Handmade zipper pouches make great gifts, are not too difficult, don’t take too much time to make and are a good way to use fabric scraps and to practice sewing zippers. I know a lot of novice sewers find zippers daunting but believe me, they are ok. Just take it one step at a time. With some basic sewing skills a beginner can tackle this project. You'll see. With the right tools and some guidance you should be on your way in no time :-). What follows is my step by step zipper pouch tutorial.

This is a tutorial for a zippered pouch with a flat bottom, a front pocket and lining.

The pouch has an extra outside pocket. You can leave that out if you want or add another one at the back as well. You can use the same fabric for all pieces or mix and match and combine different fabrics with different colors or prints. The finished pouch is about 8 x 6 inches.

To make this pouch look more “professional” you can add a little loop in the side seam or even a label, if you have one. I was planning to add one, but I forgot. Reinforcing the fabric a little with fusible interfacing upgrades a little project like this. If you don't add interfacing, your pouch will be floppier.

• 1 closed end, 8 inch zipper (the tape is 9.5 inch but from zipper stop to zipper stop it should be 8 inches). Do you know we have a colorful zipper set in our store?

• cotton fabric:

• • for the main pouch:
    
    • 4 fabric pieces, 9 x 7 inches: 2 inner and 2 outer pieces

• • for the pocket:
    
    • 1 piece, 9 x 5 inches
    • 1 piece, 4 x 5 inches
    • 1 piece, 5.5 x 5 inches

• fusible interfacing:

• • 2 pieces, 9 x 7 inches
  • 2 pieces, 9 x 7 inches

If you want to add a loop in the side seam, you need an extra little strip of 2 x 3 inches.

Gather all the material and tools; set up your iron and sewing machine. Wash and iron your fabrics before you use them to avoid shrinkage afterwards.

Cut all the cotton fabric pieces into the right size. These are the same measurements that are in the necessities above

COTTON

• • piece A. 4 pieces, 9 x 7 inches
  • piece B. 1 pieces, 9 x 5 inches
  • piece C. 1 piece, 4 x 5 inches
  • piece D. 1 piece, 5.5 x 5 inches
  • piece E. 1 piece, 2 x 3 inches

INTERFACING

• • 2 pieces, 9 x 7 inches
  • 1 piece, 9 x 5 inches

Sew piece C and D together. Put them on top of each other, right sides facing, aligning one of the 5 inch edges. Sew at a seam allowance of about 3/8 inch. Press the seam open with your iron.

Grab the smallest interfacing piece. Center it on the back side of the inner pocket piece (B) and fuse it to piece B. If you want you can also choose to iron it to the newly sewn piece.

To protect your iron’s sole, I can recommend using a non-stick sheet when ironing on fusible interfacing. This sheet lets all the heat through but prevents getting any glue from the interfacing on your sole.

Put this pocket piece right sides facing on the piece you just sewed (C & D).

Sew one of the long sides together, this sewn edge will be the top of your pocket. Press the seam open on the wrong side. Fold the 2 pieces together on the seam, right sides out, and press again.

Fuse the 2 big interfacing pieces onto the pieces that you will use for the outside of the pouch.

Grab the 8 inch zipper. Put one tape (flat fabric portion) of the zipper, wrong side of the zipper facing the right side of the fabric, on the edge of one of the bigger fabric pieces that you will use for the lining. Pin or clip together.

Attach a zipper foot to your sewing machine and sew right on the zipper tape, grabbing the fabric edge, not too close to the zipper coil. I’m using my adjustable zipper foot from the 32 piece presser foot set. Attach the remaining lining piece the same way on the other zipper tape.

Take one fabric piece that you will use for the exterior. Pin the long edge to one of the zipper tapes, on the opposite side of the exterior fabric piece, so the right sides of your fabrics are facing each other. The tape sits in between the two pieces of fabric. You will now sew through the exterior fabric, zipper tape and through the lining fabric, so make sure everything is laying nice and flat. Sew on the stitching of the lining or a bit closer to the coil than you did with the lining so you won’t see this stitching any more. If you are more experienced and good at pinning, you can do all this in 1 step, by sewing the lining and the exterior fabric piece with the zipper coil sandwiched in between.

Fold both fabrics over, away from the zipper coil and press. Now topstitch along the zipper coil on both sides, through all three layers: zipper coil, lining and exterior fabric. I changed the top thread to match the fabric.

Position the pocket piece on one of the outer pieces of the pouch (the part that has the zipper). Sew the three edges closed, only grabbing that outer fabric piece. Be careful not to sew the lining! Stay close to the edge when sewing this. It is stitching that will be hidden in the seam.

If you want to add a loop or a tag, this is the time to do it. Fold the little fabric piece in half, lengthwise, right sides facing. Stitch the long edge closed. Turn the tube this created right side out. Iron. Double fold and pin or clip to the side of the outer fabric, the edges need to be aligned. Baste stitch the loop close to the edge.

Grab the pouch, open the zipper a little. Clip or pin the 2 lining parts together, right sides facing each other. And do the same thing with the outer fabric pieces. Sew all around at ⅜ Inch and leave a 2 inch turning hole at the bottom of the lining part.

Clip the corners and trim the edges before you turn the pouch through the turning hole. Turning takes two steps. After you have turned the pouch it ends up wrong side out. You then need to turn it right side out through the zipper opening, that’s the second step. Now push out the corners using an awl or our magic wand and iron the pouch crisp.

Close the turning hole in the lining with a hand stitch. If you don’t know how, check out this tutorial about the ladder stitch.

Your pouch is finished!

Ready to make some more?

Happy Sewing!

An
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