Snap Bags

I just recently heard about snap bags and I thought it was a great idea.  They use metal measuring tape inside a pocket at the top which makes the bag open and close with a snap.  I looked at videos on youtube and there are a number of them out there so, if you are interested, check them out.  I decided to make a mens' toiletry bag for my husband.  I picked masculine fabrics for this project.  He travels lightly so, a small, long bag works for him.

The sewing method I picked was make a quilting sandwich.  You have the inside of the bag (solid brown in this example), a layer of thin batting and the outer fabric of the bag (brown stripes in this example).

The inside layer is made 1 1/2 inches longer then, folded over the front and sewn down to make a pocket.  The pocket side could vary depending on the width of your measuring tape.  Here are some pictures:

Layers

Completed bag

  I think this youtube video does the best job in explaining how to make them.  I basically used her technique but varied the size of the bag.  Give this a try, it can have many uses including a pencil pouch for back to school.