How to Sew a Small Cosmetic Bag with Zipper

Whether you want to take makeup on-the-go or gift petite pouches to friends, learning how to add a zippered closure to a small cosmetic bag is a handy sewing skill. With some careful preparation and easy-to-follow steps, you'll have professional looking beauty essentials cases sealed up neatly and securely.

Choose Durable Fabrics

Opt for tightly woven, mid-weight cottons like quilting fabrics or canvas so the bag stands up nicely when filled. Prewash fabric before cutting to avoid later shrinkage issues. You'll need about a 1⁄2 yard total for bag outer plus lining.

Select Zipper Length

Pick either an all-purpose nylon zipper or more decorative metal or plastic tooth options. Measure across the top fabric edge where zipper will go, adding 2 inches for seam allowances. Purchase a zipper at least this length. Longer is fine too.

Interface Fabric Layers

Fuse lightweight interfacing to the wrong sides of outer and lining fabrics following manufacturers guidelines. This stabilizes the pieces so they better support the zipper weight and movement.

Mark and Cut Bag Pieces

Cut out fabric using your favorite bag pattern, adding 1⁄2 inch seam allowances. Transfer any pattern guidelines for zipper placement to fabrics with tailor's chalk or fabric pen. Cut lining pieces identically.

Install Zipper

With right sides facing up, center zipper face down along the marked opening edge of your exterior bag piece. Pin then machine baste zipper tape to fabric only. Fold lining piece underneath and repeat pinning and basting. Then carefully sew both layers together along full length of zipper tape using zipper foot.

Finish Bag Construction

With zipper still open, finish assembling the rest of the bag following your normal construction steps i.e. sew side and bottom seams of outer and lining pieces right sides together. Attach shoulder strap if using. Turn lining right side out into outer bag and whipstitch raw edges together.

And there you have it - a neatly secured small makeup pouch! Follow manufacturer's guidelines if including non-sewing zipper kit hardware. Otherwise, this machine sewn zipper method lets you fully customize cute cosmetic carry cases.