Before you know it school will be back in session. Send your student back in style with a custom pencil pouch that will never get mistaken for someone else's! It's a lot easier to make than you might think! And I think you'll love this technique for using fabric paint.

Items Needed:

• Paint Writer Bottles
• Fabric
• Zipper
• Sewing Machine

Instructions:

Determine the size of the pouch you want to create. This one is 9 inches wide, because I used a 9 inch zipper, by 5 inches long.  Account for a 1/4" seam and cut fabric 9 1/2" x 5 1/2". You will need 4 pieces of fabric total: 2 for the outside of the pouch and 2 for the inside. I used a natural cotton for the outside because I just really liked the look of it.

You can find empty paint writer bottles at your local craft store. Add a small about of each paint color to a bottle. You can now "write" with the paint instead of simply painting with it!

First, draw the blue notebook paper lines across the width of the outer fabric. Draw one every inch starting from the bottom of the fabric. Use rulers to keep your lines straight. Allow the paint to dry for a couple of hours then go back and draw two orange lined down the left side of the fabric. Don't let the lines get too close or the paint may run together.

Finally, write your child's name (or whatever you choose to the middle of the fabric. Allow to dry at least 48 hours. The paint takes a while to dry when used this way. It may feel tacky to the touch. If it feels that way after 48 hours, allow it to dry a bit longer.

To sew the pouch, gather your 4 pieces of fabric and zipper.

To add the zipper, place painted fabric right side up on your work surface. Line up zipper along the top edge of the fabric, face down. Place liner fabric face down along the top edge of the zipper. 

Sew along the zipper. Repeat with other side of zipper with the two remaining pieces of fabric.

Once all of the fabric has been sewn to the zipper, sew a 1/4" seam along the edge of the outer fabric (the pieces should be right sides facing one another). 

Unzip the zipper a few inches then also sew a 1/4" seam along the edge of the outer fabric, but leave a 2" gap of unsewn fabric.

From the unsewn hole in the liner fabric, pull the entire pouch right side out. Now hand stitch closed the hole in the liner fabric.

Iron out any wrinkles that may have popped up from turning the pouch right side out, but be careful not to apply the iron directly to the paint.

There is no doubt who this pencil pouch belongs to! These Notebook Paper Pencil Pouches would make fun personalized teacher gifts, too.