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Step 1
Choose a sturdy, medium-weight or tightly woven fabric which will hold its shape when folded and ironed flat e.g. denim jeans, curtain material, cotton trousers.  This is a quick project so you can experiment with different fabrics and different sizes.  The no-sew folding technique means that if you go wrong you can quickly unfold and re-iron.  It also means that if you no longer need your pouch you can simply unfold it and use the fabric for another project.

Step 2
Cut your fabric into a rectangle with its length roughly twice its width.  In our example a 48cm by 27cm rectangle of fabric made a pouch just the right size to use as a pencil case or glasses case.  You can measure out your fabric using dressmaker’s chalk or even just a pencil and cut your fabric with pinking shears to help minimise frayed edges.

Step 3
Iron your fabric flat.  Still working on the ironing board, place your fabric underside down.  Decide which of the two narrow ends will be your ‘top’ and fold this back on itself 3 cm so that you create a flap, as pictured.  Iron the crease flat.

Step 4
Turn the fabric over so that the underside is uppermost. Fold the each of the long sides a third of the way in and iron the creases flat, as pictured.  Tuck one of the long sides under the top flap of the other side.  You will be left with a narrow piece of folded fabric a third of its original width.  You will also have a raw edge running down its length.

Step 5
Take the bottom of the pouch and fold it upwards, tuck its end underneath the top flaps.  Iron the crease.

Your pouch is now ready for use.  Easy!

Step 6
If you feel you would like to secure the top to prevent the pouch unfolding, you can use a badge or even just a safety pin and pass this through the layers of fabric.  We decorated our safety pin by bending open its circular end and threading on beads.  Alternatively even though this is a ‘no-sew’ pouch you could sew on a button to secure the top if you wanted to.

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