{ tutorial: how to make a zippered pouch }

Welcome to my first tutorial. I hope it’s thorough and has sufficient information without being TOO detailed (you know the type).

When I tried to figure out how to sew one of these cute zippered pouches last weekend, I just got frustrated with the inadequate instructions I found…until I found some YouTube videos. Combining the videos with the written instructions, I finally figured out. Now – watch out world! I’m a zippered pouch making fool…and I want you to be too!

Here we go…

Materials needed:

(2) 8”x6” fabric for the outside
(2) 8”x6” coordinating fabric for the inside
(2) 8”x6” pieces of stabilizer
7” zipper
pins, scissors, sewing machine

Start by ironing on your stabilizer to the back of the outside pieces. (You might notice that the back of my outside pieces are tan. This is because I accidentally bought 5 yards of Wonder Under at JoAnn’s last week instead of stabilizer. So – I improvised using the Wonder Under and ironed my outside pieces to some scraps of tan fabric. I actually really like the results because it makes the pouch more firm. You do what you like – I’m not one to judge!)

Place the outside fabric right side up. Place the zipper right side down on top of the outside fabric.

Place the inside fabric right side down on top of the outside fabric and the zipper. Pin across the top.

Go to your sewing machine. Attach your zipper foot to your machine. My zipper foot can be attached on the left or the right. Attach on the right. Line up the right edge of the foot with the right edge of your fabric sandwich.

Backstitch at the start and continue sewing keeping the edge of the zipper foot lined up with the edge of the fabric.

Sew until it becomes difficult to continue because you’ve reached the zipper pull.

 

It’s tricky to get a clean line around here, so I backstitched a little way and picked up my needle. I unzipped my zipper past where I’d sewn then sandwiched my fabric again. Go back to your sewing machine, backstitching again where you begin, continue sewing to the end of the fabric. 

When you’re finished, it should look like this:

Taking your remaining two pieces of fabric, sandwich the zipper between those two like you did earlier.

 

Sew along the right edge using the same technique you did earlier.

It should look like this when you’re finished:

Unzip your zipper about halfway down (this is super duper important!).

Pick up your fabric and put the inside pieces right sides together and your outside pieces right sides together. The zipper should be in the middle.

Pin all the way around, leaving about a 3” opening at the bottom of the inside fabric.

Put your regular sewing foot back on and sew around the perimeter of your fabric using about a 5/8” seam allowance.

Once you’ve done that, you should have an opening at the bottom of the lining that looks like this:

Trim your corners at a diagonal to help keep the corners nice and square.

Using that opening, turn your fabric inside out completely. Unzip the zipper further if you need to.
Fold in the fabric in the lining (inside fabric) and press if you need to. I just pinned mine.

Sew the opening closed with a tight seam allowance – less than 1/4”.

Push your lining fabric inside the outside fabric. Adjust the lining so that it fits well inside the pouch. Yep, that’s right. You just made a zippered pouch!

Zip and unzip over and over while you marvel at your new skill. You made a zippered pouch! YAY you! Show everyone you know. Fill it with anything you can think of! Make more in every size! I think it works great to cut your fabric 1” longer than the length of your zipper. (8” fabric = 7” zipper…5” fabric = 4” zipper).

If you have questions, contact me and I’ll try to help.

Congratulations! You made a zippered pouch! { High Five! }