DIY Bag Making: Build a Custom External Frame

What you need

• Rods, You'll need 3-6 one meter rods depending on the size of your bag, a small handbag would need two and Fjällräven Kånken need almost exactly four rods.
• Connectors, Rectangular bags usually will need 8 Threeways, 4-6 Threeway inlines, and 2 T-Connectors. Take inspiration from the various finished models available.
• Heavy-duty wire cutters, measuring accuratly can be tricky and once you get your bagframe into your bag, it's common to realize that you'd need a slightly shorter rod. Having a powerful wire cutter is very helpful. And as a bonus, it's easier not having to measure at all, just line up as much rod you need and cut.
• The bag itself.

Step 1: sketch the frame design and measure

Knowing what kind of design you want to make will help you determine what connectors you will need, where on your bag you should measure. For example it's common to measure the bottom panel's width and depth. A quick method is to measure on the outside of the bag and subtract 1.5 - 2 cm, this should compensate for the bag's walls and 1-2 cm of connector gap to the rod.

Step 2: cut the rods to length

If you don't want to cut yourself you can specify the cut lengths in the cart. Here's a clear example: 100 cm rod → (40, 50, 10) cm

Step 3: assemble the frame

Start with the bottom, then other rectangular shapes. This allows you to test how they will sit in your bag. If you want the frame stiffer, T-Connectors, f-connectors and cross connectors will be helpful. Need a span longer than a single rod? Join two with a coupler. Avoid bending wires into full corners unless you're making final adjustments. The reason is making multiple corners identical is very difficult and can scew and ruin the final bagframe. It can be done but tiny errors quickly add up.

Step 4: Insert the frame to the bag

Usually the bagframe can be slid in but on some bags typically duffel bags, you'll want to insert sections of the frame instead. Done.