How to Add Pen Pockets Into Any Bag – step-by-step sewing tutorial

I’m off on holiday soon, and I’m taking my laptop with me, which means I need a new bag. And this time I want to be a bit more organised, because there’s one thing I lose absolutely every single time I travel. My pens.

They always end up at the bottom of the bag, underneath everything else, at exactly the moment I need to write something down. My usual solution is to throw a big pouch full of pens into the bag, which is a little bit silly when you think about it. I don’t need fifteen pens. I need two!

So instead of sewing the plain slip pocket my free laptop bag pattern calls for, I decided to add pen pockets.

And the best thing…

Today, I’m going to show you how to create your own template. Once you’ve done this once, you can add pen pockets to a tote, a backpack, a project bag, or any pattern you’ve bought from another designer. The method never changes.

Custom Pen Pocket Template

Before you touch your sewing machine, you need a template. And the reason we draft it ourselves rather than downloading one is simple. A printable template gives you somebody else’s pockets, in somebody else’s sizes, in somebody else’s layout.

When you draft your own, you decide everything.

You decide the size. Your favourite pen might be chunkier than mine. Measure the pens you actually carry, not a generic one.

You decide how many. I went with four, because I like having a couple of pens plus a highlighter and a pencil to hand. You might only want two or six.

You decide where they go. This is the bit I really want you to think about, because it opens up so much more than you’d expect. You’re not stuck with one plain slip pocket any more.

You could do what I did and put the pen pockets in the centre, which leaves you a slip pocket on each side. So one pocket panel gives you three useful spaces instead of one.

Or you could put the pen pockets over on one side and keep a single larger slip pocket next to them, which is lovely if you carry a phone or a notebook.

Or you could split them, with a couple of pen pockets at each end and the slip pocket in the middle.

Once you understand how to draft the divisions, the layout is completely up to you, and it can be different in every bag you make.

Working Out Your Measurements

Measure your pens. The width of the pen decides the width of each division, and the length decides how deep the pocket needs to be so the pen sits securely without disappearing or sticking out awkwardly.

Allow for the pen taking up space. This is the step people skip, and it’s the one that matters most. A division measured to the exact width of your pen will be far too tight once the pen is actually in there, because the fabric has to wrap around it. Too tight and the pocket pulls, puckers and strains along the stitching. Get the allowance right and the pen slides in and stays put.

Draw it up. Once you’ve got your numbers, turn them into an actual pattern piece with all your division lines marked on it. That template is now yours, and you can reuse it in every bag you make.

I walk through all the measuring and the maths properly in part one of the video tutorial, which you’ll find on my YouTube channel. ⬇️

Pen Pockets Tutorial

Here’s the good news, and it surprises almost everyone. Once your template is done, the sewing takes minutes.

All the thinking happened at the drafting stage. By the time you get to the machine, it’s just marking, positioning and stitching.

What you’ll need:

Three pattern pieces:

• The original front/back panel from your pattern
• The original slip pocket pattern piece, so you can transfer the stitching lines accurately
• Your new custom pen pocket template

And your usual kit: chalk or an erasable fabric pen, a ruler, pins or wonder clips, an iron and ironing mat, and your sewing machine.

Before you start sewing:

Cut two pocket pieces from your lining fabric, plus one front or back panel from lining fabric, whichever panel you’ve decided to add the pockets to.

Depending on the fabric you’re working with, you might want to interface the back to give it a bit more stability. This is completely up to you and your fabric.

Step 1: Transfer your stitching lines

Take your pen pocket template and transfer the stitching lines onto the right side of one of your pocket pieces.

Accuracy here is what makes the finished pockets look properly made rather than homemade, so take your time and use a ruler rather than eyeballing it. And because you’re marking the right side of the fabric, use chalk or an erasable fabric pen so nothing shows on the finished bag.

Now take your original slip pocket pattern piece and transfer those same markings onto your main front or back lining panel. This is what tells you exactly where the pockets need to sit, so the finished pockets land in the right place rather than wherever they happen to end up.

Again, you’re marking the right side of the fabric, so use chalk or an erasable pen.

TIP: What to do when you can’t mark your fabric. Stick a small piece of masking tape above the pocket area and mark your notches on the tape, exactly where each stitching line needs to line up. Then mark the bottom of each line down within the seam allowance, where the marks will be hidden once the bag is sewn together. Between the two, you’ve got everything you need to line the pockets up perfectly, and nothing permanent on your fabric.

Step 2: Sew the pocket pieces together

Take both pocket pieces and place them right sides together, lining up the edges neatly.

Stitch along the top edge. I’m using a 1 cm (3/8″) seam allowance here.

Now bring the two pieces back together, this time wrong sides together, and press that top seam flat again. You should have a clean, crisp folded edge along the top of your pocket.

Take it back to the machine and topstitch along that finished top edge, then baste the remaining raw edges together so the two layers behave as one piece from here on.

Step 3: Create the first slip pocket

Place your pocket on top of the main lining panel with right sides facing up, and line up the bottom edge and the right side edge. Clip along the side and the bottom to hold everything in place.

Check your placement before you go any further: the first stitching line on your pocket should match up with the first set of notches you marked on the main panel.

Now stitch along that first stitching line, from the bottom of the pocket up to the top edge. Backstitch well at both the beginning and the end, because that top point takes all the strain every time something goes in or comes out of the pocket, and it’s the first place pen pockets give up.

Then baste along the bottom and the side edges, starting from the stitching line you’ve just sewn and working outwards to the right side edge. You’re only basting that first section, not the whole bottom edge of the panel.

That closes off the first section and gives you your first slip pocket.

Step 4: Create your pen pockets

To create your first pen pocket, line up the second stitching line on your pocket with the second set of notches on the main panel. Because the pocket piece is longer than the panel, you’ll need to push the fabric across to the right to make them meet, and that creates a little bubble of fabric between the two stitching lines.

That bubble is exactly what you want. It’s the space the pen sits in, and it’s the reason the finished pocket won’t pull or strain once it’s loaded.

Once your line is sitting over the notches, stitch along that stitching line, backstitching well at the beginning and the end.

Now repeat that same process for the rest of your pen pockets.

Line up the next stitching line with the next set of notches, pushing the fabric across to form the bubble as before, and stitch along the line. Backstitch at both ends every time.

Keep going until you’ve worked through all your stitching lines. However many pen pockets you decided on at the drafting stage, this is where they all appear.

Step 5: Create the second slip pocket

Once all your pen pockets are stitched, the other side of the pocket should line up neatly with the left side and bottom edge of the main panel all on its own.

All that’s left is to baste it in place, exactly as you did on the other side, which gives you your second slip pocket.

Step 6: Pleat the bottom edge

Because the pocket fabric is longer than the panel, you’ve got a little bubble of excess fabric at the base of each pen pocket. That needs folding away before the bottom edge is basted.

There are lots of ways to handle it. You could gather the fabric if you like that look.

What I prefer is a single pleat in the centre of each pen pocket. It’s quick, it’s neat, and it keeps all the pockets looking consistent.

How you form that pleat is entirely up to you. A regular pleat, folded to one side, works perfectly well. A box pleat looks a little more symmetrical. Go with whichever is more visually pleasing to you, and then keep it the same across all your pen pockets.

Pin or clip each pleat as you form it, then baste along the bottom edge to hold everything in place.

Optional: stop your pens from sinking too deep

Technically, your pockets are finished at this point, and you can carry on and complete the rest of the project.

But there’s one more thing worth mentioning, especially if you’ve done what I did.

I wanted to keep my slip pockets at their original full height, because that’s useful space and I didn’t want to lose it. The problem is that leaves the pen pockets far deeper than they need to be, and a pen that drops right down to the bottom of a tall pocket is a pen you’re fishing for again.

The fix is simple. Stitch a line straight across the pen pockets to create a barrier, so the pens sit at the height you want and go no further.

Here’s how I worked out where that line goes. Lay one of your pens on top of the pocket and see exactly how deep it needs to sit, allowing enough that it’s held securely but still easy to grab. Then take a ruler and draw a line parallel to the bottom edge at that height, running from the first stitching line to the last.

That’s the important bit. This line only crosses the pen pockets. It doesn’t run the full width of the panel, because your slip pockets on either side need to stay full depth.

Then stitch along that line.

One more thing worth doing while you’re there.

Have a look at how much space you’ve got between that stitching line and the bottom edge of the pocket. If there’s a reasonable gap, topstitch the pleats down below the line as well.

It takes a minute, and it stops the pleats bunching out and getting in the way while you’re using the bag.

Step-by-Step Video Tutorial: Pen Pockets

And that’s it. Instead of a plain slip pocket, you now have a custom pocket built for exactly what you carry, and you’ll never dig around for a pen at the bottom of your bag again.

If you’d rather see all of this happening than read it, here’s the full sewing tutorial. I take you through every step from marking your stitching lines to pleating and finishing the pockets.

Watch the tutorial here ⬇️

Share Your Makes

I’d love to see what you add pen pockets to. Share your makes in my Facebook group or tag me @allsewpetite on Instagram or anywhere else you hang out. It’s so much fun seeing which bags everyone chooses to modify.

If you’d like to stay up to date with new projects, you can join my newsletter, and you’ll get a free gift as a little thank you.

More Pattern Hacks To Try!

If you enjoyed modifying your pattern, these tutorials are the natural next step. Each one takes a pattern you already have and makes it work better for you.

How to Transform Any Bag Pattern into a Stylish Backpack

I show you how to turn a crossbody bag into a backpack by adding triangle strap connectors, a back overlay and adjustable shoulder straps. The clever part is that you don’t alter a single original pattern piece, so you can still make the bag as a crossbody next time. I used my Stevie bag pattern, but this works on almost any bag pattern you already own.

Check out the full tutorial here.

Simple Pattern Hacks for Extra Security

Love my free Zip-up Cardholder but worried about losing your cards? Don’t be. Try these two hacks: a snap connector across the front card slots and a flap with press snaps on the back pocket, so nothing slips out.

Check out the full tutorial here.

Add a Hidden Zipper Pocket

Learn how to draft the pattern pieces for a hidden zipper pocket tucked neatly under a placket, and add it to any bag you like.

Check out the full tutorial here.

Want to Master Every Kind of Pocket?

Pen pockets are just one option. Once you realise you can swap the pockets in any pattern, one bag pattern suddenly gives you endless different bags.

That’s exactly what my course Bag-making Basics: Mastering Pockets is for. Inside, I take you through over 30 different pocket styles, with printable templates for each one, so you can add whichever pocket suits the bag you’re making rather than being stuck with whatever the pattern designer chose.

Slip pockets, zipper pockets, gusseted pockets, flap pockets and plenty more. Learn how each one is constructed and where it works best, and you’ll be able to modify any pattern you own.

You get lifetime access, so you can dip back in every time you start a new project. Click here to learn more.

Stay crafty friend!
Monika x