How to Make a Simple Zipper Pouch

Learn how to make a lined zippered pouch with this simple tutorial. Zip pouches are one of my favorite things to sew! It’s so easy, you’ll find yourself stitching them up over and over again!

Some of my favorite things to sew are zip bags! They don’t take a lot of fabric, are great projects for beginning sewists, and can easily be customized!

This tutorial is one of our “tried and true” patterns that has been on the site for years. We have recently updated it to include video instructions. This bag is lined, features a polyester zipper, and uses two types of fusible interfacing.

This sewing pattern is a good “basic” tutorial to help you learn how to sew and how to make simple bags. Once you’ve mastered stitching up these little bags, you can easily modify the pattern to customize it however you’d like.

You can monogram them, add pom pom trim or attach an iron-on patch. The tutorial in today’s post is simple, as it’s designed to be used as a building block-type tutorial.

New! Zip Bag Video Instructions

You can find a video walking you through the steps to create a zip bag on our YouTube channel. In the video, I use fabric that I created for my Hogwarts House Zip Bags, but you can use ANY fabric that you like.

You can also find a step-by-step tutorial to make this exact bag on our Instagram page. Just look for the “Bag Sew Along” highlight bubble.

How to Resize the Zip Bag

You can make this zip bag any size that you want, as long as your zipper is at least 1″ longer than the width of your pouch! Play around with the dimensions until you find a combination you like.

A few tips:

• Zip bags smaller than 3″ wide are a bit fussy to sew.
• Once the zip pouch is wider than 10″, it gets “floppy” you may want to add a second layer of interfacing.
• Your finished pouch will be approximately 1″ smaller in both directions than your pattern pieces.

The zippered pouches I’m showing you how to make today measure approx 6″ x 8″ when finished. You can make these bags ANY size you like just change the size of your rectangles.  If you do this, just make sure that your zipper is longer than the width of your pouch.

What Kind of Zipper Should I Use?

Also, this tutorial uses polyester zippers. You can not use a metal zipper for this technique.  You will be sewing over the zipper and you can only do that with a polyester zipper.

TIP: You can buy ANY zipper length you’d like since the zippers are polyester, you can trim them to the size you’d like using sharp scissors. For this reason, I usually buy all 12″ or longer zippers.

If you’d like to make a zip bag with a metal zipper, here are a few suggested tutorials (the tutorial in the video uses a metal zipper).

• Colorblocked Zip Pouch Tutorial
• How to Make a Zip Bag from Old Ties

My favorite place to purchase zippers is ZipIt on Etsy.

What Interfacing Should I Use?

I prefer to use two types of fusible (meaning it attaches to the bag with heat from an iron). I like to use ShapeFlex Interfacing on the outside of the bag since it helps the fabric to lay smooth and reduces wrinkling during the construction process.

I like to use either Fusible Fleece or Flex-Foam interfacing on the lining of the bag. If you’re new to this process I recommend fusible fleece since it’s easier to work with.

Whichever lining you choose, be sure to trim the interfacing out of your seam allowances. This helps to reduce bulk in the seams.

Supplies

• 1 Fat Quarter of Fabric for Bag Outside
• 1 Fat Quarter of Fabric for Bag Lining
• 1/4 yard Shape Flex Interfacing
• 1/4 yard Fusible Fleece Interfacing
• 10″ or longer polyester zipper
• Basic Sewing Supplies

Cutting Directions

Yields a bag that is approx 6″ x 8″ when finished.

From Bag Outside Fabric Cut:

2 pieces each 7″ x 9″

From Bag Lining Fabric Cut:

2 pieces each 7″ x 9″

From Shape Flex Interfacing Cut:

2 pieces each 7″ x 9″

From Fusible Fleece Interfacing Cut:

2 pieces each 7″ x 9″

Other Fun Stuff!

Now that you know how to make a simple zippered pouch, you can try a few other zip pouch projects!!

All of our Free Zip Pouch Sewing Patterns. 

How to Make a Zip Bag with a Flat Bottom