Sew a zipper pouch from jeans – free patterns

Magical transformation of a pair of jeans into six unique last-minute Christmas gifts: Jeans Zipper pouches

Hello everyone! I am delighted that you have opened the 19th Advent calendar door and that I can present my idea behind it to you! The motto of the blog advent calendar is “Create your magic” and I’ll be showing you the magical transformation of a pair of discarded jeans into six unique last-minute Christmas gifts. As you can see in the photo, there are four jeans zipper pouches from large to mini, a wristband and a key chain. You only need a few materials and all the models are quick and easy to sew. You’re sure to have lots of fun making them and be proud of your individual gifts! I particularly like the fact that they look cool, can be used in a variety of ways and are also great for boys and men.

Sew a zipper pouch from jeans – with free pattern

Anyone who knows me knows that I prefer to work with jeans and like to develop unconventional and simplified processing methods. This means that my little pouches do not need an extra lining and the zipper is simple and suitable for beginners. You don’t even need a zipper foot for this (don’t get me wrong – zipper feet are great , but here we are sewing with a decorative stitch and a standard foot)! The key chain and wristband are real “easy-peasy pieces” that are highly addictive – I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels the urge to mass produce them.

In addition to the patterns for the jeans zipper pouches, I have a special “gift” for you: I have drawn a system pattern that you can use to create patterns for pouches of any size. The system cut is available for download below.

Speaking of gifts! I would like to introduce you to my most beautiful pre-Christmas present: My “heavy-duty treasure”, the bernette 08 Straight Stitch – a real powerhouse. I finally have a machine that I can’t intimidate with my jeans and leather projects and correspondingly thick layers of fabric . I’ve always wanted that! I will be happy to tell you more about my new addition in my next blog posts. 

But now back to the last-minute Christmas presents. Before we start, I would like to introduce you to the individual models and their sizes.

Jeans zipper pouch large

The large zipper pouch is 25 cm long, 13 cm high and 11 cm wide. It’s perfect as a toiletry bag, as an organizer bag in your suitcase when travelling or, for example, as a utensil for smaller knitting or crochet projects. Here you can see it from the front:

And here from behind. I have sewn on the zipper here with a double seam. So-called “bartacks” also look cool – small bartacks made of narrow zigzag stitching typical of jeans. You can simply “sprinkle” these into a seam from time to time. A piece of webbing with a belt loop sewn in the middle (seam facing upwards) would be perfect as a handle, wouldn’t it?

Medium jeans zipper pouch

The medium-sized zip pouch is 18 cm long, 7 cm high and 7 cm wide. It makes a perfect pencil case or make-up bag. I used a decorative honeycomb stitch when sewing on the zipper.

As my jeans were already quite cut up, I first had to assemble pieces of fabric to fit before cutting out the pattern pieces. I then pressed the seam allowances of the connecting seam open at the front and topstitched both sides with decorative thread. For the back pattern piece, I also sewed two pieces of fabric together and used a neatened edge of the jeans side seam to set the scene. I cut the patch pocket out of a back pocket and kept the upper “original” edge. The raw edges are simply pressed over and topstitched to the back pattern piece with a double seam.

Small jeans zipper pouch

The small ziper pouch is 11 cm long, 12 cm high and 5 cm wide. I use it to organize the “bigger” little things in my handbag. But it could also store an emergency sewing kit for on the go or small toys for children.

As you can see here, even a “banal” size label looks great if you cut it off the jeans and sew it on again in the right place. Here I also used a striking zigzag stitch in a matching color to the label and also sewed a small loop label into the side seam.

Mini jeans zipper pouch

The mini zip pouch is 7 cm long, 5 cm high and 3 cm wide. My absolute favorite piece! It fits exactly one charger with cable, or you can use it for in-ear headphones or jewelry. I also have a small bag in this size in my handbag for my “small” little things like lip balm, parking tokens, USB sticks, plasters, small found objects etc.

Here, the three-part zigzag stitch is the eye-catcher on the zipper. If you sew the belt loop on the back on edge rather than across like I did here, the pouch can also be worn on a belt. For example, it makes a lovely gift for a dog owner to take treats for their furry friend with them.

Wristband

The wristband is sewn from the button-side waistband, the original jeans button is retained. A little woven ribbon and a decorative stone or patch turn it into a real piece of jewelry! It is fitted with a new buttonhole to match the arm circumference. For boys or men, you can also simply sew on a leather label.

I decorated the very plain woven ribbon with a tendril-shaped decorative stitch after sewing it on.

Key chain

Use the buttonhole side of the waistband for the key ring. A little decorative ribbon and a label work wonders here too! The key ring is simply pulled through the existing buttonhole.

So, now to the instructions for the six unique last-minute Christmas gifts!

Sewing a zipper pouch from jeans – the instructions

Material supplies

• at least one pair of discarded jeans – but preferably two if you want to complete all six projects
• Adhesive interfacing that can be ironed on both sides
• Endless zipper with nylon spiral and zipper
• Woven ribbon, decorative ribbon, narrow webbing (remnants)
• sewing thread in matching color
• color-matching denim sewing thread / decorative thread, thread count approx. 75 (e.g. in the color of the decorative seams of the jeans)
• As required: decorative button for the wristband, key chain for the key ring, additional patches, patches, loop labels, etc

Tip

The best jeans to work with are made of cotton with little or no elastane, and the fabric should not be too thin.

More precise quantities for zipper and interfacing for the four jeans zipper pouches

The specifications for the individual sizes “Large”/”Medium”/”Small”/”Mini” are separated by slashes.

• Endless zipper with nylon spiral and zipper, 44 cm / 32 cm / 30 cm / 18 cm (dimensions include approx. 4 cm allowance)
• Vliesofix, 90 cm x 30 cm / 65 cm x 20 cm / 60 cm x 20 cm / 30 cm x 10 cm

Free pattern for sewing jeans zipper pouches made from a pair of jeans

You can download the patterns for the four zipper bags in four sizes free of charge from the following links:

Large jeans zipper pouch

Medium jeans zipper pouch

Small jeans zipper pouch

Mini jeans zipper pouch

And here is the promised link to the system pattern, which you can use to create patterns for bags of any size:

System pattern for jeans zipper pouch

Printing the pattern

When printing the pattern, make sure that no size adjustments are made.

Print out the pattern on paper. For the large zipper bag, glue the sheets together to fit. Cut out the pattern pieces.

Seam allowances

The patterns include 1 cm seam allowance

Prepare the jeans for cutting out the actual pattern pieces

1. Cut off trouser legs

Before cutting the actual pattern pieces, cut the trouser legs off the jeans as far up as possible, but at least 2 cm away from the back pockets.

Then unravel the trouser legs at the inside or outside leg seam. The “nicer” double seam (if present) should be retained. Iron the trouser legs smooth.

2. Cut out pockets

Then cut out the back pockets “generously” from the jeans, leaving at least 2 cm space between them and the pocket edges.

Also cut out the coin pocket from the right front trouser pocket, leaving as much space as possible between the edges of the pocket.

3. Separate and cut off labels and recyclables

Then remove all usable labels and tags.

You can also cut out pieces from the back of the waistband to sew on later.

The button placket is also separated and cut out.

If you also want to use new trouser loops, cut these out from the back of the waistband. Do not cut out the front belt loops (yet), as they can also look quite decorative on the key chain and wristband.

4. Place the pattern pieces

Depending on which projects you want to make from the jeans, you can now try out how you want to cut out the pattern pieces from the trouser legs. Since I definitely wanted to make the large jeans zipper pouch, I placed these pattern pieces first (mirror-inverted on both trouser legs).

When arranging the pattern for the two outer sides, pay attention to the position of the original trouser leg seam. It is nice if it can be seen later on the bag. It has proven to be a good idea for the seam to run down the center of the pouch. This means it is visible and does not get in the way of the zipper. You can use part of the jeans without a seam for the inside. My tip is to sew the largest jeans zipper pouch first and then see if and how many more pouches can be made from the jeans. In an emergency, just grab a second pair of jeans! All pieces of fabric are first cut as rectangles and the actual pattern pieces are cut during processing.

Now comes the actual instruction, which is the same for all zipper pouches.

Sewing instructions for the jeans zipper pouches

1. Cutting rectangles

First of all, cut rectangles of the same size, each approx. 1 cm larger all round than the pattern piece (see also photo above).

• 2 rectangles of outer fabric (on the right in the picture, with denim seam)
• 2 rectangles of inner fabric (left in the picture, without jeans seam)
• 2 rectangles of Vliesofix (center)

2. Iron rectangles together

Iron the Vliesofix blanks onto the wrong sides of the outer fabrics with the adhesive backing (rough side) facing downwards and according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Peel off the fleece fix paper.

Lay the blanks of outer fabric coated with Vliesofix on top of the blanks of inner fabric, left sides facing and iron the pieces together.

You now have two double-layered rectangles with right sides of the fabric on both sides.

3. Cutting the pattern pieces for the zipper pouches

Draw the pattern piece for the jeans zipper pouch on the rectangles with a trick marker or chalk pen and cut out the pattern pieces.

4. Designing pattern pieces

Now it’s time to design the surfaces of the pouch parts. Take some time to think about how you would like to arrange the sew-on pockets and decorative elements. Make sure you leave enough space between the edges (at least 2 cm on the top edge and at least 1.5 cm on all other edges).

Here you can also see a possible arrangement for the large jeans zipper pouch, here the front:

And here is the back:

5. Prepare the jeans pockets for sewing on

A little preparation is needed to sew on the seat and coin pockets. Here you can see the roughly cut-out pockets.

Iron Vliesofix onto the back of the fabric.

Cut out the large pockets at least 1 cm from the edge and the small pockets at least 0.7 cm from the edge.

Peel off the fleece fix paper.The pockets are now ready and can be ironed on and sewn in place.

6. Sew on decorative elements and pockets

Now you can sew on all the elements one by one with the thicker decorative thread. First iron on the jeans pockets and then sew along the edges using a zigzag stitch. If you like, you can insert a small “loop label” on one side as shown here and stitch it inside the seam allowance (e.g. lay a narrow woven ribbon to the loop). The loop points inwards.

7. Sew on zipper

Now sew on the zipper. As mentioned above, you do not have to or should not replace a zipper foot.

Pin one half of the zipper to the edge of the first pouch piece from the right side. Make sure that the spiral on the back remains free. You can mark the position of the zipper edge with a trick marker as shown here. The ends of the zipper may protrude.

It is helpful if you fix the zipper with pins or a water-soluble glue stick before sewing it in place.

Sew the zipper in place from the right side using a wide zigzag stitch, a decorative stitch (e.g. honeycomb stitch) or, as shown here, the three-part zigzag stitch. This works well with the usual presser foot, which you let run exactly along the spiral. Make sure that the stitch catches the edge of the zipper; if necessary, change the position of the sewing machine needle or move the foot slightly away from the spiral.

Pin the other half of the zipper to the second pouch piece and topstitch in place, also using a decorative stitch.

Voilà: This is what the sewn-on zipper looks like when finished! Now it’s time to sew the little bag.

8. Topstitch the bottom seam

Place the edges at the bottom right sides together and stitch. Before doing this, check the position of the bottom seam: this should be exactly in the middle of the zipper in the next step (see next photo). If necessary, correct the distance between the seam and the edge (usually it needs to be reduced slightly). Iron the seam allowances apart, but do not iron over the zipper as it may melt.

9. Stitch the side edges together

Pin or clip the side edges together, right sides facing, so that the bottom seam is exactly in the middle of the zipper.

Sew the side edges together, leaving out the bottom corners, and sew several times over the zipper. With a thicker zipper, you can also carefully turn the handwheel forwards to prevent the needle from hitting the teeth and breaking off.

10. Finish the jeans zipper pouch

Cut off the protruding ends of the zipper. Fold the seam allowances down. Pull the layers of fabric apart, open the zipper a little and place the edges of the cut-out bottom corners right sides together on both sides. For the handle, place a piece of woven tape on the side of the zipper end between the layers so that it is centered on the side seam and protrudes 1 cm beyond the seam allowances on both sides.

Sew the edges of the bottom corners together. Cut the woven tape flush with the seam allowances.

Now your jeans zipper pouch is ready! The cut edges are still fraying. I deliberately left them untucked as they match the casual look and become more “handsome” with use. To do this, simply cut off the fringes again and again at the beginning. You can speed up this process by washing, as you can see below:

Turn the bag inside out and wash with a jeans wash. After washing, the edges look like this:

The long fringes are simply cut off after washing. The edges now look quite good. They become even softer and fluffier in use.

You made it!

You can now use these instructions to sew as many jeans zipper pouches as you like! Once you have a system for decorating the bag pieces, you can also start producing a certain size.... like I did here:

Now I’ll briefly explain how you can sew the wristband and key ring.

Instructions for wristband and key ring

Sewing wristband

1. Cut off the waistband piece (the side with the fastening button) from the jeans directly below the connecting seam at the appropriate length.
2. Cut or cut off the belt loops.
3. Decorate the wristband as desired with a sewn-on ribbon, a decorative button or a pendant for sewing on, a leather patch and/or rhinestones for ironing on.
4. Make a matching buttonhole. You can do this quickly and unconventionally by simply stitching a rectangle with a zigzag or straight stitch and then cutting it open in the middle. Of course you can also sew a “professional” buttonhole.
5. Topstitch the raw edge with a straight stitch.

   A cool wristband is ready!

6.  

Sewing key chain

1. Determine the length of the lanyard and cut out a corresponding piece from the waistband (the side with the buttonhole).
2. Finish the cut edge with a zigzag stitch or simply topstitch with a straight stitch.
3. Stitch on decorative ribbon and / or label.
4. Insert the key ring through the buttonhole.

   That’s the last last-minute gift from my blog post!

5.  

So, dear ones. In my case, the world is two jeans poorer and six sustainable gifts richer. I hope that you enjoy my last-minute gift ideas made from a discarded pair of jeans and that you can use them creatively and individually!

One last tip at the end: It’s also a great gift to give the gift of creative time and implement one or more of these projects with a child after Christmas. You could pack the ingredients in a gift and it will certainly be a wonderful and unforgettable time together.

I wish you a wonderful rest of the pre-Christmas (sewing) season!

Best wishes from Laura