Sewing the perfect cosmetic bag – it’s a dream for every sewing enthusiast, whether beginner or advanced. With my tried-and-tested tips and tricks, this stroke of genius is easily achieved!
The most important things at a glance
- In this post, I will show you 10 ingenious tips and tricks for sewing the perfect cosmetic bag
- You can sew beautiful cosmetic bags from most standard fabrics – if you pre-treat the fabric with fusible interfacing
- It is important that you also reinforce the lining, as it supports the bag from the inside and ensures it retains its lovely shape
- At Sewsimple, there is a whole range of lovely – and mostly very classic – patterns and tutorials for the perfect cosmetic bag
In my blog post on the topic of zippers, I have already shown you how to neatly bind a zipper and prepare it for sewing in.
In this post, I’ll show you what to do next! :)
It's impossible to count how many cosmetic bags I've conjured up in my sewing career. However, not all of them were perfect from the start. On the contrary. I've learned a lot over the years.
I have summarized my best tips & tricks in this post for you.
What does the perfect cosmetic bag look like?
For me, perfect means:
- harmoniously coordinated colors and contrasts
- functional and practical
- metallic accents in the same color (e.g., silver faux leather and silver zipper)
- neatly sewn and bound zipper
- beautifully sewn and neatly shaped corners
- a bag that stands well and holds its shape
- high-quality materials
- balanced, well-thought-out basic pattern
Sewing the perfect cosmetic bag: 10 ingenious tips & tricks
The right fusible interfacing
You can sew beautiful cosmetic bags from most standard fabrics – if you pre-treat the fabric with fusible interfacing.
The following combination has proven best for me:
- Reinforce outer fabrics with Vlieseline H630* and
- reinforce lining fabric with Vlieseline H250*
It is really important that you also reinforce the lining, because it supports the bag from the inside and ensures it retains its beautiful shape.
General rule: The larger the finished bag will be, the better it needs to be reinforced.
Click here if you want to sew a cosmetic bag from elastic fabrics!
Reading tip: Reinforcing fabrics
Using fusible interfacing correctly
Iron the fusible interfacing onto the back of the fabric according to the manufacturer's instructions. And do this BEFORE you cut out the pattern pieces.
Why in this order? Because the hot plastic on the back of the interfacing can distort the fabric of the pattern pieces. And distorted pieces mean: a distorted finished product!
If you aren't sure which interfacing is treated how, take a look at my blog post on the topic of interfacing & Co.
Let the fabric cool down well: The back of the fusible interfacing, i.e., the shiny or slightly studded layer, is made of plastic. If you bend or fold this layer while the plastic is still warm, the fabric will warp and it becomes very difficult to "iron out" these unevennesses again.
Even if you iron the fabric pieces in between while working, you should let them cool thoroughly before further processing – the plastic softens again during ironing.
Tips for cutting fabric
After you have let the reinforced fabric cool while lying flat, you can now cut out the individual pattern pieces.
Pin the pattern to the fabric with flat-head pins and cut it out using a ruler. This way, you can be sure that the cut will be truly accurate.
I like to use the Prym floral head pins*, because they are really flat yet long at the same time. Due to their length of 6 cm, they are flexible but keep the fabric layers held together stably.
The flat-head pins are important because a ruler "rolls" on ball-head pins and then likes to slip.
Sharp rotary cutter
When cutting, make sure your scissors and rotary cutter are truly sharp.
In this post you will learn everything about rotary cutters.
I have a rotary cutter sharpener where I sharpen the blades by rolling the cutter through a few times. This way, the blade is always perfectly sharpened, doesn't need to be replaced as often – and the fabric is cut cleanly.
The blade sharpener* looks like this:
Brand new on the market: A handy sharpener for rotary blades*, which consists of a grinding wheel and a holder for the blade. One side of the grinding wheel has a fine texture and the other a coarser one.
The blade is taken out of the rotary cutter, placed in the holder, and then guided first over the coarse, then over the fine side of the grinding wheel.
Binding the zipper
An eye-catcher for cosmetic bags is always the zipper. In this regard, you can do a lot wrong or, in the future, do a lot right.
Choose a zipper that either perfectly harmonizes with the fabric or forms a chic contrast. I prefer working with metallic-look plastic zippers*. They are very easy to sew, thread, and process. Plus, they look super elegant and come in every color of the rainbow. I simply love them and even dedicated their own blog post to them :)!
You can bind the zipper with bias tape or fabric strips.
A very nice (and practical) option is also to sew the zipper in such a way that it creates a bag with a wide opening.
Don't forget topstitching
A beautifully sewn zipper or a center seam looks even more professional with topstitching. You should execute the topstitch with a slightly longer straight stitch. A stitch length of 3 – 3.5 is ideal.
When topstitching, make sure to start or end the seam not at the edge of the fabric, but at the beginning and end of the zipper. This ensures that no errors creep in when sewing the cosmetic bag together and that the seams become nice and smooth.
Using a zipper foot
Even if it can be annoying to use several presser feet for one and the same project – the effort is worth it. To sew a perfect cosmetic bag, you should take your time. With the zipper foot, you get close to the zipper. By shifting the needle to the left or right, you can adjust the distance exactly to your liking.
I usually set the needle to the center position.
Reading tip: Presser feet and their use
Fixing correctly
Sometimes a cosmetic bag gets just the right pizzazz with a pretty decorative or woven ribbon*. It used to happen to me over and over that ribbons would slip while being sewn on. The result looked anything but professional.
Meanwhile, I fix ribbons with Wondertape*, which I find to be much better than Stylefix (which always gummed up my sewing machine needle so much that I had to replace it afterwards!).
When fixing, I work very precisely, as well as when sewing on.
At least as important as Wondertape:
Really secure the fabric layers well with pins before sewing them together.
It is better to use one pin too many than one too few. This is especially important at points where seams meet. Here, the perfect sewing result depends on the seam allowances being opened/pressed apart before sewing and then neatly pinned on top of each other.
The zipper lies in the direction of the lining. The seam allowances can each be folded away from the center seam. This reduces the bulk in the corners.
When subsequently sewing, do not pull the area next to the zipper apart too much.
Sew slowly with a straight stitch around the bag. When you reach the center seam at the zipper, stop, leave the needle in the fabric, turn the bag a little, and then continue sewing.
Trimming seam allowances correctly
You will take a real step forward in terms of perfection if you cleverly trim the seam allowances of your cosmetic bags. This applies above all to the corners and the areas next to the zipper, i.e., the transition between the outer fabric and the lining.
I trim the seam allowances at the corners with pinking shears.
On the sides next to the zipper, I trim the seam allowance curved with sharp scissors to within 3–4 mm of the seam.
This way, no bulk forms in this area, and the corner can subsequently be shaped really well.
The perfect finale: Shaping corners correctly
Most instructions say: shape the corners well. But what does that actually mean? It took a while (and required a lot of courage) until I was ready to shape the corners of my cosmetic bags with tweezers.
It is usually NOT enough (even if most claim otherwise!) to work them out with your finger or a pencil.
I use my beloved anatomical tweezers*, which I have already recommended to you elsewhere on the blog (among other reasons, because they also make threading continuous zippers a breeze).
For me, shaping correctly means: After turning the bag, the tweezers are guided into the interior through the opening. Then I shape the corners with the tweezers slightly open. The upper corners are particularly important here.
Feel free to use a little pressure—but still with a gentle touch! A little practice certainly won't hurt. Sewing cosmetic bags is not that hard when you know tricks like this :)
Conclusion: You need the perfect pattern!
What would the perfect cosmetic bag be without the perfect pattern? Believe me: with a good pattern, sewing a cosmetic bag is really fun.
We at SewSimple are real cosmetic bag junkies, which is why we have a whole series of beloved—and mostly very classic—patterns and instructions for the perfect cosmetic bag.
Rheingold Cosmetic Bag is, like the Alsterprinzessin, designed according to the principle of the Golden Ratio. The balanced overall impression is completed by the beautifully rounded bag opening.
Roos is a classic cosmetic bag without any frills, but with darts that give the bag structure and volume. I love its simple shape!
The special thing about our Alsterprinzessin Cosmetic Bag is that the pattern pieces are constructed according to an ancient geometric principle: the Golden Ratio.
This is why the Alsterprinzessin looks so balanced and classic. Perfect—in every respect. :)
Dillie Pouch is perhaps the purest of our cosmetic bags. It is all form—and has a wide bottom, which gives it a solid stance on the bathroom shelf.
Sewing a cosmetic bag made easy! :)
Choose your favorite pattern and get started!
Happy simple sewing,
yours, Sabine
Frequently Asked Questions
With what interfacing should I reinforce the outer and lining fabric of my cosmetic bag?
Reinforce outer fabrics with Vlieseline H630* and lining fabric with Vlieseline H250*.
If you are not sure how to treat which interfacing, read my blog post about interfacing & Co.
With what materials can I sew a cosmetic bag?
Where can I find beginner-friendly patterns for beautiful cosmetic bags?
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