I think it looks pretty cool. And now he has the knowledge of how to make the backpacks without mistakes, so he can move onto more expensive material with confidence.
If you do it in your free time, it's an extremely cheap bag. People tend to overestimate the value of the time they spend not earning.
If you're spending that free time with family or friends or doing something else you value significantly, then sure, there's value to that time. If you're browsing photos on Reddit or watching TV, it's probably not that valuable if you honestly evaluate it.
Plus, you can get exactly what you want. There's such a rush from creating what you really want, and you get a little bit of that rush every time you look at your work again.