Heart Shaped Pouch - Sewing Tutorial

In this DIY project, I’ll show you, step by step, how to sew your own lovely little key pouch in a cute heart shape. 

It’s perfect for yourself, or perhaps for little princesses who have just received their very first house key from their parents! This small pouch also works wonderfully as a little coin purse. Have fun!

 Materials
Sewing machine/iron
Fabric of your choice
Interfacing (optional)
Lace-trimmed zipper
Satin ribbon
Key ring
Fabric scissors/paper scissors
Matching thread
Pins
Paper/ruler/pen

 Step 1: Draw two hearts of the same size and cut them out. Set one heart aside for now. Place your lace zipper onto the second heart.

Step 2: Mark a point at the top and another at the bottom, using the center of your lace zipper as a guide. Then, connect the two marked points.

Step 3: Now, use your paper scissors to cut out your template along the line. Next, cut out the individual pieces of fabric (in my example, the inner fabric has a polka-dot pattern, and the outer fabric features a rose print).

Step 4: To reinforce the fabric, I also use fusible interfacing (Vlieseline). When using this interfacing, make sure to cut it at least 5 mm smaller than your heart template.

Next, place the fabric pieces of the cut-out heart together, with the wrong sides facing each other, and join them using a zigzag stitch (see markings).

Tip: Place a damp towel over the interfacing and iron it on, section by section.

Step 5: In the first image, I show you the fabric pieces sewn onto the lace zipper for illustration. Now, secure the first half of the heart to the lace zipper using a pin.

Step 6: Before sewing the lace zipper onto the fabric using a straight stitch, ensure that you position the needle exactly between the zipper and the floral trim. Repeat this same process for the corresponding piece.

Step 7: Now, close the zipper until the slider is about halfway from the end of the fabric. Overlap the zipper tapes slightly and secure them in place with a sewing pin.  

Using your sewing machine, stitch over the zipper several times at the level of the fabric (see marking). This will prevent the two sides from sliding apart.

Step 8: The strap is made in six steps. For this, you will need a rectangular piece of fabric. You can cut it to your preferred size (in this example, approximately 4 cm x 10 cm). 

Cut out the rectangle.
Fold the left side toward the center and press the edge with an iron. 
Fold the right side toward the center in the same way and press the edge. 
Fold it together and press. 
Stitch along the edges using a straight stitch, keeping close to the edge. 
Done! Now, fold it in half.

Step 9: Pin the strap in place on the open side of the zipper.

Step 10: Now secure it to the strap using a straight stitch.

Step 11: Place the complete heart-shaped fabric pieces together, wrong sides facing, and position them onto the sewn piece that includes the exposed zipper. Secure in place using pins.  

Ensure the zipper remains open at least halfway (to serve as an opening for turning the piece right-side out).

Step 12: Stitch around the entire heart, keeping a presser-foot’s width from the edge, using a straight stitch; then, trim off the excess ends of the zipper.

Step 13: Finish the edges of the entire heart using a zigzag stitch; this prevents the fabric from fraying.

Step 14: This is what your sewn piece should look like now. You can now turn your sewn piece right side out and shape it.

Step 15: Finally, topstitch your heart-shaped pouch using a straight stitch, and add the finishing touches by attaching a satin ribbon to the zipper pull and a key ring to the strap.

Congratulations on your lovely, self-sewn heart-shaped key pouch.