This easy to follow zippered travel pouch tutorial will have you making zippered travel pouches for all of your traveling friends. When filled with travel necessities like hair elastics, cotton swabs, contact lenses and Excedrin® Extra Strength, you have the perfect affordable gift for your friends. All you need are a few fabric squares, a zipper, and basic sewing supplies.
Getting ready to take a trip, whether for business or pleasure, can be a hectic time. I recall one trip that I nearly missed because of a headache. Thankfully, Excedrin® Extra Strength provided headache relief for me in just 15 minutes. Now, whenever I need fast headache relief, I reach for Excedrin® Extra Strength or Excedrin® Tension Headache. Of course, I only use the products as directed.
As we head into a busy travel season, I want to ensure that I have all of my travel essentials ready to go and stored in one place. There is nothing worse than scrambling around the house when you have a headache trying to find your headache remedy. Excedrin® Extra Strength works quickly, but only if you can find it in the house! With the chaos of packing, I often forget where my everyday items are located. [Please tell me that I’m not alone!] What’s great about this zippered travel pouch is that you can make it with fabric from your stash or pick up a few fat quarters while shopping at Walmart for your travel essentials.
How to Sew a Zippered Travel Pouch
The first step to any sewing project is to gather your supplies. For this zippered travel pouch, you’ll need coordinating fabric and thread, a zipper, scissors, measuring tape, iron and ironing board, pins, disappearing fabric pencil, and sewing machine.
Cut Fabric for the Zippered Travel Pouch
Cut two (2) pieces of fabric 12 inches X 6 inches, this is for the outside of your zippered travel pouch. Cut two (2) pieces of coordinating fabric 12 inches X 6 inches, this is for the inside of your zippered travel pouch. Before you begin making your zippered travel pouch, iron all of the fabric pieces to remove any wrinkles.
We’re going to start by placing one piece of the outside fabric right side up, then place the zipper right side down along the top edge of this piece of fabric, then place one piece of the inside fabric right side down. Pin the three layers together. Stitch the zipper to the two pieces of fabric.
Place the two fabric pieces together so that the wrong sides are facing and the zipper is right side up along the top.
Repeat the steps above to compelte the other side of the zipper. [Outside fabric right side up, zipper right side down, inside fabric right side down.]
We are almost finished! It’s smooth sailing as we complete the zippered travel pouch. At this point, your zippered travel pouch should look like this. The photo below shows the zipper sewn in the center with each outer fabric piece to either side.
Place the two outside pieces together with the right sides facing each other. Pin along all three sides. Bring the two inside fabric pieces together. Pin along all three sides, leaving a four inch opening unsewn along the longest side. [You’ll use this space to turn your zippered travel pouch right side out.]
Open the zipper slightly, then sew around the bag. Remember to leave the opening! [If you need help to remember not to stitch the opening, you can mark it with a disappearing fabric pencil or extra needles.]
Clip the corners, but not too close that you cut the stitching!
Turn the pouch right side out through the opening in the bottom of the fabric. Fold in the small seams and press well with a hot iron. Pin the seam closed and top stitch along the edge. Slip the inside fabric into your zippered travel pouch.
Zippered travel pouches can be made in a variety of sizes and fabrics, making them the perfect gift for friends, teachers, and co-workers.
Before planning your next trip, take some time to stock your zippered travel pouch with travel essentials. I keep lip balm, cotton swabs, hair elastics, contact lenses, and Excedrin® Extra Strength in my zippered travel pouch.
Share how you overcome #MoreMomentsWithExcedrin while traveling! Leave me a comment below!
This is a cute travel pouch. Thanks for the thorough tutorial. I recently got my first sewing machine and this looks like a project I might be able to tackle. 🙂 {client}