Toilet Bag
Kimberley Twine
St Margaret's College
Year 8 Materials Technology, half-year project
Teacher: Deb Lean
Kimberley was asked to design and make a toilet bag that would meet her personal needs. She had to think about what products she would take with her on her travels and how best to store them en route. The bag would have to be relatively waterproof, and made so that certain items, such as soap and a toothbrush, were kept apart.
Kimberley sketched some ideas and decided to make the main body of her bag detachable from the shell, providing the ability to store a number of different items.
She then made more detailed drawings, complete with measurements. From these she made a full scale mock-up so she could test the functionality of her design and raise her skill levels.
Kimberley notes that she benefited from having already gained some construction techniques from home – a skill base that helped her achieve an excellent outcome. "I had done a bit of sewing. My mum's a good sewer and she has shown me a few things. My grandma is really good as well"
The completed bag is a mixture of two materials, one is soft and denim-like and the other, vibrant blue and waterproof. The body of the bag is closed via a zip. Surrounding the body of the bag is a series of small pockets for items such as combs.
The body of the bag is enclosed with a sheath, which is held in place by Velcro attachments. This contains more pockets and an elasticised strip designed to hold a number of toothbrushes in place. The sheath closes via domes, and has handles for easy carrying.
Teacher comment
Kimberley's bag is a clever combination of two ideas. She liked the idea of having specific pockets for different items but also recognised a need for a larger bag that could carry bigger things such as a hair brush. Her design combines both, yet allows for each part to be used separately.
