure!

The half-size MKVII makes a great small purse or a child's bag. Just remember to watch out for boobytraps,
cultists, Nazis and Soviets if you go raiding any arks or hidden temples. :)

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 12

 Practical, handy, useful. I like this bag a lot, thanks :)

made a sightly modified one for my son out of old jeans worked pretty well.. thanks for the idea!

i'm currently in dying process with green wnd black tea. going to make a bigger one for my books.
thanks for the nice idea, luv it!!!!!!
how do you think it would work with nylon? Would I need to add an interior lining for sturdiness?

Unless it's very thick nylon, I probably would line it.

This is so cool :), loved it.

I dyed my canvas haversack by soaking it in black walnut "seeds" that had been in the bucket for a
few months. A nice tan that slowly reverts back to "dirty" canvas color. I also used bee's wax too.
Keep by a fire (safely) and it melts in all nice and cozy. That haversack has saved me many times.
So versatile. I like your work.
Using oil based paint will give you a weather resistant pouch for outdoor use.
You could also wax the canvas.

Thanks all, and please vote! :D

I think I'll make one from "upcycled" denim... :-)

Well done!!
I believe that the orginal bag was a WW2 gasmask bag issue to some troops but it had D rings for
the strap which was canvas and brass press fasteners to secure it. You have made an excellent
job of this one!
Thanks! Yeah, pressing canvas is a pain - but it's worth the trouble. :)

I like how it looks. Nice crisp edges - hard to do with most handmade stuff

That's a great looking bag!

Indiana Jones MKVII Bag - Half Size!: Page 13