Diy Storage Bag in 3 Sizes - Smart Expandable Bag

Home storage? You bet! This is a smart flat diy storage bag that can expand - a brilliant way to organize your travel and entire home!

The best for home organizing and travel storage bags, and so easy to sew! Get the free pattern in 3 sizes - and keep things neat and organized, no bulk!

Table Of Contents

• Why This Pattern Got so Popular
• 3 Finished Sizes
• Supplies
• PART 1 - Get Free Pattern
• PART 2 - Attach the zipper to the main piece
• PART 3 - Make the Folds
• Part 4 - Assemble the Pieces
• PART 5 - 2 French seams and - done!
• Want a printable copy of the whole tutorial?

Why This Pattern Got so Popular

• Lightweight, expandable, and absolutely no raw edges - neat!
• Keeps everything organized so you're not digging through your suitcase for that one tiny thing.
• Packs flat, expands when needed, and adds no extra weight.

Smart Ways To Use Them

• Project bags - perfect for UFO storage, fabric pulls, and notions
• Shoes - store dust-free or keep them off your clothes while traveling
• Socks & small items - no more searching!
• Toiletries - neat and contained
• Weekend packing - grab-and-go organization

And, they solve the biggest travel frustration: digging around for lost items. (Ever had to empty the entire case just to find one little item?)

They pack flat, expand beautifully, and keep everything tidy without adding weight.

A Great Diy Project Bag!

They also make fantastic project bags. I'm using the large size to store my works-in-progress - pattern pieces, fabric pull, zippers, all in one place. One day, all my UFOs will be neatly packed in these… or that's the plan anyway!

3 Finished Sizes

The finished sizes are as follows:

• SMALL: flat 12 ½" long, 8" wide - expanded 3" tall (32 x 20 cm, exp. 7.5cm tall)
• MEDIUM size: flat 15" long, 9" wide, expanded 4" tall (38 x 23 cm, exp. 10 cm tall)
• LARGE size: flat 16" long, 10" wide, expanded 4" tall (40 x 25.5 cm, exp. 10 cm tall)

The small bag will fit a sock knitting project with all the yarn needed, or children size sneakers up to size 5 (EU size 35).

The medium size is good up to size 10 ladies' shoes (high heels too), running shoes up to size 10.

Bulky hiking boots size up to 10? Use the large storage bag for those. Also, my partner's basketball shoes just managed to get into the large size, too. But those are bulky. Men's shoes:

Supplies

• half yard of fabric (I used prints from the Hampton Garden collection)
• a #3 nylon coil zipper - 12"/15"/17" (30/ 40/ 50cm) long, depending on the bag size you're making (zipit is a good source of quality zippers)
• sewing machine, needle, pins or sewing clips,
• iron, scissors, or rotary cutter plus cutting mat (I use this one by Olfa)
• the free Pattern

To make the smaller two sizes, you'll have some leftover fabric.

PART 1 - Get Free Pattern

1 - Get the pattern and cut fabric pieces

Next, cut these fabric pieces:

• 1 MAIN PIECE
• 2 FACING pieces
• 1 (top) LOOP HANDLE
• 1 (bottom) PULL TAB
• 1 ZIPPER TAB

2 - Prepare the zipper:

1 - Cut off the metal stopper at the bottom of the zipper and secure the end by hand-stitching at ⅛" (3 mm) from the cut.

2 - Tab the zipper end. Use the ZIPPER TAB piece to:

1. Fold the fabric tab in half and press RST (right sides together).
2. Slide the tab on the zipper end. You can use wonder tape or sewing clips to hold in place.
3. Machine-stitch using a ⅜" (1cm) seam allowance.
4. Then fold the fabric ends back and finger-press.
5. Topstitch at ⅛"(3mm) from the fabric edge to stabilize the fabric.

3 - Make the pull tab and the pull handle

PULL TAB piece:

1 - Turn under the two long edges, each by ½" (1.3 cm) so they meet in the middle. This way, you'll get the pull tab width of 1" (2.5 cm).

2- Press, then fold in half, bringing the ends together. Topstitch from bottom to the top, across, and back down again. That will keep the raw edges hidden, except for the one that will be sewn in.

Pull Handle:

1. Fold the strip lengthwise in half, press and unfold.
2. Fold the upper edge to the center crease and do the same with the lower edge.
3. Fold again along the original center and press, then topstitch along the long edges.

PART 2 - Attach the zipper to the main piece

1 - Prep the 2 FACING pieces: turn under and press one long edge by ⅜" (1cm) on each of the 2 pieces.

2 - Take the main piece and place it right side up, spread horizontally in front of you (see the blue arrow). On the main piece, align the zipper (the zipper pull should be facing down, towards the fabric) on one short side of the fabric piece. Place one FACING strip right side down, with the edge that has not been pressed. Stitch using a ¼" (7mm) seam allowance:

3 - Turn and topstitch along the zipper:

4 - Press. Pin the other long edge of the strip on the backside and stitch in place, sewing close to the edge of the folded strip. Instead of pins, I often use sewing tape - so comfortable!

5 - Repeat on the other side to attach the zipper: With zipper closed, fold the fabric to meet the other long edge of the zipper tape. Then align the second long narrow strip on the zipper edge:

6 - Pin or clip to keep the layers from sliding. Then open the zipper and stitch using again a ¼" (7mm) seam allowance:

7 - Topstitching step again (see the two dashed lines). First, topstitch along the zipper edge from the front side, then do another topstitching line to fix the facing in place.

Press well.

8 - Open the zipper so the zipper PULL is somewhere in the middle, then cut off excess zipper tape. Make a few stitches at ⅛" (0.3cm) away from the tape end to make a new zipper stopper:

PART 3 - Make the Folds

1- Turn your tube wrong side out. (yes!) Place on a flat surface and position the zipper in the center. Measure and double-check, then press both edges. Edgestitch both of them using a long stitch:

2- Turn the tube right side out. Now measure 1 ½" for Small size (2" for Medium and Large) from the edge-stitched edge and push the edge towards the inside, so it's sandwiched between the layers.

3- Create the same size fold on both sides. Pin to hold in place:

Part 4 - Assemble the Pieces

Make sure the tube is still right side out. Then center the bottom Pull Tab to the bottom (tabbed part) of the zipper and baste. Place the top Pull Handle ends on the top edge. They need to be 3" apart, each 1 ½" away from the centered zipper. Like this:

Baste in place, both the bottom pull tab and the top pull handle.

PART 5 - 2 French seams and - done!

Now we'll use the French seam (more about French seam HERE if you need it.)

This is your next step: sew the top and bottom edge using (first) a ¼" (7mm) seam allowance, then turn wrong-side out, press, and stitch again, this time using a ⅜" (1 cm) seam allowance. This second seam will encase the raw edge.

All you need to do now is turn right side out again, press, and - use!

If you enjoyed this tutorial, share it, like it or tell your friends about it. Or save it for later, so you've got it ready whenever you want to make a lovely storage bag - or ten!