Tutorial: Zipper Pouch

Someone asked me if I could show them how to sew on a zipper so I thought I would do a tutorial.

Sewing zipper pouches is really fun and super easy once you get the hang of it.  I have read through tons of tutorials, put the parts that worked for me and created my own way of doing it.  I recommend reading through the entire thing once and then do it yourself.

This is a teeny tiny zipper pouch created for a friend who needed one for her son's thermometer.  [Another reason why I love zipper pouches, you can make them for anything!]  Oh and because I did this all in one nap time the picturese are a little ehhhh.

So decide the size of your pouch and cut your peices.  If you want to quilt the front like I like to do, go ahead and do it!  I like to add batting or some form of interfacing to give the bag some body.

 You will need two rectangles for the outside, a zipper, and two rectangles for the lining.

Take one of the outer peices and lay it facing up like so.

The lay the zipper with the zippy handle thingy facing DOWN.

Then place the lining facing down.  Right sides togther.  Pin it together and sew across 1/4 of an inch.

Now use a marker to create a line where your fabric meets the zipper.  You will see why in the next step.

Now unzip the bag all the way.

Lay the outer part facing down so the lining should be facing you and lets sew on the other side.  Lay the other outer piece of the other side facing up then the zipper with the zipy thing facing down.  Use the lines you created to help you line it up.

Then place the lining facing down so the right sides are together.

Pin and sew across.

Now open up the bag and you are halfway there!  You can top stitch at this point but when I quilt it, I usually don't.  Leave the bag zipped halfway.

Now match up the outer and the lining peices so that the right sides are facing each other.

Pin all the way around.

Leave an opening on the lining.  I won't sew past these pink pins so there will be a little hole at the bottom.

Sew all the way around and be sure to back stitch and go over the zipper a few times to reinforce it.

Snip off any excess zipper leaving about a half an inch.

Clip all four corners.

This is an extra step but I like to zig zag down the lining to make sure it is reinforced.

Now pull your entire bag through the opening you have left.

It should look like this.

Fold and pin the hole at the bottom of the lining.

Sew the opening shut.  I like to sew all the way across.

Tuck the lining in the bag

And Tada you have a zippered pouch or I like to say a little cozee.

If you have questions feel free to shoot me an email.  Hope this was helpful!  Now go read a few other tutorials and figure out what works best for you.