Ever need a quick and easy hand-made gift? This one is perfect for a child who loves to color. Having two crayon fanatics in my household, I have made countless bags and pouches for crayons, always looking for the perfect take-along crayon organizer. I’ve made crayon pouches out of placemats (and even sold one), I’ve made crayon pouches that hook around seatbelts (big-time flop), and I’ve made cinch-able bags to just plain stash a handful of crayons in to throw in my purse. And do you know what? That’s the best one of them all!
We always stock up on crayons at Target during the Back-to-School madness. This year we bought a gazillion boxes for 20 cents each. Pair that with a dollar store coloring book and a handmade crayon pouch, and you have less than $2 in a gift with at least a $10 value. So this Christmas I have perfected my crayon pouch to actually hold a box of 24 crayons, box included, and I’ve made it reversible to give it even more of a flair. I’ve made three of them for some children in our extended family, and Hunter even ran the gas pedal for one of them. She loves to sew!
So without further ado, here is the tutorial.
Reversible Crayon Pouch
Materials
2 – 12.5″ x 5″ Rectangles of Fabric
2 – 14″ pieces of cord or ribbon, 1/4″ to 1/2″ wide
Notions and Tools I Use
Coordinating Thread, Scissors, Ruler, Iron, Seam-ripper, Fray-check or Flame for Heat-sealing ribbon ends
Notes
This tutorial assumes a 1/4″ seam allowance, unless otherwise specified, to cut down on the amount of tedious work throughout the project. It leaves you with very little trimming to do.
Instructions
- Fold long edges of the first rectangle over 1/4″ and edge stitch each fold at both ends for 2″. (This just holds the fabric down in the channel where the ribbon will run through.)
- Fold in half crosswise, right sides together. Measure and mark 1.25″ from the top raw edge on each side. Sew from the fold up to your mark using a 1/4″ seam allowance or less, and back-stitching at least twice at the marked end.
- Pull the bottom corners out making triangles, and sew across them with a 1/2″ seam allowance.
- Repeat Steps 1-3 for the second rectangle.
- You now have two pouches. After trimming off threads and the triangular seam allowance, turn one pouch right side out and insert into the other pouch, making sure you have right sides together.
- Sew across the top of each of the two sides (front and back), sewing the pouches together.
- This leaves you with two openings where the ribbon channels will be. Turn the pouches right side out through one of these openings, and push the inner pouch down inside of the outer pouch and iron.
- Using a 5/8″ seam allowance, sew across the top edges of the front and then the back, creating a channel for the ribbon.
- Now it’s time to thread the ribbons through the channel. Insert one ribbon into the front channel, then across through the back channel. Insert the other ribbon in the opposite direction. Tie the ends together in a single knot, and when you pull the knots, it will cinch the bag closed.
- Seal the ends with either fray-check or by heat. If using a flame to heat-seal, just hold the ribbon very near, but not in a flame, and as soon as you see the ends melt over, remove from heat. This is a very quick and easy way to seal your ribbon ends.
- Now–insert a box of crayons, and you’re ready to wrap it up!
You can change the dimensions on your fabric and make this pouch any size or shape. It would make a really cute purse if it were made wider and given a larger bottom by using a larger seam allowance on the triangular seams, and long shoulder straps instead of shorter ribbon ties. You can also fold the top over before cinching it closed to let your inside fabric show at the top.
Happy sewing!
