How to Make a Hobo Bag With a Stick

Anyone who's watched old cartoons has seen the classic depiction of the hobo. A scruffy man hopping from train to train, spending his nights huddled around a campfire, and carrying all of his belongings in a bag tied to a stick. The hobo's bag and stick is actually called a bindle. Bindles are not seen much today, but some people still make them as theater or movie props, or for fun.

Gather the items you want to carry in the hobo bag. Real hobos used bindles to carry possessions such as pocket knives, canned food, flasks, playing cards, extra clothing, bibles, chalk, and other miscellaneous items that may have been useful. If you are trying to make a traditional bindle, only choose small items that will be easy to carry. If you are trying to make a more comedic bindle, you may choose to carry a large amount of items or bulkier things, so that the bag will be swollen.

Choose a bag, and place all of the items into the bag you have selected. Traditional bindles were made with any piece of cloth the hobo could find. You may also choose to use a handkerchief. This is done by tying one pair of opposite corners together with a simple knot, then tying the two remaining corners to that knot.

Select a stick for your bindle. Look for one that is straight, sturdy, and free of knots, rough bark, or anything else that might irritate your shoulder. A stick with a slight fork or small protrusion at one end may be useful for hanging the bag from.

Attach the bag to the stick. If you are using a natural stick or a rod with a split in one end, then you can simply hook the stick through the small loops in the bag. However, you may need to tie the hobo bag to the stick - in this case, simply untie two of the four corners and tie them each to the stick, leaving two corners tied directly together to keep the items inside.