Reinforcing cosmetic bags: The best inserts and tips

Reinforcing cosmetic bags is a great idea because it makes the fabrics more durable and keeps them in shape. Here, you'll find out which Vlieseline is suitable for which toiletry bag.

The most important things at a glance

• In this post, you'll get to know different types of Vlieseline interlining and learn how you can use them
• You'll learn how the interlinings are applied and which bag size calls for which fleece
• You'll also get tips on combining multiple types of fleece and interlining
• By the end, you'll have all the information you need to reinforce the fabric for your next cosmetic bag
• Vlieseline expert Jeannette Knake helped me put together the different types of fleece and shares her practical tips and tricks with you in this post

The selection of fabrics and patterns for cosmetic bags is huge – the choice of fleece used to reinforce cosmetic bags makes it additionally difficult, especially for beginners, to make a good, informed decision.

And which fleece goes with which bag shape? To answer this question, we will look at various bag sizes. Because it is important to also consider how a bag is constructed in order to find the perfect interlining.

Reading tip: Reinforcing fabrics

Why should you reinforce fabric for cosmetic bags?

Reinforcing fabrics serves several functions. Let’s take a look at that in detail:

• Durability: Reinforcing fabrics with Vlieseline ensures that your cosmetic bag stays beautiful for longer
• Simplification: firm fabric edges that hold their shape while sewing make your work easier and more pleasant
• Stable seams: fabric edges that are ironed with Vlieseline barely fray and remain stable even after frequent use
• Bridging: Often it is important to create a bridge of fleece between two different types of firm fabrics so that the shape of the bag is stabilized
• Handling: a firmly reinforced bag is often much easier to handle in everyday life than a floppy, soft one
• Shaping: fabrics reinforced with Vlieseline hold their shape much better
• Appearance: Every Vlieseline interlining brings a different overall look; for example, after reinforcement, bags can feel soft, foam-firm, rather rigid, leather-like, linen-like, cotton-like, or paper-like

How can you reinforce fabrics for cosmetic bags?

There are different ways to firm up fabrics before sewing cosmetic bags. You can use different fleeces for these methods. It is best to simply try out what you like for which type and size of bag. Combinations of several interlinings are also possible, sometimes sensible, and even a lot of fun! :)

• Ironing on thin interlinings: You can iron your fabrics for cosmetic bags in the classic way with thin fleece or fabric interlinings (sometimes referred to as "bonding")
• Ironing on batting/fusible fleece: Iron-on interlinings with puffy fleece provide structure and fullness
• Quilting: By stitching fabrics onto foamy or wadded interlinings, you give them not only stability but also a special padded, quilted, or stitched look
• Gluing: You can glue special Vlieseline products like Solufix onto the fabric (usually on the back) and stabilize the fabric with it until the first wash; the Solufix then washes out upon contact with water

What are the most commonly used Vlieseline products for reinforcing cosmetic bags?

There are a few classics that you simply cannot ignore. You can use most of them for many other projects as well, not just for toiletry bags. Of course, I would like to broaden your horizons a little in this post and show you options and interlinings that you might not be so familiar with yet. It will definitely benefit your bag projects if you play around with different types of fleece and discover new things. :)

Here are the absolute leaders for reinforcing cosmetic bags

• Vlieseline H250^*: iron-on fleece with a paper-like feel, suitable for outer and lining fabric
• Vlieseline H630^*: thin fusible batting, great for reinforcing the outer fabric
• Vlieseline H640^*: a somewhat stronger batting that also promises good stability, usually used for the outside of bags

All three products have absolute merit and (in my humble opinion) should be on every fabric shelf because they are incredibly versatile, for example also for patchwork and quilting.

Reading tip: Sewing a cosmetic bag: 30+ sewing instructions for great cosmetic bags

Which Vlieseline for small cosmetic bags?

The smaller the bag, the less it needs reinforcement. Nevertheless, you can also give small bags a nice shape and make them more durable so that they survive many washes undamaged. However, it is of course important that you do not reinforce the bag so heavily that you end up holding more interlining than fabric in your hands. It is therefore important to have a good ratio between bag size and reinforcement.

Jeannette's benchmark for small cosmetic bags:

• Size up to 25 cm
• 1 compartment
• with or without zipper

These fleeces and interlinings are well-suited for reinforcing small cosmetic bags:

• Vlieseline G710:^* thin woven interlining, for outer and lining fabric
• Vlieseline G700^*: slightly firmer woven interlining, for outer and lining fabric
• Vlieseline H310^*: thin fleece interlining, for outer and lining fabric
• Vlieseline H410^*: thin iron-on fleece interlining with lengthwise threads, can be torn along the grain, also usable as strips
• Vlieseline S320^*: thin stiffener/boning for slightly stronger hold
• Decovil light:^* slightly firmer, flexible stiffener with a somewhat leather-like feel

You can use different types of Vlieseline for outer and lining fabric and thereby achieve a special effect.

For small zippered bags such as size 1 of our Pony Pouch, you can, for example, reinforce the outside with Vlieseline H310 for some structure and the lining pieces with Vlieseline H710.

Sewing patterns for small cosmetic bags

Most of our bag patterns are available in several sizes. Many of them also as a free pattern for immediate download. Here I present a few popular patterns for small cosmetic bags:

Which Vlieseline for medium-sized cosmetic bags?

Jeannette has also put together a selection of fleeces and interlinings for us here, with which you can meaningfully reinforce medium-sized cosmetic bags. It is of course always important that the ratio of feel and appearance of the reinforced fabric fits the bag pattern perfectly.

As a guide: medium-sized is, for example, a bag of 25-30 cm and a zipper, possibly also with inner compartments

Here are the best fleeces for medium-sized cosmetic bags

• Vlieseline H640^*: fluffy fusible fleece for structure and fullness
• Thermolam:^* for quilting, provides good structure and moderate volume; it is needle-punched slightly firmer and also provides insulation
• Vlieseline S320^*: lightweight buckram interfacing for reinforcement without added volume
• Decovil light^*: leathery, supple buckram interfacing with firm structure without added volume
• Vlieseline G700 & 710^*: For reinforcing lining fabrics – one is light, the other slightly firmer

Sewing patterns for medium-sized cosmetic bags

Where there are patterns for small cosmetic bags, medium-sized ones aren't far behind. Here are my pattern recommendations for medium-sized zippered cosmetic bags:

Interfacing for large cosmetic bags

Here, the challenge is to reinforce the bags across a large surface area. They should still have good structure and fullness, but without completely masking the appealing fabric qualities—on the contrary, ensuring the fabric can show off its best side. And, of course, the reinforcement should ensure that even maxi cosmetic bags keep their shape properly.

Jeannette's Vlieseline tips for large cosmetic bags:

• Style-Vil^*: Foam stabilizer for quilting; beautiful 3D structure that brings fabrics to life; can be attached to the back of the fabric with temporary spray adhesive
• Style-Vil fix^*: The same, but with adhesive dots, which means: you can iron it on, and it won't slip while sewing (yay!)
• Vlieseline H640^*: Fusible batting for structure and fullness (the proven classic...)
• Vlieseline S520^*: firm buckram interfacing for lots of structure, fusible
• Vlieseline 276: Natural Cotton White, a pure white, thin batting made of 93% cotton and 7% polyester as a carrier material (only there to stabilize the cotton layer), has a delightfully grainy feel, is sewn or quilted on, and makes light cotton fabrics shine (and is an absolute favorite of Jeannette's!)
• Vlieseline 279^*: Cotton Mix, consists of 80% cotton, 13% PES, and 7% scrim, intended for quilting, is slightly thicker than the 276
• Vlieseline 268: Bamboo Mix, one of my favorites, thin bamboo batting with 47% bamboo, 46% cotton, and 7% scrim as a carrier fabric, natural white, great firm feel, for quilting or sewing on
• Vlieseline R80^*: Recycled batting made from PET bottles, is great for quilting, provides fine volume and "sticks" when pressed firmly to the fabric, so it doesn't need to be glued on
• Vlieseline P120: Batting that must be sewn on, 90% recycled material, also provides a certain amount of structure
• Vliesofix:^* A clever move: you can iron Vliesofix behind any batting or interfacing that you want to fix onto the fabric

Sewing patterns for large cosmetic bags

Especially with large cosmetic bags, it's great to try out different variations and consistently achieve new effects. A fabric for a cosmetic bag that you've quilted onto Style-Vil has a completely different look than a bag you've stabilized with buckram interfacing. When choosing the right Vlieseline, also consider what you like to touch and what is suitable for your everyday needs. Maybe the bag should also be foldable when you store it in the closet? Then the interfacing must be supple enough.

Jeannette's Vlieseline tips for reinforcing cosmetic bags

Jeannette loves the adventure of sewing and likes to try out many different materials. And reinforcing cosmetic bags is definitely one of her favorite topics. It's no wonder she has tons of tips at the ready.

With this post and her tips, which she also shares in the podcast episodes, she wants to encourage you to think outside the box too. Maybe your standard solution isn't the optimal reinforcement for your cosmetic bags after all?

Vlieseline (the company Freudenberg) is constantly researching new products; every year, new interfacings come onto the market that can make our lives (and sewing) easier. This is because fabric manufacturing technology continues to develop. And there should be the right Vlieseline for every fabric, of course.

In her practice as a Vlieseline expert, Jeannette Knake has tried a lot and always surprises me with clever tricks for processing interfacings and battings:

• Fixing interfacings

To iron battings and interfacings without a base layer onto fabrics, you can use a really cool move: simply iron Vliesofix onto the back of your interfacing. Then you can peel off the backing paper, and you have a first-class iron-on interfacing.

• Combining interfacings

Do you want more structure than your batting has? Then iron your fabric with a firm fusible interfacing first! You want more volume than your interfacing provides? Well, then just quilt a layer of volume on top.

• Layered structure & volume

Depending on which interfacing you fix to the fabric underneath, a difference in feel and structure can emerge again; simply try out the ideal option for you on a fabric scrap.

• Trimming seam allowances

If the batting is particularly thick or firm, it is advisable to trim the seam allowances of your cosmetic bags so that the seams can be shaped beautifully. You can also cut some battings without seam allowances from the start.

• Reinforcing inner pockets

For some bag projects, it makes sense to also strengthen smaller cosmetic bag parts with Vlieseline. For example, you can make inner pockets much sturdier by adhering Decovil light to them. This allows you to store nail scissors and tweezers in them nicely without the sharp edges damaging the fabric.

• Order a sample book

So that you always find the right batting for your project, you can order Vlieseline sample books with fabric swatches. The good thing is that you then get a realistic impression of the interfacings and their firmness.

This allows you to make the right choice when reinforcing cosmetic bags (my sample book is one of the most read books in this house). This way, you can reinforce fabrics for cosmetic bags and react precisely to the size and shaping.

• Strip processing

Do you want to reinforce the fabric edges of cosmetic bags without ironing the entire pattern piece? Then try out strip processing. For this, simply cut a strip of an interfacing that is not too firm. You can also simply cut Vlieseline H410 into straight-grain strips and iron them on.

Alternatively, Vlieseline seam tape T15^* is also suitable, which is basically nothing other than pre-cut Vlieseline H410. So, a thin fusible interfacing with fine, stabilizing threads inside. That was a real discovery for me!

Conclusion: reinforcing cosmetic bags is not rocket science

From now on, reinforcing cosmetic bags will be a piece of cake. Just look at what size your bag is, and you can already choose the perfect Vlieseline product and sew a beautiful cosmetic bag.

Jeannette and I naturally hope that this post has helped you and that you now have a clear understanding of "reinforcing cosmetic bags." Maybe you've even been inspired to try out one or the other new product and see how differently your makeup bags, beauty cases, etc., look with them.

Have fun trying it out and happy simple sewing, Jeannette & Sabine