How to Make a Zipper Pouch: Beginner-Friendly Tutorial

Zipper pouches are a quick and easy project, perfect for beginners.

Organize your stuff – whether it is in your purse, bag, or backpack, your sewing, quilting, and embroidery projects, or even in your office! Seriously, these are super quick – you can make a zipper pouch in 20 minutes. And, perfect scrap-busting project! They are reusable and washable, making them even better than a resealable plastic bag!

Even beginners can make these quick and easy little bags. This is a great sewing project if you want to learn new skills and more about sewing zippers.

This is a lined zipper pouch tutorial. All you need is some fabric and a zipper. We’ve covered several options in this article, starting with a basic simple zipper pouch. Then we show you how to make a flat bottom bag, and finally some ideas for making it your own with appliqué.

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Yield: One (1) Zipper Pouch

How to Make a Zipper Pouch

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Beginner

Zipper pouches are quick and easy sewing projects. They make great cosmetic bags. And, these little pouches make for a great handmade gift.

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Keep organized and make these from your fabric scraps!

Have fun with different fabric combinations.

Here is our step-by-step zipper pouch tutorial.

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Materials

• Two (2) pieces of fabric cut 8" x 6" for outside of pouch
• Two (2) pieces of fabric cut 8" x 6" for lining pieces of the pouch
• One (1) 7" zipper
• Thread
• Optional: 4" of 1/8" ribbon for a zipper tab
• Optional: Fusible interfacing or fusible fleece

Tools

• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Corner turner, can use a bodkin or knitting needle

Instructions

1. Cut your fabrics.
   
   NOTE: If you are working with light weight fabrics, or would like your little bag to be a little stiff, you can apply fusible interfacing or fusible fleece to the wrong side of the main fabric pieces now.
   
2. Start by aligning your closed zipper, right sides together, along the right side raw edge of the long edge of your outer piece. (This is the side that is 1 inch longer than the zipper teeth.) Stitch using the zipper presser foot on your machine close to the zipper. Do this on both sides with both of your outside fabrics.
3. Now, turn over and line the wrong side of the zipper with the right side of the lining fabric on one long side. Fabrics will be right sides together. Sew close to the zipper using your zipper foot. Repeat for the other side of the zipper.
4. Press the fabric away from the zipper for both the lining and outside fabrics.
5. Open your zipper for the next step. If you don't, your pouch won't turn inside out and you'll be doing some 'unsewing'! 🙂 Ask me how I know!
6. Now open up the pouch and line up the outside fabrics right sides together and the lining fabrics right sides together.
7. Leaving about a 2" gap in the bottom of the lining, sew all around the edges with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. I like to make sure the seam is folded toward the lining.
8. Here is the pouch sewn. See the gap I left in the bottom of the lining?
9. Trim the corners to reduce bulk and make for a nicer corner when turned right side out.
10. Here is the sewn pouch, corners trimmed, ready to be turned right side out.
11. From the bottom opening, carefully turn the zipper pouch right side out. Using your corner turner, gently press out your corners being careful not to stretch the fabric or poke through the corner. If you are using a bodkin or knitting needle, be very careful with poking out the corner.
12. Press everything flat. While you are pressing, press the seam allowance in on the opening. Topstitch the opening closed. You can hand stitch if you prefer, but since it is in the lining, I find just doing a quick topstitch is super easy and efficient.
13. Push the lining into the pouch, press and you have a zipper pouch ready to organize your stuff!
14. If you'd like, add a fun zipper pull by threading one or more ribbons or trims through the end of the zipper tab and tying a knot.

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Make zipper pouches in different sizes! Use pretty much any size zipper and cut your fabrics to the sizes you’d like. To have the zipper go across the top with no excess fabric, cut your fabric 1″ wider than the actual teeth of the zipper. So that your pouch isn’t too deep for the opening, cut your fabric about 1/2 of the total width PLUS 2 – 3″. Here are sizes I like to use:

• 4-inch zipper length, cut fabrics 5″ wide x 4″ high for a finished pouch 4″ x 3″
• 9-inch zipper, cut fabrics 10″ wide x 7″ high for a finished pouch 9″ x 6″
• 12-inch zipper, cut fabrics 13″ wide x 8″ high for a finished pouch 12 x 7″

You can use up to four (4) fabrics and have some fun. Make these zipper pouches for gifts, or use as gift wrap for small items. Pick a bright and cheerful color and design for the lining. Stay away from white or light colors – they get dirty fast.

How to make a flat bottom zipper pouch

Sometimes I want the bags to stand up on the table or counter by themselves – that is when they need a boxed or flat bottom. Here is our tutorial with a flat bottom of the pouch.

Flat bottoms are also referred to as ‘boxed bottoms’ on bags. There are two common methods for making flat bottoms.

Materials needed to make a flat bottom zipper pouch

• One (1) 14-inch zipper
• Two (2) 12-inch squares fabric for outside of zipper pouch
• Two (2) 12-inch squares fabric for lining of zipper pouch
• Two (2) 12-inch squares fusible interfacing (either woven or non woven)
• Thread coordinating to the fabric colors
• OPTIONAL: Embroidery thread
• OPTIONAL: Scraps of fabric for raw edge fusible appliqué
• OPTIONAL: Linens to cut up to embellish the outside of the bag

Tools needed to make a flat bottom zipper pouch

• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Pressing surface
• Quilter’s ruler
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat

Step-by-step instructions for making a flat bottom zipper pouch

Gather your supplies. Here are the fusible interfacing, lining fabric outer fabric, vintage linen that I’ll use to embellish the outside of the bag and the zipper.

Start by applying the fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the outer fabric. This helps give the outer fabric a little bit of body so that the zip bag stands up.

If you are going to embellish the zip bag, now is the time! Below are some other examples using fusible fabric and embroidery. For this bag I’m using a vintage linen to make this zipper bag special. I cut the linen and lined it up along the upper edge of the outer fabric and stitched close to the edge to attach.

Here are the two outer fabrics with the vintage linens.

Next, we are ready to put in the zipper. Layer one of your outer fabrics on your table right side up. Put your zipper on top with the right side down. Layer your lining fabric right side down on top of the zipper.

Take to your sewing machine, Then using your zipper foot, sew along the zipper edge, keeping the edges of the outer and lining fabric even with the edge of the zipper tape.

[Now, layer the outer fabric and lining with the zipper sandwiched between for the other side of the zipper and sew.

Your zipper is in!

Now turn the fabrics to line up the outer fabrics with the lining fabrics so we can cut the fabric to make the boxed bottom. For this bag, I like about a 3-inch bottom to the bag, which means I’ll cut a 2-inch square from each corner.

Here are the layers showing the cut out corners and lining up the outer fabrics and the lining fabrics, ready to sew the side seams for the zipper bag.

Sew the side seams from the box bottom cutout, over the zipper and to the opposite cutout. Make sure to move the zipper tab to the inside so that you don’t sew over it or sew it to the outside of the bag.

Here is sewing over the zipper.

Now we are ready to sew the bottoms of the bag. IMPORTANT: Before you do this step, make sure your zipper is all of the way open. If not, you’ll be doing some unstitching to be able to turn your bag right side out! (Don’t ask how many times I’ve forgotten to do that!) Start with the outer fabric and stitch along the bottom from the cutout to the opposite cutout.

Now sew the lining bag bottom. For the lining, you only want to sew about 2-inches in from both edges. This gives you an opening to turn the bag right side out.

Now we are ready to box your bottoms! Line up the side seam with the bottom seam and sew across the diagonal line this forms.

Here I’m sewing the boxed bottom seam for the lining.

Okay – you’re ready to turn your bag right side out! From the opening in the lining, begin pulling the fabric to the right side.

Here is the bag all turned to the right side.

Top stitch the opening in the lining closed.

Tuck the lining inside the bag and you’ve finished a zip pouch with a flat bottom!

Alternative method for a flat bottom bag

This cute little flat-bottom zipper pouch features another vintage linen. I love vintage linens – I wish they could tell me who made them and the homes they’ve been in! See the ‘E’ that was embroidered on this doily with lovely flowers on the front.

This little zip pouch finished size is about 7-inches wide at the top, 4-inches wide at the bottom and about 4-inches tall.

Interface the outer fabric and sew in the zipper according to the directions above. Instead of cutting the corners of fabric out, we’ll be sewing a diagonal seam.

Once the zipper is in, turn the bag so that the outer fabrics are layered on top of each other and the lining fabrics are also layered. Sew all around all four sides, leaving an opening in the middle of the bottom of the lining to turn the bag right side out.

Fold the corners to line up the bottom seam allowance and the side seam allowances. Here is one of the corners of the lining fabric folded with the seam allowances matching.

Using a removable fabric marker, draw the diagonal stitching line. I also like to put a pin in to secure the layers of fabric. This will be the depth of the bottom of your pouch. I used a Frixion pen. Always test your marker on a scrap of fabric to make sure the marks will come out.

Here I am marking the outer fabric corners.

Sew the diagonal lines on all four corners of your pouch.

Trim the excess fabric from the corners.

Turn the pouch right side out through the opening in the lining. Sew the lining shut as detailed above and enjoy your new zipper pouch with a flat bottom!

Adding raw edge appliqué to a zipper pouch

This next zipper pouch with a flat bottom has a finished size of 14-inches wide by 6-inches tall – perfect for carrying embroidery floss and needles for a project. And, is a great size for a pencil pouch or pencil bag. I wanted to embellish the front with some raw edge appliqué as well as add some hand embroidery. This extra embellishment is totally optional. If you are interested, feel free to download the FREE Flower Appliqué Templates.

If you are doing the appliqué on the zipper pouch, do the embroidery before you put the pouch together. I printed the templates onto a piece of freezer paper. I cut out the shapes and then layered them onto fabric that had fusible web already applied to the wrong side of the fabric. Whenever I do a project with fusible, I always fuse more than I need so I have scraps for projects like this.

Here I have pressed the freezer paper pattern template to the right side of the fabric that has fusible already applied on the wrong side. Make sure to use a Teflon sheet or piece of parchment paper on your pressing surface so you don’t end up with the fabric fused to your pressing surface.

Next I cut out the shapes from the fabric with fusible web already applied.

Then, peel off the freezer paper. If you want more than one of an element, press the freezer paper again and cut out your shapes. I keep a parts department of shapes so I can use them often!

Next, audition your shapes on background fabrics. Here I used the smaller flower, and then added some circle flowers and leaves.

The circle flowers were too symmetrical for me, so I moved the centers to the outside edges. I like this better.

But, the shapes were too similar in size. I decided to use the bigger flower for the center to vary the scale. The smaller flower went to my parts department!

Once you are happy with your design layout, go to your pressing station. Make sure to use a teflon sheet or piece of parchment paper and press the fused appliqué pieces to your outer pouch piece. Make sure to leave enough room at the top and sides for the seam allowances and zipper application – at least 3/4-inch around your design.

Here is the front of the zipper pouch with the design fused to it.

You can machine stitch or hand embroider the fused pieces to the front of the pouch. Read our article on raw edge appliqué to see a variety of raw edge appliqué techniques. I decided to do some hand embroidery to embellish the design. Once you have completed your appliqué, you are ready to make your zipper pouch with the flat bottom!

Here are all of the elements: two (2) pieces of fabric cut 14-inches by 7-inches for the outside of the bag, two (2) pieces of fabric cut 14-inches by 7-inches for the lining, two (2) pieces of light weight interfacing cut 14-inches by 7-inches to give the bag some body and a 14-inch zipper.

Follow the directions in the tutorial above to finish your zipper pouch bag with flat bottom with a raw edge appliqué and hand embroidery.

Here is the finished bag.

And, here is the pretty inside. I love using fun lining fabrics!

Are zipper pouches washable?

Yes! I prewash all of my fabrics before I use them, so I don’t need to worry about shrinkage. Just toss in the washer and dryer, if your pouch gets dirty. Stubborn stains? Pretreat with a stain remover before washing.

What fabrics are good to make small bags?

Pretty much any fabric you can sew!

A fat quarter of fabric will make a small bag. They come in a variety of designs.

You can use some of the wonderful laminate fabrics for a water-resistant outer fabric. I’d make the lining with cotton fabric so that it is not too stiff.

This bag is included in our Easy Bags to Sew article. Browse through more sewing projects on Create Whimsy. Check out all of our bag projects and inspiration.