Pineapple Pouch

We started Sewing School Camp off with a fun Pineapple Pouch perfect for summer.  These 30 kids ages 5-11 had a great time sewing up theirs and we thought you might like to make one too.

The inspiration for the project came from the Draw It Up Bag in Sewing School.  It's a simple drawstring bag perfect for young sewers.  As with any Sewing School project, there are loads of variations you can make, so use this tutorial as a guide and have fun making it yours!

Trace a standard piece of paper (8-1/2 x 11 inches) on yellow fabric 2 times.  Cut out the fabric pieces and put the together so that the good sides are facing out.

Now, measure down on 1 side 1 inch. This is where you will start sewing so you can make a casing for the drawstring.

Start sewing at the 1 inch mark.  Sew around 3 sides of the pouch.  You can use a running or a whip stitch.

Fold down the top 1 inch where you began sewing to make a casing, a little pocket where the drawstring goes.

Wrap a 4 inch wide strip of green felt around the top of the pouch.  Match up the bottom of the felt to the bottom of the fold. Pin it onto the fold and sew around the bottom with a running stitch. Be careful not to sew through both sides of the pouch.  Tip:  At camp, first-time sewers sewed around the casing first and then hot glued the green felt onto the casing.

Measure a piece of yarn or ribbon 3 times the width of the pouch. Using a safety pin, thread the string through the casing.  Tip: At camp, my daughter Phoebe discovered that plastic needles worked perfectly for this small bag!

You're almost done! Turn the bag inside out.  Cut out pineapple top leaves, careful not to cut the yellow fabric.

Turn the bag right-side out and fill with summer essentials!