Simple Zipper Pouch Tutorial

This year I’m going to share many simple sewing tutorials designed to help you learn some sewing basics. You can then easily customize and change the projects to suit your needs and style. This simple zipper pouch tutorial is one of my favorite things to sew! It’s so easy, you’ll find yourself stitching them up over and over again! 

Lined Zipper Pouch Tutorial

I realized the other day that I have shared dozens of zip pouch tutorials on this site, but never a tutorial for a simple zip pouch. This tutorial is simple, but it’s designed to be used as a building block type tutorial. 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.

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 want 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.

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 size you’d like using sharp scissors.

Supplies:

Fabric shown is from the Derby Day Line by Riley Blake Designs

1 Fat Quarter of Fabric for Bag Outside

1 Fat Quarter of Fabric for Bag Lining

¼ yard Shape Flex Interfacing

¼ yard Fusible Fleece Interfacing

10″ or longer polyester zipper

Basic Sewing Supplies

Cutting Directions:

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″

Assembly Directions:

Iron the Shape Flex interfacing to the wrong side of your pouch outside pieces.

Iron the Fusible Fleece interfacing to the wrong side of your pouch lining pieces.

Pin the RIGHT side of your zipper to the RIGHT side of your outside fabric front piece. Now pin the RIGHT side of your lining piece to the WRONG side of your zipper.

With a zipper foot on your sewing machine, stitch through all layers. Move the zipper pull if it gets in your way as you sew. (needle down, move zipper pull, keep sewing)

Move the fabric so that it’s out of the way of the zipper.

Pin the RIGHT side of your other lining piece to the WRONG side of the other side of the zipper. Pin the RIGHT side of your back bag outside piece to the RIGHT side of the zipper. Stitch through all layers. Using an iron, press all seams away from the zipper. Using your zipper foot, top stitch close to the edge of the zipper.

Unzip the Zipper.

Pin the right sides of the bag outside together and pin the right sides of the bag lining together.

Press the zipper seam allowance towards the lining pieces.

Sew around the entire perimeter with a ½″ seam allowance.

Leave a 3″ opening in the lining to turn the bag right side out. DON’T sew over the metal parts of the zipper!

Clip the corners and trim down the seams of the lining pieces to ⅛″

Turn right side out.

Use a hera tool or other “pointy object” to push the corners of the bag out. Give it a good pressing, and you’re done!

Other Fun Stuff!

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

To see all of the other zip bag tutorials on this site just CLICK HERE. 

If you’d like to make a zip pouch with a flat bottom instead, just CLICK here for the tutorial.