How To Make A Hexagon Zip Up Earbud Pouch

If you read my blog often, you will know that I love using up all my fabric scraps. I often have small pieces left over, and I love being more zero waste by using every last piece. This tutorial today is a great way to use up some of your small leftover fabric pieces, and it also makes a great gift for your friends, mum or teacher. Here is how to make a hexagon zip up earbud pouch. And get my FREE pattern for this project!

How To Make A Hexagon Zip Up Earbud Pouch

 

 

I love having things that I can hang from my bag, or hang inside so that they can easily be found. In the past I’d made circular pouches. But then I realised something. A circular pattern isn’t very zero waste, I always ended up with tiny scraps!

Thinking about a zero waste pattern, I considered squares. Yes a square pouch could be zero waste…but a square is a bit boring, right?

So I decided to use a hexagonal pattern instead! The tessellation of the pattern means that if you are making a few you needn’t have any waste at all! This is why I also used the hexagonal shape for my make up remover pads. 

This earbud holder has a small keyring/lobster clip so you can hang it form your bag, keys or belt loop. Isn’t that just the handiest thing? And they aren’t just for earbuds. Why not have them for loose change in the car? Or a place to keep your USB stick?

So do you want to make one of these really handy pouches?

You Will Need

 

 

• a hexagonal template (here is a copy of the HexagonTemplate pattern I have created) – or I have a quilting ruler
• 2 coordinating fabrics and coordinating thread
• A short zip
• Scissors
• Pins and a sewing machine
• A heat/air erasable pen
• A lobster clip/keyring

How To Make The Pouch

 

Draw around your template and cut out 2 pieces of your main fabric, 2 pieces of your lining fabric, and a piece of main fabric about 5cm by 8cm (2 inches by 3 inches)

Then take one of each pair and cut them precisely in half. I iron one of each fabric in half to find the middle, then cut down this line.

Take a cut half of lining material face up. Take your zip. And with the zip pull facing towards you, place the zip edge along the straight edge of the lining fabric.

 

Then place the main fabric half piece directly over the lining piece, sandwiching the zip in the middle. Pin it all together.

 

Using a zipper foot on your sewing machine, sew a line of stitches as close to the zipper teeth as you can.

 

Fold back both the main fabric and the lining, and use an iron to press this seam neatly. Don’t go too near the zipper teeth with the iron or they may melt!

 

Then topstitch a line of stitching close to the edge of the fabric. This makes it look neat and also holds the lining in place so it doesn’t get caught in the zip.

 

Repeat this process for the other side of the zipper.

 

Next, take your small rectangular piece of main fabric, fold the long sides right side together and sew a seam down the side. Using a loop turner, turn the fabric right side out. Press it well. I like to add a little topstitching to each side too, as this makes it look a little neater.

Now, open the zip slightly more than half way across the hexagon of fabric. And place a few stitches to keep the zip teeth together at the open end .

 

 

Now it is time to put together all the pieces. Make sure that the zip is pulled just over halfway across the hexagon. Fold the roll of fabric you made from the rectangle earlier, and place the folded edge into the centre directly over the zip where you just placed the stitches. This will make the hanging loop.

 

 

Place the full hexagon of main fabric right side down over everything so far. IMPORTANT: do make sure that this full hexagon is centred over the zip at the top and bottom. You may find that the zip sewn half is slightly narrower at the sides. DO not worry about this. But do keep the zip as central as possible.

 

And finally place the full circle of lining fabric right side up on top. Pin all this together.

You will need to cut the extending ends of zip off for the next stage. Take the pinned sandwich over to your sewing machine.

I use a magnetic seam allowance, but you can just sew if you are confident enough.

Sew a 1cm seam on each side.

You can sew and pivot at the points, but I find that sewing a definite seam starting at each sides gives neater points to the finished hexagon. Sew reinforcing stitches over the zip ends, and especially over the end where the hanging loop is placed.

This 1cm seam allowance should ensure that any discrepancy in the size of the zipper side and the full hexagons are caught inside the seam allowance. 

 

Trim the seam allowance right back.

And at last it is the moment of truth. Turn the pouch right way out through the slightly open zip. 

 

Give it a good press. And finally, sew a small (5mm or so) topstitching seam all around the outside edges of the pouch. This seals and hides the raw edges inside, leaving you with a lovely neat zipper pouch. 

Add your lobster clip. Et voila! You have a finished pouch!

 

As I said before, these make great presents. But are also a great idea to make to sell!

Looking for more scrapbusting patterns? See my post for even more brilliant ideas of how to use up every piece.

I hope that you enjoyed finding out how to make a hexagon zip up earbud pouch. Do you think that you could find these useful? Are you going to make some? I would love to see your creations. Comment below, or find me on social media at the links above.

And please do pin this post for later.