Mini drawstring bag tutorial - 5 steps in 15 minutes

I made a few of these small bags as part of my project to reorganize my sewing desk.  

Making them, I realised they would be perfect for this series of simple things that anyone can sew in just 5 steps and 15 minutes!

So here's how:

Step 1

Choose your material - softer material will draw up better.

Cut 2 circles. I used a dinner plate as a template - you can make them any size you like!

You also need a couple of rectangular scraps and some cord:

Step 2

Sew 2 button holes in one piece of fabric at opposite sides and just a few centimetres or about an inch in from the side.

If buttonholes are too scary - you could just snip a couple of holes, and seal the edges with fraycheck liquid. 

(you can buy this from fabric or craft stores)

Place your two circles right sides together and machine stitch with a 3/8" seam. Leave a gap of a few cm or a couple of inches to allow you to turn the fabric out.

Step 3

Turn the fabric right sides out. Iron flat if you need to, then top-stitch around the outside close to the edge.

Now run 2 more rows of stitching around your circle, on either side of your buttonholes:

Step 4

Using a large safety pin or nappy pin, thread your cord through one buttonhole, push all the way around and out of the same buttonhole.  Cut the cord and tie both ends together.

Repeat with another piece of cord starting at the other buttonhole:

Step 5

Now take your rectangular scraps. Fold in half right sides together and stitch on either side:

Turn right sides out and push each cord knot inside one of these little pockets. Tuck the ends under and machine stitch closed:

All done!

Fill up with your little trinkets!

You can make lots of these as party favours, or just cute storage bags:

For the downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

Come back tomorrow to see what I made mine for!!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you're feeling a bit more confident in your sewing abilities - this is a simpler version of my popular Jewellery Bag Tutorial. 

 The jewellery bag has several small pockets on the inside too!

For over 100 more free sewing tutorials - for all sewing abilities, take a look at 

My Tutorials page.

Make your own fabric belt in 5 steps and 15 minutes

Here's a super simple but very useful project that anyone can sew in just 5 steps and 15 minutes!

You will need fabric, buckram (or stiff interfacing) and a belt buckle. 

Step 1

Measure your waist or hips - depending where you want the belt to sit.  Add 20 cm (8") to this measurement. This is the length of your belt.

Then measure the width of the inside of your buckle. 

This is the width of your belt.

Cut your buckram or interfacing this length and width. 

(As an example, mine was 124 x 4 cm (49 x 1.5"))

Cut your fabric 2.5 cm (1") longer and three times wider than this.

(again for example, my fabric was 126.5 x 12 cm (50 x 4.5"))

Step 2

Using an iron, press one of the short ends over by about 1 cm (0.5")

Then press one of the long ends over by the same amount.

Step 3

Place the buckram or interfacing slightly below the centre of the belt fabric, with the end tucked into the pressed folded end.

Then fold the bottom raw edge up over the buckram or interfacing..

And fold the top down so the folded end is just reaching the other long edge. (You may need to adjust the lower edge a little to make it fit just right.)

Fold and pin along the entire length of the belt - leaving the other end open.

Step 4

Stitch close to the edge along the sealed narrow end and both long edges of the belt.

Step 5

Loop the open end of your belt through your belt loop like this:

Then fold the raw edge over, then over again over the belt loop and pin into place.

Stitch to secure:

All done! 

Now try your belt on and admire your work!

For the downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

If you liked this tutorial - there are more in this series of 

'Simple projects that anyone can sew in 5 steps and 15 minutes"

You can find these and over 100 other free sewing projects for the more confident sewer on my tutorials page.

Notebook covers tutorial - 5 steps in 15 minutes

Today I want to show you how to make a very simple cover for a basic notebook like this:

We have heaps of these notebooks as the shops sell them for anywhere from 1c to 5c at the end of each year!

They measure 22.5 x 17.5 cm (9 x 7")

So this tutorial is for a notebook cover this size. But you can adapt this to any size book.

Simply cut fabric that is the height of the book plus 2 cm (0.75"), and the width of the book x 2 plus 18 cm (7").

So here's how to make a cute cover for a cheap basic notebook!

Step 1

 Choose and cut two pieces of fabric 53 x 24.5 cm (21 x 9.75")

Step 2

Pin these pieces of fabric right sides together. Then stitch around the edges with a 3/8" seam leaving a gap of around 10 cm (4") to turn it right sides out afterwards.

Step 3

Clip the corners, then turn the fabric right sides out. 

Press and top-stitch all the way around.

Step 4

Place your notebook on the inside of your cover and fold the cover in half.

Fold the edge of the cover over the edge of the notebook cover, and pin along the top and bottom edges.

With the book folded, repeat this with the other edge.

Step 5

Now open the cover out and remove the notebook.

Finally stitch the top and bottoms of the flaps where you have pinned along the line of your top-stitching.

Slip in your notebook and you're done!

Use different pretty fabric, or perhaps make your own patchwork fabric from scraps to use...

Or perhaps add embellishments to the front fabric before joining the two pieces together!

My daughter wanted one with a pocket on the front!

She's using it for her money saving record book - the pocket is for pictures she cuts from the junk mail of things she's saving for!

You could make a whole range of these for simple cute gifts..

Perfect for back to school time!

You could always match them up with a 

Giant twin zip pencil case like this:

For the downloadable PDF version of this tutorial, click here.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

There are more simple 5 steps in 15 minute tutorials, along with over 100 other free sewing tutorials on 

My Tutorials page