When I think of pencil cases, a zippered pouch usually springs to mind, or maybe a pencil roll. In reality, any container the right shape can be used to store and carry pencils. Today I'm going to show you how to easily make a simple, lined drawstring pencil pouch.

The plastic / vinyl / neoprene zippered pouches, so common now, are a relatively recent invention. As young kids, we had wooden boxes to hold our pencils. They never wore out, so no need to buy a new one for school each year.

With a finished size of roughly 10" x 4", the pencil pouch will comfortably hold a set of 12 pencils.
Materials:
- 2 pieces - 9½" x 5" (24cm x 13cm) - main fabric
- 2 pieces - 9½" x 5" (24cm x 13cm) - lining fabric
- 2 pieces - 2" x 5½" (5cm x 14cm) - contrast fabric for drawstring casing
- 2 lengths of cord, tape or ribbon - 13" - drawstring
Instructions:
All seams are ⅜"(1cm), unless otherwise indicated. I didn't need to use any pins when making this bag. If you find you need to pin the seams...- pin
- baste (hand sew with a long stitch)
- remove pins
- stitch seam with machine
- remove basting
Drawstring Casing:

- Fold short ends over ¼" and finger press.
- Fold ¼" again and stitch
- Fold in half lengthwise with wrong sides together.
- Finger press
Attach Casing to Exterior Fabric:

- Centre raw edge of casing on right side of exterior fabric.
- Stitch with ⅛" seam.
- Repeat for 2nd side.
Sew Exterior Fabric:

- With right sides together, sew side and bottom seams. Be careful NOT to catch the casing in the seam. If necessary, use a ¼" seam allowance. Mine was fine with a seam allowance of ⅜".
- Neaten edges.
Sew Lining:

- With right sides together sew side and bottom seams.
- Leave a 2" - 3" gap in the bottom seam.
Attach Lining to Exterior:

- Turn exterior fabric right side out.
- Leave lining inside out.
- Place the exterior inside the lining. ie: the right side of the exterior is next to the right side of the lining.
- Line up the top edges of the lining and the exterior.

- Sew the top edges of lining and exterior, matching side seams. This bit might be a little fiddly, as the opening is quite small. If you need to, baste the lining and exterior together before machining.
- Neaten seam.
Turn Bag Right Side Out:

- Put your fingers through the hole in the bottom of the lining.
- Gently pull the right side of the bag out through the lining.

Close Gap:

- Close the gap in the lining by edge stitching, or hand stitch if you prefer.
Topstitching:
- Push the lining back into the bag.
- Press or finger press the top edge of the bag.
- Topstitch ⅛" from the edge, around the top of the main fabric, using a slightly longer stitch.
Drawstring:

- Thread the first cord through the entire drawstring casing. Both ends of the cord will come out of the same opening.
- Repeat with the second cord and the second opening.
- Knot the ends of each cord.

That's it! Your drawstring pencil pouch is finished. Of course, it doesn't have to be used just for pencils. I don't crochet, but I think it would be a good size for crochet hooks.
Alter the dimensions and this bag could become storage for any manner of items. You could even use it as a gift bag.

As you can see, I made two drawstring pencil pouches. Each was part of a larger gift. Stay tuned for another tutorial.

- Leave me a link in the comments
- Add to the ongoing Drawstring Bags link party, here at Threading My Way.
- Tag me on Instagram - @threadingmyway
- Send me an email - link at top right of blog
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- Add to the Threading My Way ~ Sewn by YOU Flickr group
For more drawstring bag ideas and inspiration...
... Pam
Because of the drawstring cord, this bag is not suitable for children under 3 years of age.
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When this post showed up in my blog reader I thought of you as soon as I saw the fabric in the first picture! If you've used it before, then my sub-conscious remembered, lol. Sweet little pencil case - practical, and pretty :)
ReplyDeleteYour tutorials are always so clear and easy to follow. Thanks so much for joining in at #HandmadeMonday this week :-)
ReplyDeletePam, I love the way you sew the drawstring casing here! I've always done it a totally different way, but I love the effect... especially with all your cool fabrics! Pinned! :) Lisa
ReplyDeleteSo cute!! Thank you for sharing this tutorial!
ReplyDeleteHi there
ReplyDeleteJust stopped by to let you know that I featured this on my Round Tuit post this week!
A Round Tuit 354
Thanks again for linking up to A Round Tuit Hope you have a great week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Happy new year.I like it
ReplyDeleteNow I want to make these, too!!!
ReplyDeleteI made one of these and it was so quick and easy! Thanks for the super tutorial.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great gift to include into my Operation Christmas Child shoe box. Thank you for helping me to make good use of my mountains of fabric!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great project for using up scraps of fabric, Monja.
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