Tutorial: How to Sew a Pencil Pouch With Only One Piece of Fabric
This tutorial is for an extremely simple pencil pouch that only requires one piece of fabric. A large leftover scrap or remnant of fabric will work, or use a fat-quarter sized piece of material. It’s best to use something like a light canvas or a quilting cotton for this, but just about any type of structured material will work. I’ll walk you through how to attach the zipper and sew up the sides of the fabric to create a boxy pencil pouch to easily hold your supplies. Start by downloading the free pattern below.
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Supplies Needed:
(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)
Step 1
place the zipper face down on one side and sew the length
Place the zipper face down on one of the long edges of the right side of the fabric. Line the zipper up with the outer edge and sew. After sewing, press the fabric away from the zipper.
Step 2
fold the pouch in half and line it up with the other side of the zipper
Fold the pouch with right sides together. Line up the free side of the zipper with the other long edge of the pouch (it should still be face down. Sew the zipper to this side and then press the fabric away from the zipper.
Step 3
arrange the zipper in the center and sew the sides of the pouch
Still inside out, fold the pouch so the zipper is in the center and lines up with the short edge of the pouch. Sew these two smaller sides together. Before sewing, it’s best to open the zipper part way to make it easier to turn the back right side out later.
Step 4
pinch the sides of the pouch into a line and sew
Pinch the fabric together at each of the four remaining gaps into a straight line to create a box shape. Sew each of these corners.
Step 5
turn the pouch to the right side
Turn the pouch to the right side through your halfway open zipper.
Finished!
