how to sew a placemat zipper pouch with only four seams

May 13, 2009 | 13 Comments

zipper pouch tutorial

I found this cute Orla Kiely placemat at Target a few weeks ago and wanted to make something quick and easy for my knitting. Because the edges are already finished, I only needed to sew four seams. If you want a gusseted pouch, you can sew two more seams. Either way, it’s a very fast and easy project.

zipper pouch tutorial

Materials
a placemat (mine was 14 x 17 inches)
a zipper that’s at least 14 inches
coordinating thread
heavy duty sewing needle
zipper foot

zipper pouch tutorial

Using your zipper foot, stitch each 14 inch side to the zipper, beginning and ending 1/2 inch from each side.

zipper pouch tutorial

With the zipper halfway open, turn the placemat inside out. Sew your side seams while holding the zipper out of the way. (This is why you left 1/2 inch unsewn on each side.)

zipper pouch tutorial

Turn the placemat right side out and you’re done! If your zipper was longer than 14 inches, you can trim the extra.

Optional Gussets

zipper pouch tutorial

Box your corners, but don’t trim. The triangles are small and won’t take up much room. Plus, you’ll have no raw edges that might unravel.

zipper pouch tutorial

Want to see more projects using Orla Kiely placemats? Thimbly Things made a cute purse with hers and linked to a bunch more adorable bags.

refashion: Using finished items like placemats make your projects fast and easy because your edges are already finished.

Thanks to Whip Up, Craft Gossip and One Pretty Thing for linking to my tutorial. Subscribe to my RSS for more crafty goodness!

Category: all posts, refashion, sewing, tutorials
Tags: bag > easy > kiely > orla > placemat > pouch > quick > refashion > target > tutorial > zipper

Comments

13 Responses to “how to sew a placemat zipper pouch with only four seams”

Christy
May 13th, 2009 @ 9:37 am

Genius.
kelly
May 13th, 2009 @ 9:59 am

Super cute and maybe easy enough for me to do! (I don’t do zippers.)
julie
May 13th, 2009 @ 2:31 pm

I’ve been looking for simple project to try my zipper-foot…love this one. Thanks!
Deb
May 13th, 2009 @ 8:28 pm

This is awesome! I love it.
dana
May 16th, 2009 @ 2:43 pm

Brilliant and so easy! I’m trying this.
anna
May 17th, 2009 @ 2:51 pm

what a great use for a cute place mat! I’m definitely bookmarking this and coming back to it if I ever thrift myself one that’s super cute like yours
Ashlea
May 19th, 2009 @ 9:55 am

I’m not very crafty, but I am SO making this! Thanks for the easy instructions!!!
Aunt LoLo
May 25th, 2009 @ 4:50 am

This might be easy enough for me to try a zipper!!
Tutorial: Four-seam zippered pouch · Sewing @ CraftGossip
May 25th, 2009 @ 8:50 am

[...] Julie K shows how to make a zippered pouch from a placemat, and how to do it with only four seams. Go to the tutorial. [...]
Anne Weaver
May 25th, 2009 @ 8:51 am

Great project and great tutorial!! I posted a link on Craft Gossip Sewing blog:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-four-seam-zippered-pouch/2009/05/25/
–Anne
Crafty Links I Like: « Annie Horn
June 30th, 2009 @ 4:14 pm

[...] Placemat into Zipper Pouch: Only a few seams and a zipper create this cute zipper pouch, and man, do I have an obsession with zippered pouches – it’s wierd I know… (Julie Kundhi) [...]
Sangy
September 7th, 2009 @ 9:39 am

Loved this one…linked back to you
Bebe Ferro
January 19th, 2010 @ 9:36 pm

Thanks Julie. My mother-in-law gave me some vintage quilted placemats her aunt made decades ago and I’ve been wanting to do something with them but couldn’t figure out what. 10 minutes late and I have one made already. Can’t wait to give on to my mil. Must go buy more zippers tomorrow.