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How to Make an Open Wide Zippered Pouch

How to Make an Open Wide Zippered Pouch

I love making zippered pouches but I also love filling them.  To make filling them easier I came across this idea for how to male an open wide zippered pouch so that you can easily fill your pouch with no problems at all.  I just love this idea and it is super simple to make.  I would like to thank Anna over at Noodlehead for this terrific idea. You can make these pouches using bright fun fabrics like I did or use some more romantic and subdued fabrics to get exactly what you want.  That is the beauty of sewing for yourself.  You can get exactly the perfect look for you.  I love choosing my own fabrics for my projects.  In my case, I have a massive store of remnants that I delve into for many of the projects at Sew Very Crafty and this project was no different.

For this tutorial I delved into my stash and pulled out some fabrics for two fun and functional open wide zippered pouches.  My remnants were purchased at JOANN Fabric & Craft Stores but you could also head over to Hobby Lobby or Fabric.com, where I often purchase fabrics, to get exactly what you need.  I used quilting cotton and some interfacing for my pouches.  That seemed to work best for me.  This post contains affiliate links that if you click on them and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  

What you will need: How to make an open wide zippered pouch

  • 1/4 yard outer fabric and lining fabric depending on size of pouch
  • 1/4 yard Pellon SF101 or similar interfacing
  • 14″ or longer zipper
  • Scrap fabric for zipper tabs
How to make a open wide zippered pouch
What you will Need Open Wide Pouch

Step 1: Cut your Fabrics

There are three sizes of zippered pouches that you can make using this tutorial, large medium and small.  Cut your fabrics as follows for each size pouch:

Large: Cut two exterior, lining and interfacing 11″ x 14″ rectangles.  If you would like contrasting bottoms cut two 5.5″ x 14″ main fabric pieces and two 6.5″ x 14″ contrast bottoms

Medium: Cut two exterior, lining and interfacing 9″ x 12″ rectangles.  If you would like contrasting bottoms cut two 4.5″ x 12″ main fabric pieces and two 5.5″ x 12″ contrast bottoms

Small: Cut two exterior, lining and interfacing 7″ x 10″ rectangles.  If you would like contrasting bottoms cut two 3.5″ x 10″ main fabric pieces and two 4.5″ x 10″ contrast bottoms

Cut a 2″ x 3″ piece of fabric for the zipper tab.

Step 2: Sew the contrast Bottoms

If you are using contrast bottoms rather than a single color for your outer fabric stitch the bottoms to the tops using a 1/2″ seam allowance.  If you are using a single color fabric skip to step 2.  

How to Make an open wide zippered pouch
Sew the bottom to the top

Step 3: Fuse the interfacing

Take the Pellon SF101 and fuse it to the wrong side of the outer fabric according to the manufacturers instructions. If you are unfamiliar with fusible interfacing it is simple to do.  There is a glue side and a non-glue side.  The glue side is shiner.  Place the glue side onto the wrong side of the outer fabric and press the fabric using a hot iron.  The glue will melt and fuse into the fabric so that the two pieces can be treated as one.  The interfacing will give the fabric a little more support.  

Step 4: Add the Zipper

Add the zipper to your fabrics.  Start by laying one piece of the outer fabric face up on your work table. Place the zipper face down on the outer fabric aligning the raw edges.  Fold the zipper end 90 degrees and pin. The metal part of the zipper should measure about 3/4″ away from the left edge.  Take a lining piece and place it on top of the zipper to make a zipper sandwich. Using your zipper foot sew the three layers together starting at the pull end.  Sew all along the zipper until you have reached about 1″ from the end.  Backstitch.  Move the zipper out of the way but finish sewing the lining and the outer piece together until you reach the end.  

How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Layer the zipper
How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Layer the lining

Step 5: Add the other side of the Zipper

Repeat the same process with the remaining outer and lining piece and other side of the zipper.

How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Finished zipper

Step 6: Sew the Bag

Open the fabrics so that the outer fabrics are facing right sides together and the lining fabrics are right sides together. Open the zipper so that it is half way open.  Tuck the long end of the zipper into the bag. Sew around the perimeter of the bag using a 1/2″ seam allowance making sure to get close to the metal stop but not sewing over it. Leave a 4″ opening in the bottom of the lining for turning. 

How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Match the Sides

Step 7: box the corners

Box the corners of the outer fabric and the lining fabric. If you are unfamiliar with how to box corners, this is a simple process.  Simply line up the bottom seam with the side seam.  Measure down from the corner and draw a line using a heat erasable pen like Frixion.  The length of the measurement will depend on the size of the pouch you are making.  For the larger pouch measure down so that the line you are drawing is 4.5″ wide. For the medium pouch it is 4″ wide and the small pouch is 3.5″ wide.  Stitch across the line you have drawn.  Trim the seam allowance to 1/2″.  

How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Box the Corners

Step 8: turn the bag

Turn the bag through the opening in the lining and the zipper so that it is right sides out.  Press. sew the opening closed using ladder stitch.  If you are unfamiliar with ladder stitch follow this video.  

How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Turn the bag

Step 9: Top stitch

Top stitch around the entire top of the bag leaving the zipper free.  

How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Top Stitch

Step 10: Add the Zipper Tabs

Cut the long end of the zipper so that it is about 1″ past the side of the bag making sure that the zipper pull remains in the middle of the bag.  Create the zipper tabs by folding the tab fabrics in by 1/2″ on all edges and press.  Fold the tab over the zipper end and sew around all four sides.  

How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Snip the zipper
How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Add the zipper tab
How to make an open wide zippered pouch
Finished Open Pouch

 

 

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4 Comments

  1. Thank you for this. I got tired of digging into a little pouch for my sewing notions and now have a nice, wide-opening pouch.

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