Since we’ve had a blast perfecting the art of the zipper we wanted to take a gander out there and see who else was brave enough to tackle the zipper. Whitney, from Elm Street Life, had a bunch of adorable tutorials like making a pillow out of a placemat, a cute and girly heating pad and adorable ruffle kitchen towels and then we spotted it, this adorable bow clutch complete with a zipper. What perfect timing with Mother’s Day right around the corner.
What do you say? Let’s get started…
Zipper & Bow Clutch
** This is for personal use, only. Please do not make this to sell it. Thank you! **
And fiiiinally… the tutorial you’ve been waiting for. This is my first real sewing tutorial – which scares me a bit, because I’ve never actually taken a sewing class, so I don’t know all the terminology. What I do know is that I’ve learned to sew lots of things by reading tutorials, so hopefully I can make this simple enough that even you beginners can feel confident making a bag. And yes, a bag with a zipper! It can be done, I promise.There are plenty of photos, so hopefully that will help. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section and I’ll be happy to clarify.
**Also, please note except where I say, “Sew close to the edge,” I am using a 1/2″ seam allowance throughout. I have my machine set to this, so I am using the presser foot as my guide to sew 1/2″ from the edge of the fabric.
Ok, let’s get started!
Supplies you’ll need:
1/2 yard exterior fabric*
1/4 yard interior fabric (I recommend a quilting cotton)
9″ zipper that matches your exterior fabric
1/4 yard #808 Pellon Craft Fuse interfacing
Sewing thread that matches your exterior fabric
Sewing machine
Scissors
Pins
Iron & ironing board
*I recommend a medium to heavier weight cotton for this. Linen is what I’m using, and it works perfectly. You don’t want to use a quilting weight cotton or something really light – it will make the final product too flimsy.
1. Start by cutting your exterior pieces. I use a quilting cutting mat which makes things as accurate as possible.
2. Now cut interior fabric pieces.
3. Cut interfacing.
4. Bring your strap piece to the ironing board.
Sometimes, at the end of this step, if my strap doesn’t feel sturdy enough, I’ll cut a thin strip of interfacing and tuck it inside the crease before sewing. This is an optional step.
5. Now it’s time to sew your strap.
6. Set the strap aside and let’s work on the “knot” of your bow.
7. Once you’ve gotten the “knot,” let’s work on the other part of your bow.
8. Set your bow aside for now, and grab your interior and exterior fabric pieces and your pieces of interfacing.
9. Now it’s time to attach your bow.
10. Set those pieces aside and let’s work on installing your zipper.
You can find a wide selection of colorful 9 inch zippers to match your fabric at Zipit Zippers.
11. Attach the exterior fabrics to the other side of your zipper.
12. You’re on the home stretch! Let’s add the strap and finish the bag!
WHEW! I hope you enjoyed that – please let me know if you try it at home… I’d love to see the results (it might make all of this sewing tutorial work worth it!). 
Also, if you like the bag but aren’t a seamstress, I sell these bags in my Etsy shop: Brighter Day, and I’m happy to make them in just about any color!
*The only difference in the one I just made and the photo at the very top of this post is that I rounded the corners a bit and added a darker zipper – both of which are options you could try!
Thanks so much Whitney from Elm Street Life!
Start your zipper foot! You will be pleasantly surprised to find how easy zippers can be. Need some zippers to get started? Check out our intro to zippers post.
Zipper Week – Sponsored by Zipit Zippers.
14 comments
Thanks so much for featuring me!!
Hope everyone loves the tutorial!
[Reply]
Jacinda Reply:
April 26th, 2012 at 8:19 am
Thanks for sharing it Whitney! I want to make one myself.
[Reply]
Your tutorial is fabulous. I’m thinking of making this for a special occasion.
[Reply]
Great idea!!!
[Reply]
Fantastic tutorial and bag. Love that edge of the bow is encased in the side seams.
[Reply]
Thank you so much for this lovely tutorial! It was so straightforward that it gave me the courage to try my luck with zippers for the first time.
[Reply]
Thank you SO much for this tutorial! I’m a “hot mess” when it comes to sewing, and I was actually able to pull off this purse! It’s not 100% perfect, but close enough that a sentimental Mother-in-Law will use it with pride
The only times I’ve taken out my sewing machine in the past have been to hem pants and to make some “Dammit Dolls” for my mom, and this actually came together pretty quickly and easily, even for me lol The only thing I changed was the zipper, I could only find a 7″ or 12″ zipper in a matching colour, so I went with the 12″. I also found it a little easier to sew with the zipper ALL the way open. I pinned before hand to make sure both sides were matched but when I attached the zipper I opened it all the way so I was just dealing with “half”. I also used the “Dressmaker II” which is an itty-bitty sewing machine, so I think I did an awesome job lol
Thanks for the awesome instructions!
[Reply]
This is such an adorable little clutch! I love that bow on the front, and I can’t wait to make one!
[Reply]
Thanks for sharing your design! This was a really well done tutorial – well photographed and instructions are clear and concise. I’ve been sewing for over 40 years (yikes!) and have actually felt bad for novices trying to follow some online tutorials because they are so confusing. I’m going to make one for my niece’s birthday.
[Reply]
Thank you so much! I made this and it turned out spectacular! there was no room for error! now i want to make one in every color!!
[Reply]
Beautiful! I love this. I have a wallet a bit like this which I need to replace as the colour has faded big time… now I can make my own! Thank you for the tutorial.
[Reply]
I loved your tutorial and featured it on my blog. I was wondering if poplin would be too flimsy a fabric to use for this clutch?
[Reply]
Thank you for posting this, it was wonderful! This was only the second thing I’ve ever made (the first being a blanket). I found the tutorial VERY easy to follow. I ended up making two! The only part that tripped me up on the first one was the strap. When I flipped my bag right side out, the strap appeared to be in between the bow and the bag. I was so confused… I followed the directions to a tee. I painstakingly ripped it out stitch by stitch, moved it to the other side of the bow and sewed it again only to have the same problem! I gave up, cut it out, and turned it into a zipper pull (also adorable). The second time around I realized- you just flip the bow to the other side of the bag… problem solved. I feel both silly and brilliant for figuring that one out!
[Reply]
This little clutch is so cute! I might make one for each of my daughters. You did a terrific job on this tutorial. The pics are very clear. Thanks for sharing!
[Reply]
Trackbacks