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Media Press Zip-Itself Coin Purse {Tutorial}
This zip-itself coin purse is truly an amazing and creative handmade design… zip-up to a tetrahedron shaped coin purse, unzip to a long ribbon. This zip-itself coin purse is made from 2 simple materials that you can get from the shop easily – ribbon and zipper. Get the tutorial on how to sew zip-itself coin purse with lining after this jump.
I accidentally saw this zip-itself coin purse when I did a search for the tetrahedron coin purse and I love the idea. I knew I am going to scratch my head and drill into the detail of the design and make it one day…. But, this day hasn’t been long before I need to pull my hairs and bite my fingers to find out the how-to from a mere internet picture. The story goes…..
On a relax weekend in June while shopping at a flea market in Straits Quay, I walked towards the only stall that sells handmade materials and finished handmade. I was so happy to find the little cutie zip-itself coin purse hanging at the stall. Dawn and San San, the 2 friendly and lovely lady owners of HaHa Plaza are so nice to guide and teach me how to make this purse. They even gave me a sample and some materials to try it out. Take a peep to see me shopping at Haha Plaza stall, yeah, the one wearing green T (thank you, Vickson, for this wonderful photo and uploaded to their facebook page). I am so glad I made this trip to the flea market, not only to learn to make this zip-itself coin purse but to be friends with these 3 wonderful people, Dawn, San San and Vickson. If you happen to be in Penang and would like to get some nice & niche handmade materials (handles, frames, fabrics, buttons etc), HaHa Plaza will be at the flea market at the following dates:
July 30, 2011
August 27, 2011
September 24, 2011
October 29, 2011
Time: 10 am to 10 pm
If you are not able to make it to meet them personally, then visit their online shop.
Materials:
1. Zipper (nylon) – 20″, 1pc.
2. Ribbon (1/2″ or 5/8″)- 20″, 1pc. (Note: you can use grosgrain, woven, satin ribbons, or other alternative materials like lace, ric rac, fabric strip, soft twill tape etc.)
3. Ribbon – short length for the purse loop.
4. Lining fabric strip (3/4″) – 20″, 1pc. (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.
Measure 2 3/4″ from zipper’s bottom stop, including the bottom stop.
Lay the ribbon slightly over the marking. If the ribbon has direction (in this case, the Pucca doll), the bottom edge should point to the zipper.
Back stitch the ribbon to the zipper, about 1/32″ from the teeth in order for the slider to get through.
Note: I sewed with longer stitch on the wrong side but shorter stitch on the right side for the backstitch. Scroll down to the lining step and you will see the stitches on the wrong side. Due to the short stitch on the right side and the way the needle pick up the zipper tap, it didn’t show a lot like backstitch from the back, but I swear that it is backstitch 
Bend the zipper tape down at the end, adjust it to make the edge smooth.
Continue sewing the ribbon. Pin the ribbon on the tape will make sewing easier.
Continue sewing until you reach about 4″ – 5″ from the top stop of the zipper.
Your actual ribbon should look longer than this, I trimmed some away before taking this picture.
Unzip the zipper.
Come back to the start point. Arch the tape at the marking, pin the ribbon to the tape as shown.
Sew ribbon to the tape of the other side of the zipper.
Trim off the extra length, fold the raw edge of the ribbon and slip stitch the ribbon to the tape by following the curve.
A nice smooth curvature determine the beauty of the purse.
Continue back stitching the ribbon to the zipper tape until you are about 1″- 2″ away from the top stop.
Zip-up the zipper and the purse is formed through a upward spiral closure.
Press the top edge of the purse to find the top corners of the tetrahedron shape, which is usually the center of the bottom corners.
Mark both points.
Judge the shape from different angle to check if it is balance.
Once you are satisfied with the shape and marking, unzip the zipper for the next step to continue sewing the ribbon to complete the purse.
Arch the longer zipper tape at the marking, the zipper ends should meet and intersect at the other marking.
Place a ribbon loop on the intersection point of the zipper, pin.
Sew to complete the coin purse. Trim off the extra length of the ribbon and insert the raw edge of the ribbon, slip stitch to the tape.
Whip stitch the zipper edges at the back of the purse.
[Update: Thanks to Gandma G's suggestion to add more information in the photo that is self explanatory.]
If you would like to line your purse in order to hide the stitches, do the following.
Fold and press the raw edges to make a 1/2″ wide fabric strip. Slip stitch along the stitching lines of the ribbon.
A fully liner zip-itself tetrahedron coin purse is completed.
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this is brilliant! Thanks for sharing.
Patty, thanks
Another great tutorial – I can’t wait to give it a try!
Thank You!
Liz
Thanks, Liz!!!! I got hooked up with it and I am thinking of making a bigger size now!!!!
Stumbled. I love this! I found a zip-itself purse at a yard sale and always wondered how it was made. Now I have to try it.
I was as curious as you when I first saw this purse from a photo…. after have it done, I am so happy!!!! I believe you will too!!!!
This is just wonderful.I am very excited to try it myself.Thanks for sharing.
I am glad to know this, Manisha
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WOW! This is SOOO cool!!! I linked to your tutorial on Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-zip-itself-tetrahedron-coin-purse/2011/07/27/
–Anne
Anne, as always, thanks for linking in Craft Gossip Sewing
I feel honored!
That is the cutest little purse I’ve seen in ages! and you got to make some friends! As usual you have beautiful, easy-to-understand photos and gorgeous fabric choices. You have a great talent!
Sara, you always leave a sweet comment that make me dobetter!!! Thanks for the motivation, I need it to run to my next milestone!!!!
This is amazing! I love it. Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Vanina, hope you will make a bunch of them soon.
I found you via CraftGossip. I just completed one of these! So cute! Thanks for the tutorial!
Grandma G, thanks for this wonderful comment first thing in the morning of Monday!!!! I am so happy to know this. Wish that I can have a look on the purse you did
I’ll email you a pic tomorrow!
Oh great!!! Thanks!!!
I really should have a community gallery set up soon so that you all can upload the photos to share
Now there is no need to purchase a purse. You can stitch you own at home. Thanks for this wonderful tutorial.
Exactly
I really like the ribbon you used. And the coin purse is really cute and nifty! Where did you get the ribbon?
Hi Maggie, the Pucca ribbon is from HaHaPlaza, the rest are from local craft shop
hihi..tried out this wonderful tutorial.. sooo cute.. thanks for sharing..
Hi YaN, I am glad to know this and hope that I have a chance to see your purse
Hi! I am LOST…I am able to zip up the purse to form a tube, but it looks like mine is shorter than yours, although I started with a 20″ zipper and a 2 3/4″ strip of zipper to start. Can you show me more pictures of arching the zipper at the top of the purse to finish it off?
This purse is SO adorable…I hate it that I’m having so much trouble!!
Thanks!
Lea Ann
Don’t feel bad Lea Ann, I am having a problem with the arching part of this pattern as well. It’s adorable though and I will persist but am watching daily to see if a more detailed picture is added for us who just aren’t getting it! Once we see the picture, I know it will be an instant Ah-Ha moment but yes, an additional explanation about the turning would be much appreciated. You are not alone! Much success to you and Craft Passion, thank you so much for your great patterns! What a talent!
You are on the right track, Lea Ann. It should look like a tube when you zip the purse all the way up before the arching on the top zipper to make the tetrahedron {pic 9} (point your mouse over the picture to see the picture no.)
When you are almost done with the ribbon {pic 8}, you will find that the bottom zipper is longer than the top zipper. After gauging the tetrahedron shape (pic 10} of your purse and make the marking, the longer zipper is to arch at the marking to the top to meet and intersect with the shorter zipper. The same arching like you did at the beginning of the purse {pic 5}. The cute Pucca doll on the ribbon might give you some clue on where I did arching {pic 12}
Hey my sweety i was searching an easy tutorial of zip-it purse from a few months..but your tutorial is awesome..perfect for a new stitcher
thank you soooo much..you are always helping for all..keep sharing awesome tutorials..lots of Love
Khadija ~
Glad to know that, Khadija
I’m sorry to sound really dumb, but I’m not sure I’m doing something right here. I start stitching the ribbon at the end of the tape (like shown in the picture) correct? Then This is where I’m messing up. I don’t understand what to do once I get to the end of the zipper stop. How do I get it to look nice and smooth like the picture to go continue sewing ribbon around to the other side of the zipper? I really am sorry to ask such a dumb question but I’m just learning to sew and thought this would be an easy project to start with. Thanks for any help!
When you get the the zipper stop, just push the tape down, cross the zipper ends to smooth out. Glide the ribbon around the stop, pin to secure then sew.
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this is freaking genius! thank you so much for sharing! now i know what to do with cute ribbon i have…and also, finally make a coin purse for myself!
I am happy to know this
I was very taken by the little change purse, in fact, I did a rush job on making one — I posted about it on my blog, and I hope you don’t mind… I did provide a link here to your tutorial. I did try!
Wow. These are so cute. They’ll make great mom friend gifts! And, I think that I have ribbon already, too… Thank you!
Hello!
I found this tutorial through How About Orange, thankfully just before I was to run errands for the day because I added ribbon and a zipper to my list. I started yesterday and am almost finished with sewing, but…my ribbon is 3 1/2″ shorter than the zipper and my zipper matches up with itself. Help?
Look like something is not right some where. If your coin purse can form a tetrahedron shape with the ribbon, then probably the zipper is just the extra length, you can clip it off.
Please show me a few photos if possible so I can take a look what’s going on, unzip and zipped form, to craftpassion[at]live{dot}com.
I just had to try this change purse a second time and this time success! I wrote about my progress and process, with of course a link back here to your blog. Hate to leave any negativity so this second blog post feels so much better! Thanks again for the tutorial!
The second one looks much better. The more you sew the better it will be
Great instruction, cute purse. Mine however did not get that super nice tetrahedron shape. I guess i should have used the measuring tape
My first attempt is here:
http://yngla.blogspot.com/2011/08/ganska-onodigt-tamligen-opraktiskt-men.html
I am not sure if it is due to the wider ribbon. But overall, it looks great
I LOVE IT!!! I cant wait to make this but I can’t seem to find a 20″ zipper, local crafts store only carries 18″ and 22″ any idea on how to make adjustments so I can work with either of this two measurements? I’m guessing I need to make the markings at the beginning and end a little longer but how much longer I don’t know, please help me! I will like to make a couple of these as favors for an upcoming party I’ll have.
Again, LOVE IT!
You can use 22″ and trim off the extra. Or, you can make the beginning a little longer, 3″ instead of 2 3/4″ and follow the tutorial for the rest.
Thanks, I’ll give it a try
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Every time, I think I have it, I don’t. I feel like such a loser.
It’s a bag with an open top.
What step did I miss that causes it to zip itself closed???
I hate when you failed. Please show me where caused it?
Okay, I got it. I refuse to let something everyone can can *see* beat me, LOL!
My issue was with the photo above where you show adding the ribbon, then the one just below it. I didn’t have zipper teeth on both sides of the ribbon. “Arch the longer” is what through me… Once I could get my head around the big picture, I got it. Thanks!
Glad that you finally break through the “code”… happy sewing and enjoy the zzzzzipping
You are great its wonderful tutorial. Thank you for your sharing
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i am trying to make this and I am lost on the instructions, i cant find how to carry on with the sewing after i unzip the zipper, it just leaves me hanging and i dont understand, can you please help me? i need to make 15 of these for a retreat and have one half of one sewn, and there I am left with just no understanding. thanks
Please use the contact form to submit your photo to show me where do you have problem.
These are so cute. This grannie hopes to try one this weekend. I was wondering why you hand sew? Can you use the machine?
Yes, you may use machine sew but when come to the curves to fold in the ribbon ends, you still need hand sewing.
Thanks for sharing your cute tutorial…I have posted about it on my Freebies blog if thats okay…Khris
Me encantó muchisimas gracias !!!!
I like so much!!!! thanks
♥♥♥
I am desperate for a coin purse! Yesterday I made a bag out of zippers for all those goofy little customer cards, but right now my change is in a ziploc baggie. Does not appeal to anyone’s sense of beauty. But I have a 20 inch zipper and LOTS of ribbon to choose from (when my mother went into nursing care, my sisters made me take all her sewing stuff, and mom absolutely hoarded things like zippers). I can’t wait to make this! I’m not good at hand sewing, so I’m going to attempt the long straight parts by machine… we’ll see how it goes! This is making me very happy!
I am as excited as you when reading your comment. Please share with us after you have gotten them done!!!!
I finished it! I love it! I used what I had, namely a khaki-colored 22 inch zip (metal teeth, actually) and some peach-and orange striped 5/8 grosgrain. They aren’t my colors, but it’s what I had on hand that wasn’t too precious, in case it didn’t work out well. But it did work, and I was able to do a LOT of it on the machine (not the tight curves, but everything else). I experimented with fusible webbing and a felt strip for lining, but I’m not happy with it- the webbing is not consistently dependable. I will have to sew it down or glue it when I get a chance. However, the purse is at work right this very minute, holding all those coins, and everyone who sees it wants one. Thank you again for an excellent tutorial. I will be making another as soon as I find the ribbon I can’t live without!
I am so happy that you have made it though it is only your test piece. Hope to see some of the photos of you future piece
I LOVE the ribbon you used, is it available for purchase online???
I am not sure as I bought them from local craft shop. May be you can contact Haha Plaza to see if they can source for you.
Thank You for the tutorial… I made my first one last week, I read and reread your instructions after the part where you zip up the purse just before arching the long zipper back, but couldnt get it…then I read your replies to the comments and managed to somewhat figure it out but my purse turned out straight, like a mini version of your pencil case…I quite liked it nevertheless…even my husband was amused and kept zipping and unzipping it for 15 minutes…I made another one yesteraday, and didnt bother trying to make it tetrahedron, just did what I had done last time…imagine my amazement when I zipped it up and it was a tetrahedron shaped purse just like in your pics! I sat with it, looked at your instructions again and realised where I went wrong the whole time! I think this is one of those things you keep getting better at the more you practice.
Anyway, I think this is a great project to do while watching tv or even travelling, not a lot of stuff to carry and handle, just a zipper, ribbon , needle and thread. I think this will be a staple tv project for me, I’ll just keep churning them out, they’ll be great for impromptu gifts for children and adults alike…thanks so much for taking the time and posting this tutorial!
Nabiha, I love your story and the adventure into sewing this coin purse. I was so happy when you said that you have found the “magic” within the tutorial to make the project a success. Keep it up
This is really fun! I made one of the tetrahedrons – didn’t turn out quite right, but it enabled me to get the idea. It came out like a flat bias square – still quite cute. I will definitely try again and polish my curves!
Now I have a question for some of the more mathematically minded readers – this tetrahedron used a 20 inch zipper and a 2 3/4 inch base (measured from the stop.)
I have a lot of 22, 24 and 30 inch zippers, and rather than cut off the ends and risk losing the zipper pull, I’m wondering how to measure for the initial base measurement and the final turn back measurement so I get as much length as possible from each different size of zipper? Does that make sense to anyone but me? Can anyone give me a hint as to how to go about figuring that out?
edie
too right brained for math at night!
Good question… in fact I used the math way to get the base width for a start.
Just divide your zipper length by 7 to get the approximate base width. Increase the ribbon width accordingly to get the correct proportion if your based is bigger than 3.5″, {imagine}….. a big base with short height….. based width is determined by the zipper length whilst the height is determined by the ribbon width when the number of rounds of the zipping is a constant.
Please let me know if I confused you if it sounds too technical.
Actually, I almost think that makes sense to my addlepated brain! LOL!I knew the ribbon width would affect the height but the missing factor was how to figure the divisor. Using this I can also figure that if I want a bigger bag I can multiply the width I want by 7 and buy continuous zipper off a roll and dye or paint it. Woohoo! A whole slew of ideas is opening up. Thanks heaps!
Edie
You got it
Hi! This is a really great idea! Would you consider making a video tutorial? As a new sew-er, I am having great difficulty figuring out the instructions, but I think if I saw it being done, it would be soooooo helpful! Thanks again for the great idea and tutorial!
I would like to see a video of this also if possible, but will keep practicing till I get it right. I am not giving up giving up on this as I know once I get it I will be one of those that goes DUH! It is such a cute purse, I will keep pluggin away at it till I get it right. Thank You the instructions are great it is just me.
You rock. I have been trying to conjure up a zipper pouch like this for a while. Thank you!
I loved making my first zipper change purse from a found 20 inch zipper. Now I have only been able to find 22 inch zippers in my little town. Can the pattern be altered and still come out as a triangle? Thanks
Hi Diane,
You can use 22″ zip, sew the base with a 3″ length instead of 2 3/4″.
Enjoy sewing!!!
I love these little things! So cute! I posted a photo and link on my Friday Friends! on my blog. Thak you so much for taking the time to make this tutorial so we can learn your secrets. A video would be great, though. I have read the instructions about 6 times now, and I finally think I’m ready to try it. Thanks again.
Thanks for linking, Gramma G.
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love your blog! I am a new follower
Welcome
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Thank you for your tutorial! It took my daughter to finally help me. I made it!Thanks again
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Hi! Thank you for this amazing tutorial!!! I would like to try this but would want to make a slightly bigger pouch to store more coins. How should the measurements of the zipper and ribbon and measurement from the zipper stop be altered?
Hi! wonderful tutorial !!!
I tried to make a little purse and it turned out very nice…(so nice that my husband asked to make another one for him!) Your instructions are very clear and the photos are really useful. thanks!
Wow! How cute and cool!
I read in the comments that you said this could be sewn on a machine except for the ribbon ends…I am a pretty good sewer but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do that. The trouble starts when I try to make the first turn at the bottom of the zip stop (picture 3)and continues when I go around the other corners where the zip is arched. Please help!
If the zipper stop at the first turn caused an issue, then skip using machine to sew for that area. Sew the rest with machine then come back with hand sewing the zipper stop and arch area later. Hope this suggestion sounds ok to you
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