How to sew a baby wipes pouch with a zipper

To sew a baby wipes pouch with a zipper, cut the outer and lining from a wipe-clean fabric, add a front pocket and a wrist strap, sew the zipper between the outer and lining, then sew the sides and bottom, box the corners and turn the pouch through a gap in the lining. The Wipes Pouch in the Sewzy app comes in two sizes, Travel and Full Pack, is rated beginner and takes about 45 minutes.

TL;DR

• Sizes: Travel (8 x 5¼ in, 1½ in base) and Full Pack (10 x 6¼ in, 2½ in base).
• Level and time: beginner, about 45 minutes in 7 steps.
• Lining: laminated cotton, PUL or ripstop nylon, so wet wipes and leaks wipe clean.
• Seam allowance: ⅜ in everywhere, zipper included.
• Price: Premium, in the Sewzy app.

Sew the Wipes Pouch from this guide, step by step, in the Sewzy app

Pick your size, print it from your phone, and follow every step with a sewing coach beside you.

Which wipes pouch size do you need?

Measure your wipes pack before you cut anything. The pouch is about 1 in wider than the pack so the zipper closes easily.

The Full Pack size has room for a folded diaper behind the wipes, which makes it a handy diaper bag organizer. The Travel size is easier to toss in a purse.

What fabric and supplies do you need?

• Outer: quilting cotton, canvas, cork or waxed cotton, ⅓ yard.
• Lining: laminated cotton, PUL or ripstop nylon, ⅓ yard. Wet wipes leave moisture behind, so the lining needs to be waterproof or at least easy to wipe.
• Zipper: a nylon coil zipper, 10 in for Travel or 14 in for Full Pack.
• Interfacing: medium fusible interfacing, ½ yard.
• Tools: thread, a zipper foot, clips instead of pins for laminated fabric, and a Teflon foot or tissue paper under the lining if it sticks.

How do you sew a wipes pouch step by step?

1. Cut. Cut 2 outer pieces, 2 lining pieces, 1 pocket on the fold, the 2 x 12 in strap strip and the zipper. Fuse interfacing to the outers and the pocket. Then cut the marked corner squares out of both bottom corners of the outer and the lining: 1⅛ in for Travel or 1⅝ in for Full Pack.
2. Front pocket. Fold the pocket in half, wrong sides together, press and topstitch the folded edge ¼ in. Lay it on the right side of one outer, with the raw bottom edges matching, trim its bottom corners to match the cut-outs, and baste around the sides and bottom ¼ in. If you like, stitch a line down the middle to make two slots.
3. Strap. Fold the strap strip in half lengthwise to mark a crease, open it, fold both long edges to the crease, fold again and topstitch both edges. Fold the strap in half and baste the raw ends to the left side of the pocketed outer at the strap mark, 1 in below the top edge, with the loop pointing inward.
4. Zipper. Lay an outer right side up, put the zipper face down along the top edge, then add a lining piece right side down. Stitch ⅜ in with the zipper foot. Flip the fabrics away from the zipper, press and topstitch ⅛ in. Repeat on the other side of the zipper with the second outer and lining.
5. Sew the body. Open the zipper halfway before you sew. Fold the pouch so the outers are right sides together and the linings are right sides together, with the zipper tapes pointing toward the lining. Stitch the sides and bottom of both, ⅜ in, leaving a 3 in gap in the bottom of the lining.
6. Box the corners. Pinch each cut-out corner flat so the side seam meets the bottom seam, then stitch across ⅜ in from the raw edge. This makes the flat base.
7. Turn and finish. Turn the pouch right side out through the lining gap, poke out the corners, and close the gap by machine. Push the lining inside and press from the fabric side with a cloth.

Why open the zipper halfway?

The pouch is turned right side out through the gap in the lining. A zipper that is already open lets the outer pass through freely and lets you reach in to push out the corners, and with it halfway open the zipper pull stays clear of the side seams. A handy trick from the pattern: use a zipper longer than the opening and trim the extra after the zipper step, so there is no fiddly work aligning the zipper stops.

If zipper sewing is new to you, how to insert a zipper covers the basics, and the zipper pouch guide is a good warm-up project.

How do boxed corners work?

Boxed corners turn a flat bag into one with a base. You cut a small square out of each bottom corner, then open the gap into a straight line and stitch across it. The side seam sits on top of the bottom seam, and the sewn edge becomes the corner of the base. A bigger square gives a deeper base, which is why Full Pack uses a larger cut-out than Travel. For a longer explanation of the same technique, see how to sew a tote bag with boxed corners.

Tips for sewing laminated cotton and PUL

• Use clips, not pins. Pins leave permanent holes in waterproof fabric.
• Prevent sticking. A Teflon foot, a walking foot or tissue paper under the fabric stops the shiny side from dragging on the presser foot.
• Go easy on the iron. Heat can melt or damage the coating. Finger-press when you can, and if you need the iron, use a pressing cloth on the lowest heat and keep the coated side away from the soleplate.
• Use a longer stitch. Short stitches perforate the coating like a postage stamp. A slightly longer stitch length is gentler.

The pattern also advises to wipe the lining clean, or machine wash cold and hang to dry, and not to tumble dry PUL or laminates.

Is a wipes pouch a good baby shower gift?

Yes. It is small, practical and fast to make, so you can sew a few at once. Fill the Full Pack size with a pack of wipes and a folded diaper for a ready gift, or make a Travel pouch in a matching print for a diaper bag. The front pocket takes a diaper cream tube or hand sanitizer, and you can swap the wrist strap for a swivel clip to hang it on the stroller. For more ideas, see baby shower gifts to sew and the baby sewing patterns collection.

Common mistakes

• Guessing the size. Measure your wipes pack first. The pouch is about 1 in wider than the pack so the zipper closes without a fight.
• Skipping the lining gap. Without it, you cannot turn the pouch.
• Forgetting to open the zipper. Do it before sewing the body.
• Pins in laminate. Clip instead.
• Stitching boxed corners at the wrong spot. Match the side and bottom seams first, then stitch.

More bag projects

Browse the bag sewing patterns, including the free zipper pouch, or the drawstring bag guide.