Today’s contributor is Crystal from Stitched By Crystal. All posts written by Crystal for Make It and Love It can be found HERE.
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Hello Make it & Love it readers! It is Crystal, from Stitched by Crystal, here to share a new tutorial with you!
We have been enjoying lots of hot summer days around here and spending lots of time in the water at pools, beaches, and splash parks. Water play with three kids means lots of splashing and lots of wet toys and suits. So I created some little vinyl pouches that are perfect for keeping wet stuff out (or in) at the beach or pool! Today I am sharing my poolside splash-proof pouches tutorial with you!
These little zipper cases are not completely waterproof, so they can’t be submerged in the pool or ocean, but they can with stand some pretty good splashing and keep everything inside dry. They are perfect for keeping your phone or tablet in poolside!
OR use them to keep your wet stuff from soaking everything in your bag! Make one to toss wet swimsuits in when you leave the pool!
They can be made in various sizes, so make a small one for your phone, a bigger one for your tablet, and an even bigger one to tote your wet swimsuit home!
And you don’t even have to take your tablet or phone out of the bag to use it! The touch screen works perfectly right through the vinyl, so check your email, send texts, or read the summer novel you downloaded all while keeping your electronics safe in the splash zone!
Want to make a poolside splash-proof pouch? Great! Let me show you how!
You will need…
- Clear plastic vinyl. You can buy it in the upholstery section of your fabric store. (I had tons left over from the travel jewelry case I made a couple months ago!)
- Double fold bias tape. You can buy the prepackaged stuff or make your own. The amount varies based on which size pouch you are making, but 1 yard of bias tape should be enough.
- A zipper. Again, the size depends on the size pouch you are making; it needs to be at least as long as you want the width of your pouch.
- Some clips. You can’t use pins because they will leave holes in your vinyl! You can buy clips in the quilting section of the craft store, or use clothes pins or binder clips instead.
- Basic sewing supplies (here’s a list of common sewing supplies, in case you need a few ideas)
***As always, if you need a bit of help with the basic sewing skills used in this tutorial, don’t hesitate to check out the Sewing 101 post for more help.
If you are making your own bias tape, start with 1.75” strips of your fabric. Fold the strips in half, then open the strip and fold the raw edges into the middle, then fold again along the center.
Next cut your vinyl. You will use one big rectangle to limit the places where water can sneak in. Determine the width and height of the finished pouch you want to make, you can do this by measuring your electronic device that you want it to fit and adding an inch or two in each direction. Then cut a large rectangle that is the same width as the finished pouch you want and for the height of your rectangle, multiple the pouch’s finished height by two and then subtract one inch. The finished pouch below is 11” wide and 10” high; my vinyl rectangle was cut 11” wide and 19” high.
Sandwich one of the short edges of your vinyl inside a piece of bias tape. Hold the tape in place with your clips, and then sew along the folded edge of the tape.
Place the zipper behind the bias tape with the right side of the zipper touching the bias tape. Use the clips to hold the zipper in place, and then sew the zipper in place, sewing close to the edge of the bias using a zipper foot.
Sew some bias tape on the opposite short edge of vinyl, clip your zipper in place behind the bias, and then sew the zipper in place.
Trim off any extra bias tape or zipper past the edge of the vinyl. Position your zipper so it is near the top of your pouch. You can press the pouch if desired by using very low heat and placing a cloth between the vinyl and your iron. Clip bias tape to one raw edge of the pouch, folding the raw ends of the tape in at the top and bottom.
Sew along the folded edge of the bias tape.
Repeat with the bias tape for the other side and your pouch is done!
Thanks for reading!
-Crystal
Check out Crystal’s blog here. Her darling shop here. Follow her on Instagram here. And her Pinterest page here.
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Here are a few more of our favorite tutorials that will make your trip to the beach/pool absolutell perfect:
Mesh Bag for Pool and Beach Toys
Thanks for checking out my DIY Poolside Splash-Proof Pouches post. Check out my full collection of DIY Sewing articles. Find even more sewing projects, patterns, and tips for beginners and advanced sewists by Liz Call, Mariah Leeson, Randi Dukes and Tauni Everett.
I love these bags! I am making one, but am having trouble sewing in the last part of the second side of the zipper because the bag is now “closed” at the zipper pull end, and I can’t figure out how to finish stitching without sewing through a different part of the vinyl bag. Mine is smaller, 6 x 6 , I assume larger dimensions can be folded out of the way? Thanks for any suggestions you might have. I imagine I will have to hand sew the last 3 inches?
Love your site!
Donna
I love this project. I made some “wet bags” that fit TSA regulations for flying. Absolutely perfect. I plan to make some more with the zipper in the middle to stow away electronic cables for traveling. Thank you so much for sharing your tute!!! ☺
Thank you so much for this simple design. Do you know what gauge vinyl you used?
its so useful for me thanks .
Love the simplicity of the design! I’m sure I’ll be making a few of these soon. Thanks for sharing.
Hiya,
Love this tutorial. I have one question…did you have to use a special needle in your sewing machine?
Thanks!
Because the slippery vinyl is encased in fabric, a special needle isn’t needed. It is important, though, as Crystal pointed out, to keep the vinyl securely attached so it doesn’t slip out as you sew.
Que bolsitas tan prácticas, me encanta como quedan y que si pones dentro el móvil puedas usarlo igualmente sin tener que sacarlo,
Lo único que me da un poco de miedo es que al coser los laterales el vinilo no quede muy agujereado o se rompa por acción de la aguja de coser :O
Besote!!!!!