Stitched Paper Pouch

Stitched Paper Pouch
How-To Guide
by Helen Hiebert
Helen Hiebert Studio
http://www.helenhiebertstudio.com
Stitched Paper Pouch
January 2016
I love bags of all shapes and sizes, and
pockets too! Here’s a simple pouch made
from a cloth-like paper. Stitch it in your
sewing machine, sew it by hand, or use
double-sided tape or glue to adhere the
seams.
Once you’ve mastered this pouch, try
creating pouches in other shapes and sizes.
The possibilities are endless!
Happy creating!
This is the first project in a series of monthly projects that will feature various papers in the Custom
Paper Project Pack (http://helenhiebertstudio.com/products/january-june-2016-monthly-paper-projects/). Next month we’ll be making a Versatile Valentine.
For those of you who have a Custom Paper Project Pack: you received two pouch papers (purple/
aegean and sienna/cherry) and one pocket paper in one of those colors plus two velcro coin sets.
Please do not distribute these instructions without my permission. I have worked hard to develop the
projects and the instructions. Thanks for your understanding!
© Helen Hiebert Studio 2016
Make something by hand and live in its presence. • Design • Make • Enjoy •
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Materials & Tools
MATERIALS
• Pouch: 12” x 4-1/4” sheet of reversible unryu
• Pocket: 3” x 4” sheet of reversible unryu
• White glue/1/4” double-sided tape (http://www.
amazon.com/American-Crafts-4-Inch-This-DoubleSided/dp/B003BQPXR0) or needle & thread
• 5/8” Velcro sticky-back coins (http://www.homedepot.com/p/VELCRO-brand-5-8-in-Sticky-Back-CoinSets-75-Pack-91302/202261946)
• Optional: needle, string and crochet needle for handle
TOOLS
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine (optional)
PAPER
You can make this paper pouch with many papers, but I
love the fabric-like quality of this reversible unryu, available from retailers who carry GPC Papers (http://www.
gpcpapers.com/locate-a-retailer/) Reversible Unryu Paper
comes in several hues and is made by crumpling two
contrasting sheets of unryu and laminating them with a
polyvinyl acetate-based adhesive, which gives the paper
a strong textured surface and a rugged yet supple feel.
Step-by-Step Instructions
If you got the Custom Paper Pack, you’re
ready to go. If not, cut the pouch paper to
12” x 4-1/4” and the pocket paper
to 4” x 3”.
The top end is pre-folded at approximately
2”. Fold the bottom edge up to meet the
bottom edge of that fold as shown.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
The following instructions require a sewing
machine, but you can easily adapt this for
double-sided tape or glue.
I like the zig-zag stitch both for looks and
because it makes a double-row of stitches,
which is more secure. Start stitching at one
of the top corners of the pouch.
When you get to a corner, keep the needle
in the paper and lift the sewing machine
foot and turn it 90 degrees. Put the foot
back down.
Continue stitching all the way around the
pouch and up around the flap too.
Finish your stitching right where you
started. I like to stitch over the first few
stitches and then reverse stitch to avoid
having to tie knots, but this isn’t the
cleanest finishing method.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
If you prefer a neat and tidy look, tie knots
and glue down the ends. There are probably
a few seamstress techniques that I haven’t
learned, so feel free to be creative here!
Of course you can stitch the pocket onto
the pouch (you would do this step first
before sewing the pouch) but I used 1/4”
double-sided tape for this (glue would work
too). Adhere tape to the three edges of the
pocket as shown (be sure that you put the
tape on the correct side of the paper, so that
when you adhere it, you see the opposite
color – I speak from experience!). Center
the pocket on the back of your pouch.
Optional: you can shape the flap at any
stage in the game, although I wouldn’t do
it after stitching (you might even try using
deckled edge scissors or pinking sheers).
Adhere a velcro coin to the center of the
flap. For perfect alignment, place the other
side of the velcro coin on top of the coin
that is already on the flap and then close the
flap and the bottom piece will adhere to the
paper in the right place.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Optional: Create a handle for your pouch
with string or thread (embroidery thread is
inexpensive and comes in every color). I
used a coarse hemp thread and crocheted a
simple chain (https://www.anniescatalog.
com/crochet/content.html?content_id=1).
Use a needle to attach one end of the
crocheted chain to one corner of the pouch.
Attach the other end of the chain to the
other corner and tie them together in the
middle on the inside.
Enjoy gifting or using your paper pouch!
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About Helen
Helen Hiebert is the author of five how-to
books about paper: Playing With Pop-Ups,
Playing With Paper, Papermaking with
Plants, The Papermaker’s Companion,
and Paper Illuminated. Helen has
appeared on Sesame Street, has produced
of two films, and writes a blog called The
Sunday Paper. She teaches, lectures and
exhibits her work internationally, often involving the community in her installation
projects such as The Wish, a permanent installation at Anythink Huron Street Library
in Denver, Colorado. She creates limited
edition artists’ books and holds an annual
retreat in her studio near Vail, Colorado.
http://helenhiebertstudio.com