Here is a quick little tutorial for making a zippered pouch with a lining.  It isn't that hard and I always feel like I have really accomplished something when I am finished ---and they make great gifts!

I was a mentor for one of the youth at our church.  At Confirmation they are each given a different bible verse, special to them, to mark the occasion.

I wanted to give my Confirmand (the sweetest girl) a gift with her bible verse so I decided to make a little zippered pouch with the bible verse sewn inside. I  printed the verse onto printable fabric (purchased on a roll from Joann's) and sewed onto the lining before stitching the pouch together. I also covered the lining pieces and the piece with the scripture with iron on vinyl before I sewed.  I wanted her to be able to use it for make-up etc.

Another bonus was that it doubled as the "gift bag" for this beautiful handmade cross .

Zippered Bag Tutorial

To make a pouch begin with 4 pieces of fabric (two of outer fabric, two of lining fabric) all cut the same length as the full length of your zipper and any width you choose.

Make a zipper sandwich. Place 1 piece of lining fabric face up, then the zipper and then the outer fabric right side facing down. Line up the three edges.

With a zipper foot sew across the top between the edge of your zipper sandwich and the zipper teeth (closer to the zipper feet).

When finished and you pull fabric back it will look like this. Repeat this for the other side(edge) of the zipper. Oops the fabric should go all the way to the end of the zipper.

When both sides are completed it will look like this.  Hopefully you will have pinned before sewing and all of your edges will match up beautifully (unlike mine). You can top stitch along the zipper now, if you like.

Bring both pieces of lining to one side and both pieces of your outer fabric to the other side. Un-zip zipper at least halfway so you can turn it once it is stitched. If you forget to un-zip the zipper you won't be able to turn your pouch right side out.

The zipper teeth should be pinned toward the lining side.  I lay the zipper ends on top of each other with teeth facing the lining side and pin.

Sew all the way around 1/4 inch from the edge. Make sure you sew on the outside of the metal parts on each end of the zipper, this will be easy to do if you cut your fabric the total length of the zipper. Leave a two inch opening at the bottom of the lining side. Clip corners.

Turn right side out. Stitch opening closed by machine or slip stitch by hand.

Push lining inside and you are finished!

These would make cute Valentine's Day gifts with a little love note printed inside!