DIY: Sword Bag for Bokken and Shinai

This combination of vegan leather and colorful cotton make for a beautiful case for a beautiful traditional art.

Inspiration for the Sword Bag

This project is very different from what I would typically make for this blog, but learning to sew has inspired me to create projects outside of the usual garment sewing and quilting.

Normally I prefer to keep my private life… private on my blogs and social media. However, I figured I share this tiny piece of myself because I’m proud of how this project turned out. I practiced martial arts while I was growing up, and took classes off and on for fifteen years in my young adulthood.

I then took an eight year break because my work schedule as a baker did not allow it. Since changing to a career in academia (now with a little more time and money), I was able to get back into martial arts. A colleague of mine took me to his Kendo dojo, a gem hidden in our city. Immediately, I was hooked.

After slowly getting back into the swing of things, I got inspired to make a new case for my shinai―a practice bamboo sword.

I have never thought to use my sewing to make martial arts accessessories, but here I am! I have a lot of Japanese fabric in my stash, so I decided to pull some out and create a case for my swords.

Design Choice for the Sword Bag

I am definitely not an expert in Japanese sewing. I leave that for a blog I enjoy called Mukashi No Sewing, who does spectacular restoration work and other projects (if anyone has any additional recommendations for historical Japanese sewing, please let me know in the comments)! With that said, kendoka do not seem to be sticklers for classically made sword cases. I was able to reverse engineer some of my classmates’ sword bags, and come up with a nice design.

Since the case I am making is for shinai (which are typically longer than wooden bokken), the case can fit pretty much any sword size. Best of all, no complicated pattern is necessary.

This design is created based on traditional shinai bags, but I did take some creative liberties by using different fabrics. The primary traditional characteristics I stuck to were the side openings for the sword, and the upper pocket for the tsuba and tsuba dome, or any other smaller components.

The tsuba is the guard piece between the hilt and blade that protects your hand and keeps the sword balanced. The tsuba dome prevents the tsuba from sliding off the hilt.

Pattern Specifications

Difficulty Level: EASY

Estimated Time: 5 Hours

5 x 60 inches / 13 x 152 centimeters – case holds up to two size 39 shinai

Uses cotton and faux leather

Polyester webbing strap

Fabrics and Materials Used

• 1 yard cotton fabric (I used Quilt Gate Hakka Ruoran Suzune Cotton from RochesterTextile)
• 1 yard cotton muslin
• 1/3 yard faux leather (I used Black Faux Reptile Leather Fabric Item # 18242560 from JoAnn)
• 1 yard 1.5 inch/ 4 centimeter webbing strap
• 1.5 yards of 1.5 inch/ 4 centimeter flat bias tape
• Thread to match the cotton fabric

Initially, the Hakka Ruoran Suzune Cotton was going to be made into a dress. However, after wrapping myself with the fabric, the pattern ended up being a tad too “busy” on my body. It was another “pretty fabric but bad garment” situation where I just knew I would regret making a dress out of this piece. The fabric is also quilting fabric, so it does not drape in a way that would make this dress attractive. However, it does make for an easy item to sew. Many old school cases are made using silk or satin brocade, but quilting fabric is a good choice. It is very forgiving, durable, and easy to keep clean.

Any decent quality muslin will work well as a lining for this project. Originally, I had planned to use black velvet, but the elasticity differences in the fabrics caused a lot of puckering, so I started over. Do not use stretchy fabric of any kind for this project. You want your swords to be nice and secure inside of their bag.

The Black Faux Reptile Leather Fabric Item # 18242560 serves as reinforcement on the bottom of the sword bag so that the weight of the swords does not rip through the cotton fabrics.

Sword Bag Instructions

Step 1: Measure out the fabric

• For the case: Measure and cut out a square of both the primary fabric and lining that measures 33 x 155 centimeters or 13 x 61 inches. For the leather reinforcement, measure out a piece that is 33 x 13 centimeters or 13 x 5 inches.
• For the ties: Measure and cut out a piece of bias tape that is 4 x 106 centimeters or 1.5 x 42 inches.
• For the shoulder strap: Measure and cut out webbing strap that measures 4 x 90 centimeters or 1.5 x 36 inches.

Step 2: Sew the lining onto the patterned fabric

• Line up quilting fabric and lining with the right sides facing together. Use an iron to press them flat.
• Pin the fabrics into place, and sew three of the sides together leaving a 1/4 to 1/2 inch (or 1 centimeter) seam allowance.
• Pull the bag inside out and press the bag flat, ensuring the sides and corners are completely flat. You can use a blunt stick, pen, or crochet hook to push the corners of the bag outward.
• Create a 1/2 inch or 1 centimeter hem with the unsewn portion of the bag.
• Press the bag flat again, then sew the hem togther.

Step 3: Sew the leather onto the front of the sword bag

• Line up the leather square along the bottom of the main fabric. Fold 1/4 of an inch or 1 cm of the leather into the quilted fabric to create a clean hem. Use clothespins to pin the leather and fabric together. Using regular pins will put permanent holes in your faux leather.
• Top stitch across the top of the leather. I used contrasting colored thread so that the stitching can pop.

Step 4: Sew on the webbing for the strap.

• Fold the bag in half with the wrong sides (muslin sides) facing together.
• Pin the webbing in the center of the bag, 14 inches (35 centimeters) from the top of the bag.
• Top stitch a 1.5 x 1.5 inch (3.5 x 3.5 centimeter) square into the webbing and front of the fabric. To secure the strap, enforce it by sewing an X in the middle of the square.
• Sew the end of the webbing 11 inches (28 centimeters) from the bottom of the bag. Top stitch a 1.5 x 1.5 inch (3.5 x 3.5 centimeter) square into the webbing and front of the fabric. You may have to adjust the placement of the strap for your own comfort levels.

Step 5: Sew on the ties

• Fold the bag in half again with the wrong sides facing together.
• Fold the bias tape in half and sew the seams together to create your tie.
• Pin the middle of the tie in the center of the the bag, 6 inches from the top of the bag.
• Top stitch a 1 x 1.5 inch square into the tie and front of the fabric. To secure the tie, enforce it by sewing an X in the middle of the square.
• Hem the ends of the ties or tie a knot so that they do not fray.

Step 6: Fold the and sew the sword bag together

• Take the fabric and fold it with the right sides facing. Align the fabric so that the corners match.
• Iron the fabric so that it is smooth. Pin the top, bottom, and sides.
• Using 1/4 to 1/2 inch or 1 to 1.5 cm seam allowance, sew across the top of the bag, then sew only 6 inches down, being sure not to pass the ties. Backstitch and cut off your thread.
• Leave an 8 inch gap, then continue sewing down the length of the bag, and across the bottom of the bag. This gap will serve as the opening for your bag.

Step 7: Finishing

• Trim off any excess threads and pull the bag inside out. If you find that your hands or arms are too large to fit the bag opening, you can pull the case inside out by pulling the strap through the opening of the bag.
• Use a blunt stick, pen, or crochet hook to push the corners of the bag outward.
• Give your bag a final press with an iron.

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Did you give this DIY Sword Bag a try? If so, please tell us how it went in the comments below!