Easy DIY Zipper Pouches
I hope your summer is being well spent enjoying nature & the sunshine!
My flowers are all blooming, veggies are growing, and the wildlife population where I live has grown quite a bit. I get lots of my inspiration from all of these things & I love every bit of it!
Anyway, it's time for another tutorial, but this time I'm going to get into a fun & easy sewing project rather than an embroidery related one.
I think it's about time as it's been awhile, so we're going to dive into sewing a cute zipper pouch which you can make for yourself, gift to a friend, or sell.
What I love about this diy zipper pouch is that it's pretty easy to make & it's quick. At first, it will take you a bit longer, maybe an hour or so, to get organized & get the steps down, but once you've done it a few times you'll be able to zip right through them in around 15 - 20 minutes per pouch! Pun intended!
Materials
- 2 pieces of fabric for the outside (7 x 5 in or 17.78 x 12.7cm)
- 2 pieces of fabric for inner lining (same size as above)
- 1 zipper (7in or 17.78cm)
- scissors (or rotary cutter & cutting mat)
- pins & / or clips
- sewing machine
- thread
- standard pressure foot for sewing machine
- zipper foot for sewing machine
This pouch will be about 6x4 inches (or 15.24 x 10.16cm) when finished, but you can make them whatever size you'd like.
The 2 pieces of fabric for the outside of your zipper pouch can be any type of fabric, and in my case I'm using my luna moth design on lightweight cotton twill from my Spoonflower shop. The fabric for the inside is 100% cotton.
Sew the Zipper to Side 1
The first step is to sew the zipper to both the inner and outer fabric on one side of your pouch.
Lay one inner piece of fabric on top of that & clip them together. All three pieces should be lined up at the top. Then sew a straight stitch along that top edge against your zipper. You’ll need a zipper foot on your sewing machine to make this easier.
Lay one piece of your outer fabric on your table with the design facing up and lay your zipper face down & line it up to the top of your fabric.
You'll notice that when you reach the zipper pull it will be a bit too bulky to pass. The zipper will need to be opened partially to finish the rest of your stitch.
To do that, make sure your needle is in your fabric so it doesn't move, lift your foot, turn your fabric sideways, & carefully unzip.
Once you've gotten the pull past your needle you can straighten your fabric back out, drop your foot, and continue on. You'll have to do this again when you sew on the other side.
Pull up the inner fabric so you're looking at the outer fabric and fold it over to the back so you can see the front side of your zipper. Set it aside.
Sew the Zipper to Side 2
The next step is to sew the inner and outer fabric that will be the other side of your zipper pouch to the other end of the zipper.
- Lay the 2nd piece of outer fabric face up on your table.
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Pick up the piece you just set aside from step 1 and lay it on top of that 2nd piece of outer fabric.
Make sure the designs are facing each other and that the top of your fabric designs are at the zipper end. Otherwise, you may sew them together and realize later that the pattern is upside-down or mismatched. - The zipper’s edge should line up with the 2nd piece of outer fabric.
- Now, lay your other inner fabric on top, lined up to the top.
- Sew across the top next to the zipper just like in step 1.
Sew Along the Zipper
To keep your zipper from catching the inner fabric when it zips sew a straight stitch along the sides of the zipper.
Iron your fabric down first if you need to. Then open up the fabric so the designs of the outer fabrics are facing you with the zipper exposed in the center. Sew a simple straight stitch along both edges of your zipper.
Sew the Edges Together
Next, open your zipper about 3/4 of the way. This is really important to remember. You’ll need this opening later on.
Bring your outer fabric together (designs face each other), meet the corners, and clip them to each other. Do the same with the inner fabric.
Sew a straight stitch along the edge but leave a gap (big enough for your hand to fit in) along the inner fabric.
Trim the corners to remove a little extra bulk so you can achieve pointed corners when you turn the zipper pouch right-side out.
Turn Zipper Pouch Right-Side Out & Sew Opening Shut
Pull your zipper pouch through the opening so it's right side out & poke the corners out with a tip of a small paint brush.
Then pull your inner fabric out & tuck the edges in at the opening and sew it shut with a straight stitch. You can also sew it all the way across if you’d like.
Tuck Inner Lining Inside
Push the inner fabric which is now your lining back in, adjust the ends of your zipper, and zip. If need be, give your zipper pouch a little ironing as a finishing touch.
I've made myself one & I've given the rest to friends, and chances are I'll make more for the holidays, which will be here before you know it! It's almost the end of June, but seriously... Halloween is just 4 months away and I have a few Halloween related fabrics in my Spoonflower shop which would be perfect for the occasion.
Tip: Zippers come either in rolls or pre-sized and you can use either but pre-sized zippers are a little less work. If you use one that you cut from a roll, sew a little stitch at the ends to make sure your zipper pull doesn’t fall off as you’re sewing.