DIY Zipper Pouch | Lined and Simple Zipper Pouch

We have two fun DIY Zipper Pouch tutorials for you today. The first is the lined zipper pouch from Sara. Our second tutorial will be a simple zipper pouch from Nienke. 

DIY Zipper Pouch Tutorials

Tutorial #1 | Lined Zipper Pouch

Sara from Made by Sara here with a DIY Zipper Pouch you can make as a gift for a friend or Mother’s Day. It is a simple lined zipper pouch with a twist – some patchwork as an added lovely detail!

Every woman can find a use for another zipper pouch, right? I know I can! I have them in all colors and shapes and I find them very useful. As moms we appreciate useful gifts (although all those sweet postcards and crafts from our kids are so priceless!) so I thought this would be a good project to share as a tutorial.

Lined Zipper Pouch Supplies

• 2 fat quarters (quilting cotton or linen) and a few scraps of quilting cotton
• fusible interfacing
• 11” zipper
• matching thread
• about 10” of ribbon and a charm (or a tassel)

How to make a simple lined diy zipper pouch

• Seam allowance is 1/4”. 

Lined Zipper Pouch Step 1: Cut all the fabric as follows:

• For the front piece: 2” x 12” rectangle and 4” x 12” of main fabric, plus six 1/2” x 3 1/2” rectangles of different quilting cotton prints
• For the back piece: 9”x12” rectangle of main fabric
• For the zipper tabs: cut two 2” squares
• For the lining: two 12” x 9” rectangles of fabric of choice
• Interfacing: two 12” x 9” rectangles of fusible interfacing

Lined Zipper Pouch Step 2: Let’s start with the front side piece.

Grab all six  2 1/2” x 3 1/2” rectangles. Sew them together, side by side, right sides together (1/4” S.A.). Press open seams.

Place the 4” x 12” rectangle right sides together (RST) with the patchwork piece you have just sewn, aligning long edges. Stitch. Press the seam open.

Place the 2” x 12” rectangle RST with the patchwork piece, aligning long edges. Stitch. Press the seam open.

Lined Zipper Pouch Step 3: Iron the two interfacing pieces to the front side piece and to the back side piece of the main fabric.

Lined Zipper Pouch Step 4: Sewing the zipper and attaching the lining.

Grab the 2” squares. Fold them in half and then fold the edges towards the center (just like bias tape), with an iron. Place one open square right side with the bottom side of the zipper on one of its edges. Stitch at 1/4”. Fold up and over the edge of the zipper, towards the upper/right side. Edge stitch close to the zipper. Repeat for the other zipper edge. Trim tab excess on the sides (along the zipper sides).

Place zipper face down along the right side of the upper edge of front side piece, aligning edges. Stitch at 1/4”.

Place one of the lining pieces RST with the front side piece, aligning upper raw edges. Note: the zipper is sandwiched in between the two fabric layers. Stitch at 1/4”.

Turn lining over and press. Edgestitch along the seam, next to the zipper.

Repeat these steps to sew the zipper to the back side (and back lining).

Lined Zipper Pouch Step 5: Sewing sides and bottom to close the pouch.

Fold the pieces so you have both linings on one side of the zipper and both main sides on the other. Make sure you leave the zipper a few inches open.

Sew along the sides and bottom edges of main pieces. Note: Leave about 3 inches open on the lining bottom seam (to turn right sides out later on) . Be careful not to catch the zipper tabs. Stitch as close to them as you can.

Grab and hold one of the corners so that the side seam matches the bottom seam and raw edges form a straight line. Cut the triangle tip (about 1”). Stitch.

Lined Zipper Pouch Step 6: Finishing touches to the diy zipper pouch.

Turn the pouch right side out through the opening you left at the bottom edge of lining. Hand stitch the opening with a slip stitch for a clean finish. Note: If you don’t know how to hand stitch, just press the seam allowance of the opening and stitch it on the outside. The stitching will be visible inside the diy zipper pouch.

Give it a good press, tie the ribbon and charm to the zipper pull and you’re done!

Thank you for joining us to sew the DIY Zipper Pouch.

Tutorial #2 | Simple Zipper Pouch 

Ready to learn how to sew a zipper pouch? How has your summer been? This weekend is our last weekend of the summer holidays, Monday morning school starts again… We’ll miss the leisurely days without any agenda, but the fresh start of a school year does have a bit of magic of its own. Today, I’m going to show you how to sew a zipper pouch.

So I wanted to give you a tutorial for some fun and fast back to school sewing, a zipper pouch for pencils or other supplies. Amy has recently launched some awesome school patterns, the Star Student Backpack and the Star Student Lunch Box. Wouldn’t it be fun to make a matching pencil case?

How to Sew a Zipper Pouch Requirements:

• Fabric: two 6″ x 9″ rectangles of main fabric and two similar rectangles of lining. Any woven fabric will do.
• Fusible interfacing, also two 6″ x 9″ rectangles, unless you use a very heavy fabric, then you can omit the interfacing.
• Zipper, 7″ (if you’re using one of your stash, like I always do, this is the length from the stopper on one side to the other stopper, so not the length of the zipper tape)
• Usual sewing supplies: thread, pins, iron, scissors etc.

How to Sew a Zipper Pouch Instructions

Simple Zipper Pouch Step 1: Iron the interfacing onto the wrong side of the main fabric. Then, place the zipper on top of a main fabric retangle, right sides together. Center the zipper, so that the stops on both sides are at a similar distance to the edge of the fabric. Align the long edge of the zipper tape with the edge of the fabric.

Simple Zipper Pouch Step 2: Place a rectangle of lining on top of the zipper, with similar alignment, right side of the fabric down.

Simple Zipper Pouch Step 3: Pin neatly into place.

Simple Zipper Pouch Step 4: Using a zipper foot and a straight stitch, sew the zipper into place. Repeat this procedure for the other side of the zipper.

Simple Zipper Pouch Step 5: After opening up your fabrics, it should look like the photo above.

Simple Zipper Pouch Step 6: Very important: open up the zipper, at least halfway! If you forget this, you won’t be able to turn your pouch right side out in a minute…

After opening up the zipper, pin the two main rectangles together, right sides together and all edges aligned. Pin the two lining rectangles together in the same way. Make sure the zipper tape and seam allowances are pointing towards the lining.

Simple Zipper Pouch Step 7: Sew along the edges, starting at the bottom of the lining, all the way around the main fabric, back to the bottom of the lining. Leave an opening to turn the pouch. Clip the corners to reduce bulk (see photo above).

Simple Zipper Pouch Step 8: Turn your pouch right side out and close the turning gap in the bottom of the lining. This is neatest when done by hand of course, but I must confess that I just quickly pull it underneath my sewing machine…

And you’re done! Fast right? No reason not to make one to match each kids’ backpack…

I made not only pencil pouches this way, but pouches for in my girl’s gym bags as well, to store her necklace during gymnastics, and pouches for a friend of mine who works in a restaurant and uses them as a wallet to collect her tips. So go ahead and make a bunch, they’re great scrap busters and awesome gifts. Do you have other fun ideas to use or gift these pouches for? Please let me know in the comments!

For all of your sewing pattern needs, join us at Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop. If you need help with sewing, join our engaged group of seamstresses at the Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop Facebook Group. Happy sewing!