DIY Mini Pouch Bag - Tutorial

So, here it is: the tutorial for the mini accessory pouches. I originally thought they would make a nice gift for St. Nicholas Day, but I was convinced by the argument that they also serve as a great little present for the pre-Christmas season, a Secret Santa exchange, or any other occasion. So, consider this a very early Christmas gift from me to you—I hope you like it!

I sewed the pouch featured in this tutorial for my "sea bear" (my partner). 

I needed a small pouch to keep in my camera bag for things like face powder, brushes, and so on (it’s such a pain to edit out the shine on models!).

I made this version a bit larger to ensure everything would fit. I’ll share the dimensions for the small "original" mini accessory pouches, as well as for this larger version.

We need: fabric for the inside, fabric for the outside, and fabric for the end piece. In addition, we need a zipper that is a few centimeters longer than the top edge of the bag, interfacing (batting or H630), and embellishments. 

First, the pieces are cut out. For each pouch, you will need two pieces for the inside and two for the outside. The small pouches measure 16 cm in width and 12 cm in height.

I cut 3 cm squares out of each corner (you can see this on the fabric with the cars). The larger pouch—intended for the "sea bear"—measures 18 cm in width and 14 cm in height; I also cut 3 cm squares out of the corners here.

The seam allowance is already included (it doesn’t matter whether you use 1 cm or a "presser-foot width" allowance; the final size of the pouch may vary slightly, but all the pieces will still fit together). For the small pouches, I applied H630 interfacing to the outer fabric; for the coated cotton, I used patchwork adhesive to attach a layer of fleece.

The end tab for the zipper measures 7.5 cm in length and 5 cm in width. If you are using wider zippers, you may need to adjust this width accordingly.

Before you begin sewing, all embellishments should be added. I have sewn a label onto the lining fabric. The bottom of the bag will be located where the corners have been cut out, while the long side forms the top edge. We will now position the zipper along this top edge.

For this style of bag, I find standard, pre-cut zippers to be the most practical choice; I haven’t tried using continuous zipper tape.

Place the zipper onto one of the lining pieces so that the small metal stops are positioned a little over 1 cm away from the edge, with the zipper teeth facing downward.

Since the zipper is longer than the bag itself, you can easily open it; this ensures the zipper pull won’t get in the way later on.

Place an outer fabric piece, right side facing down, onto the existing assembly so that the zipper is sandwiched between the fabrics and aligned flush at the top edge. If you are unsure, you can choose to sew only the inner fabric piece on first.

  It is important not to sew all the way to the end on the side where the long, extended part of the zipper is located. I have made a mark 2 cm from the end as a stopping point.

I begin sewing in the zipper right at this mark. I always use a zipper foot for this. For my machine, it works perfectly when the needle is positioned to the left of the foot and the fabric is aligned flush against the right side.

You will need to test how this works on your own sewing machine. You want to be close to the zipper teeth—but not so close that the zipper can no longer be opened.

This is how it should look now. The long end of the zipper can be easily pulled out, and the fabrics are not sewn together at this point.

Proceed in exactly the same way with the second side. The fabrics should be aligned at the same height so that everything fits together later on. Again, do not sew all the way to the end; instead, secure the stitch (backstitch) 2 cm before the edge.

The zipper is now in place, and it didn’t hurt a bit! Next, you’ll need to arrange the fabrics. You can either carefully press them away from the zipper with an iron (just be sure nothing melts) or simply smooth them out firmly with your fingers—that’s what I did.

Here, you can clearly see once again that the zipper is not sewn down completely tightly. That is exactly how it is supposed to look.

Now, let’s assemble the bag. Fold over the seam allowance of the inner fabric, while keeping the outer fabric laid flat, as shown in the photo.  

The zipper should be positioned inside the bag—make sure it doesn’t get caught in the stitching by mistake. Be very careful to ensure the zipper isn’t twisted; otherwise, the bag won’t be able to open!

Once everything is pinned in place, it should look like this. The inner and outer sections are both positioned with their right sides facing each other. The seam allowances are folded toward the inner fabric.  

When sewing, remember to leave an opening for turning the piece right-side out; I prefer to leave this at the bottom of the inner bag. Make sure it’s not too small—especially when working with coated fabrics.

When sewing, leave the corners unsewn. Begin by stitching a seam along the bottom of the lining fabric, leaving an opening. Then, continue stitching along one of the sides—be sure to pay close attention to the zipper as you do so.  

Next, sew the bottom of the outer bag, and finally, the second side seam. Take care here to ensure the needle does not strike any metal components; if you are unsure, simply turn the handwheel by hand at this point.

I opted for a 0.75 cm seam—that is, a "presser-foot width" seam. This provides a very good fit for the zipper. However, if you prefer to sew with a 1 cm seam allowance, you will need to be extra careful, or simply stop inserting the zipper 2.5 cm from the end instead of 2 cm.

Once the four seams are finished, the bag should look like this. Now, let’s take care of the corners.

We turn these right side out and then place them together so that the seams align perfectly. The seam allowances are pressed open to prevent any bulkiness.

Now, all four corners are stitched. Regardless of the seam allowance you have chosen, it is important that it remains consistent.

Once all four corners have been stitched, the bag is no longer flat. Now, with plenty of patience, you need to turn everything right-side out through the opening.

Once fitted together, it should look like this. A long section of the zipper protrudes at the back, while on the other side, the metal pieces are almost touching each other.

The corner that was not sewn together with the zipper now looks like this. The fabrics are secured within the side seam and, otherwise, already lie quite neatly on top of one another.

 

Pull the fabric away from the zipper, smooth it out, and pin it in place. It would be really annoying if it got caught in the zipper.

To ensure nothing goes wrong and the small holes disappear, we will now topstitch close to the top edge using a longer stitch length. I always start at the point where the zipper emerges, so that it covers the beginning of the seam.  

This can be quite tricky with coated fabrics—I don’t have a Teflon presser foot, but with a bit of patience and some gentle pulling, it works out just fine.

Once that’s done, we’ll focus on making the zipper look a bit nicer. For this, we’ll need the remaining piece of fabric. In my case, it matches the lining fabric, but a third, complementary fabric would also look great.

Fold 1 cm on both the left and right sides—bringing the wrong sides together—so that the piece now measures approximately 5.5 cm in height and 5 cm in width. Press the folds flat, or use an iron briefly to set them.

Now fold it in half, right sides together. The attractive sides of the fabric are now facing each other in the middle, and the open edges are each folded over by 1 cm. From the side, it looks like an "M" or a seagull.

Now stitch along both sides, a presser-foot’s width away from the edge (if you leave a larger seam allowance, the zipper won’t fit).

To ensure it sits nicely, trim the corners at an angle and shorten the seam allowance. Now things get a bit tricky, as we need to turn the piece right side out. A chopstick works quite well for this—and it prevents you from accidentally poking through the seam, which can easily happen if you use scissors to help with turning.

Now comes the step that cannot be undone: shortening the zipper. To do this, I hold the turned-out end piece against the zipper and decide how long the extension tab should be. It needs to be a decent length—otherwise, sewing it on will be very difficult. 

Plus, the bag should be able to open completely; the goal is not a narrow opening like a typical cosmetic pouch, but rather a storage container that can be closed with a zipper. 

Make sure to zip the zipper shut beforehand—we need the slider to stay on, and putting it back on, while perhaps not impossible, is certainly not easy. Once I’m happy with the length, I simply cut the zipper off just past the end piece.

I decided on this length. I’d say it’s about 5 cm. You’ll have to experiment to see which length you prefer.

Now, slide the zipper as far as it will go into the end piece. Mine is a bit wider than the zipper, so simply center it and pin it in place. Then, it’s back to the sewing machine.

I sewed a small box shape onto it (not that easy when the fabric is so sticky). However, a simple line of stitching along the open edge would also suffice; the important thing is that the zipper is securely attached and the slider cannot come off.

Finally, close the opening used for turning the pouch right-side out—either by hand, which results in a neater finish, or by machine. And that’s it! 

You now have a pouch that opens up beautifully, allowing you to see exactly what’s inside so you don’t have to go rummaging around. If you like, you can tie a small ribbon or cord to the zipper pull, making it easier to grab.