Zip-It-Up Pencil Case {Tutorial}

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“It’s Back To School time, boys and girls.” This zip-it-up pencil case would be of great help for them to keep their stationary in place. Not only that, it is also a great topic for “Show And Tell” session to their new class-mates of how the magic works with this zipper + ribbon strip…”See, this is a strip of ribbon, and I am going to turn it into a pencil case…. *zip**zip**zippppp***…. tadaaaa…. a pencil case!!!!”. School is fun with friends and books around.

Recently, I received an overwhelming and fantastic responses came all over the world to visit the tutorial of the Zip-Itself Tetrahedron Coin Purse, the same concept of this zip-it-up pencil case. Among the feedback and comments, some of you found it difficult to understand at some point, but I am glad that after putting you hands on it, you’ve made yourself some successful coin purses. As usual, practice makes perfect! Grandma G even tried it on with her sewing machine with a wider ribbon that her daughter Jessica of How About Orange designed. Jessica also shared the post with her readers. I was so happy that you all like the coin purse so much. As an appreciation to all your visits and feedback, I developed another tutorial to the same concept. This time both boys and girls can use this zip-it-up pencil case (just have to be fair to the boys too, right?).

I hope you like this Zip-It-Up Pencil Case as much as the coin purse. Please find the tutorial after this.

Finished Dimension: approx. 4″ x 8″ x 1 1/2″

Materials:
1. Zipper (nylon) – 80″
2. Ribbon (7/8″)- 80″ (Note: you can use grosgrain, woven, satin ribbons, or other alternative materials like lace, fabric strip, soft twill tape etc.)
3. Ribbon – short length for the purse loop.
4. Lining fabric strip (1 1/2″) – 80″ (optional)

Tools:
1. Sewing needles.
2. Matching threads
3. Pins
4. Marker
5. Warm iron (optional, use only with lining)

Get ready the materials and tools as per quantities stated above.
You can get the long nylon zipper from craft shop that cut into your requested length, and don’t forget to add a zipper pull.
Sew a few stitches to make a bottom-stop about 1″ from the end of the zipper.
Tie 2 knots on both top zipper tapes to prevent the zipper-pull from accidentally glide out from the zipper.
Measure 4 3/4″ from zipper’s bottom-stop. Mark, this is the START point.
Pin and backstitch the ribbon to the zipper tape along line A, start at 3/4″ from the ribbon end and 1/32″ away from the teeth in order for the zipper pull to glide through.
I sewed with longer stitch on the wrong side but shorter loop stitch on the right side for the backstitch so that the thread is not obviously seen on the right side.
When you reach the bottom stop, bend the zipper tape down, smooth the corner by crossing of zipper ends, continue sewing your ribbon till you have done around 70″ from the start point.

Come back to the start point. Arch the tape at the marking where the marking should be at the center of the ribbon’s width, pin the ribbon to the tape along line B.
Sew ribbon to the tape of the other side of the zipper.
Fold the ribbon’s end in and slip stitch the ribbon to the tape by following the curve.
A nice smooth curvature determine the beauty of the pencil case.
Continue back stitching the ribbon to the zipper tape until you have done 65″ from the start point.
There will be a different of 5″ of stitching between line A & B.
Zip-up the zipper and the pencil case shape is formed through a upward spiral closure.
Measure your pencil case from the bottom stop, it should be around slightly over 8″ and your zipper goes 7 rounds of zipping.
Press the top edge of the pencil case to find the top corners of a rectangular shape.
Mark both points on line A & B.
The point above the the bottom-stop is the end point, whilst, the point above the start point is the pencil case top-stop with a ribbon loop (please refer the last step-by-step photo for clearer picture).

Unzip the pencil case a little. Arch the line A zipper tape at the marking, the zipper ends should meet and intersect at the other marking on line B.
Place a ribbon loop on the intersection point of the zipper, pin & sew to join.
Trim off the extra zipper, crossed them and make a few stitches to stabilized the position.
Trim off the extra length of the ribbon and fold the raw edge of the ribbon, just like the start point, slip stitch to the tape.
Whip stitch the zipper edges at the back of the pencil case to complete it.
You may add a lining at the back of the pencil case. The lining will add some stability and aesthetic look to the workmanship of the pencil case.
Iron the lining strip by folding in both edges to form a 7/8″ double-fold tape.
Slip-stitch along the backstitch line to cover the stitches done for the ribbon. When you reach the curve of the start and end points, trim the ends to follow the curvature, fold in and slip stitch like you did the ribbon.

Zip it all the way up and you will get a pencil case.
Or, zip it all the way down to return it to a ribbon with edges full of zipper teeth.