The post, How to Sew a Zippered Pencil Case, is sponsored by JOANN. All ideas and creations are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep me crafting up a storm!
Can you ever have too many bags? Zip pouches are a great way to keep all your belongings organized. Whether its pencils, snacks, or valuables, zip pouches can keep your purse and luggage tidy with a place for everthing. Below I will share how to sew a zippered pencil case using a fun color your own Toy Story 4 fabric available exclusively at JOANN. When I first saw this fabric, it reminded me of a coloring page, so I grabbed 1/3 yard of fabric, some lining, and some fabric markers and got to sewing. 15 minutes later, this zippered pencil case was done and ready to keep my kids busy for hours as they color in all the Toy Story 4 characters.
Materials to sew a zippered pencil case:
- 1/3 yard exterior fabric (JOANN has a huge selection of pretty patterned fabric just waiting to be sewn into cases like this coloring book Toy Story fabric)
- 1/3 yard lining
- 2/3 yard heat n bond lite
- 1/3 yard canvas duck fabric in natural
- 12″ long zipper
- Piece of scrap canvas, leather, or faux leather
- Sewing machine, thread, and scissors
- Iron
- Fabric markers (optional)
Begin by cutting out an 11″ wide by 7″ tall rectangle with curved corners on one of the long ends. Cut out this same shape from the canvas, lining, and heat n bond. You should have two pieces of each. Feel free to adjust the sizing depending on your needs, but I find this size works well for a variety of uses.
Once you have your pieces cut, it is time to prep your fabric. The Toy Story 4 fabric that I chose from JOANN is a quilting weight cotton, so to make it stiffer for my pencil case, I used the heat n bond to adhere the fabric to the canvas. This gives the fabric structure but doesn’t cause wrinkles or creases like an iron on lining like Pellon would.
Begin by ironing the heat n bond glue side down on the canvas. Once adhered, let cool, then peel off the paper baking. Next, lay the exterior fabric you chose over the glue covered canvas and iron again to adhere the fabric to the canvas. Repeat with the other exterior fabric and canvas pieces.
Now that your fabric is prepped, it is time to start sewing! Lay the zipper on top of one side of the exterior fabric and flush with the top. Sew over the zipper tape along the top edge of the fabric with a 1/8″ seam allowance. Stop 2″ from the end and place a piece of folded over canvas or leather at the end to give the zipper a nice finished edge on the final clutch. You can see this tan piece of faux leather I used below. Then stitch over the zipper/leather/fabric to the end. Next, lay the lining fabric over the zipper and stitch again. This step essentially sandwhiches the zipper between the exterior fabric and lining on one side.
Now fold over the lining fabric so that right sides are out and top stitch along the fabric close to the zipper.
Repeat with the other side. Then top stitch across the leather piece to give the zipper an end and cut off any remaining zipper tape. You should now have something that looks like the image above.
Fold the pouch so that the right sides of the exterior are together and the right sides of the lining are together and pin around the edges. Sew around the edge with a 1/4″ seam allowance leaving a 4″ opening at the bottom of the lining.
Once you have stitched around the edge (see image above), cut of any excess fabric and cut down the side seams near the zipper. Turn the bag right side out and top stitch the opening in the lining closed. Push the lining into the bag and add a tassel or keychain if you want. Finally, your bag is ready to store your pencils or any number of items.
My family has a trip coming up and this bag will come in handy! Not only to carry all my daughters craft supplies for the plane, but to give her something to do during downtime!
For other ways to use your Toy Story 4 fabric from JOANN, check out these fun no sew popcorn boxes!
