You can never have too many cosmetic bags! Whether you use them for make up, hair ties, cables or other small items, fabric pouches are incredibly practical and pretty. Not only will we show you how to sew a pouch, we will also show you how to sew a zipper on this homemade bag with a lining. Simply choose your fabrics and adjust the size to fit your needs.
Our bag measures approx. 16 x 23 cm. It has a lining and is reinforced with interfacing so that it can stand upright and securely hold your items.
Here is what you will need for your DIY makeup bag:
- Outer fabric and lining
- A zipper measuring 27 cm
- Interfacing – we used Decovil Light which has a leather like feel to it, but you can use any interfacing of your choice
- Matching sewing thread
- A personalised leather label from Wunderlabel
Zipper Pouch Tutorial: Step by Step
Start by cutting your fabrics and interfacing to size. You will need 2 rectangles measuring 20 x 25 cm of each fabric, as well as 2 rectangles of the same size for the interfacing. The finished pouch will measure 16 x 23 cm – you can change the measurements to make a bigger or smaller bag.
Iron the interfacing onto the outer fabric by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Now you can sew on one side of the zipper. Lay out one piece of outer fabric right side up and place the zipper on top of it, right side down. Close the zipper and make sure that the zip pull lies in front of the edge of the fabric so that you won’t have to sew past it. Next, put a piece of lining fabric flush on top of it, right side down. Fix everything with pins, clips or double-sided tape before sewing all the layers together, using the zip foot on your sewing machine.
Proceed to sew on the other side of the zipper. Use the remaining fabric and repeat the steps above, making sure that the two sides match up.
Iron the fabric away from the zipper and topstitch on both sides. Then extend your stitch length a little and mark two points on each side of the zipper, approx. 1 cm from the edge of the fabric, so that you end up with 4 markings in total. This is where the seam will start and end. Don’t forget to lock your stitches! Now open the zipper halfway.
Fold the material over so that the 2 pieces of outer fabric are right sides together and the 2 pieces of lining fabric are right sides together too. Fasten each side together using pins or clips, making sure that the zipper is facing towards the lining (see picture).
Sew each side together with a seam allowance of 0.75 cm, leaving an opening of approx. 7 cm for turning on the long side of the lining fabric - lock your stitches at the beginning and end of the seam. If you like, you can increase the seam allowance in the lining fabric so that it will sit inside the pouch more loosely.
For the bottom of the bag you will need to sew each corner individually. Fold each corner so that the side seam is on top of the bottom seam and pin them together. Sew right across the corner, at a right angle to the side and bottom seam, about 3 cm from the corner. If you like, you can sew a second seam to reinforce the corners. Just shorten the seam allowance slightly and repeat on all four corners (lining and outer fabric).
Turn the bag inside out through the opening and shape the corners. Iron the seam allowance inwards at the turning opening and then close it, either by hand with a ladder stitch or close to the edge with the sewing machine. Fold the lining inwards and iron over it again.
Lastly, attach your personalised leather label from Wunderlabel for a special finishing touch.
We hope that you enjoyed our Zipper Pouch Tutorial and would love to see your self-made bag on Facebook or Instagram #wunderlabel!
Find more sewing tutorials like this on our blog.
<style type="text/css"><!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--></style>Don't miss these blog posts from Wunderlabel:
Zipper Pouch Tutorial: How to Sew a Makeup Bag
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