Beginner Zipper Pouch

It’s the third Tuesday of July, which means it’s time for the Pinterest Challenge. The purpose of the Pinterest Challenge, hosted by Erlene of My Pinterventures is to encourage everyone to actually try out one of the many pins they’ve saved on all those Pinterest Boards.

I took the “challenge” part this month pretty seriously. I’ve been sewing off and on since I was in my early twenties, which means that I’ve also been afraid of trying to sew a zipper since my earlier twenties.

I realize that sewing a zipper into clothing is going to be way above my skill level. But a beginner level zipper pouch looked like a great starting point.

To give myself a chance at getting this to be successful I’ve gone with a few steps that have proven helpful in the past.

I read a gazillion blog posts and watched their video tutorials.

I pinned several beginner zipper pouch projects that seemed to really be at the beginner level. So many Pinterest Pins are full of beautiful but really tricky projects and I wanted to start small.

I sourced materials that were zero cost to me so I’d only be out my time.

For my inspirational pin, I actually have several on my Sewing Board, but this one:

was my favorite, and I really liked how Wendi also included several video tutorials which are super helpful when dealing with the inside out and upside down world of lined sewing.

For my materials for my beginner zipper pouch, I was the lucky recipient of some of Mom’s fabric stash when she downsized a second time recently, and I used my trusty seam ripper to remove a zipper from a pair of shorts that no longer fit me in a good way (humble brag – they are too big in the waist and hips now and they are so old that they aren’t worth altering to fit).

After watching the videos several times, I launched into my project and I was pretty successful in making a small zippered pouch. I am my own worst enemy when I sew, and sure enough, I didn’t cut the material wide enough (missed it by a half-inch because of the way I put my ruler on my cutting mat) so it ended up being a tight fit for the zipper ends.

Pinning the layers together was tricky, and I’m super thankful for Wendi’s reminders to unzip the zipper and to double check that the zipper teeth point in the correct direction before you start sewing.

I think the extra steps of adding in the liner make it totally worth it, and my fabric choices worked out great, if I do say so myself!

In the end, I have a super cute lined zipper pouch that I’m going to keep my Bluetooth headphones and charger in so I can find them in my big work bag. And I’m no longer afraid of zippers. As soon as I find another pair of shorts or pants to take apart, I’m going to make another pouch!

Pin this for when you, too, are ready to get over the fear of zippers.

Check out what the others created in this month’s Pinterest Challenge below, and if you’d like to join in for August, sign up here: ⇒ August Pinterest Challenge

 

Let’s meet this month’s Pinterest Challenge hosts!

My Pinterventures •  Cookies Coffee and Crafts Sew Crafty Crochet •  Eye Love Knots • My Sweet Things Across the Boulevard • Suzerspace •  Purple Hues and Me   Decorate and More with Tip •  Mom Home Guide Our Unschooling Journey •  Intelligent Domestications Craftify My Love  •  Life Beyond the Kitchen •  K’s Olympic Nest Teadoddles  •  Farm Girl Reformed •  Simple Nature Decor Home Crafts by Ali  •  Stone Cottage Adventures