Travel Gift: Jewelry Bag
Rev up the sewing machine to make a simple gift for yourself or a friend. 
This
fabric jewelry bag is practical and pretty. Pockets inside keep jewelry
pieces organized and the drawstring keeps it all together to toss into
a suitcase.
How to Make a Jewelry Bag
string and a pen or pencil
3/4 yard interfacing or other material to make a pattern
3/4 yard cotton fabric
3/4 yard satin-type fabric
canning jar lid OR other stiff material for bottom of bag
craft glue
3 1/4 yards silky cord
coordinating thread
safety pin
clear nail polish or Fray Check
1. Cut a 12″ length of string and tie to pen or pencil. Holding down free end of string, draw a large circle on the interfacing.
2. Cut an 8″ length of string and repeat step #1 to draw a smaller circle.
3. Cut out circles from interfacing to use as pattern pieces.
4. Position and pin pattern pieces on cotton fabric. Cut one of each circle. Repeat with satin-type fabric.
5. On large cotton circle, make two buttonholes across from each other
(diameter of circle), each about 3″ from the edge of the circle. Cut
open.
6.
Pin large cotton circle to large satin circle, right sides together.
Stitch, using a 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving an opening of about 2
inches. Repeat with smaller circles.
7. Turn circles, right sides out, and press flat, tucking in seam allowance for openings.
8. Stitch entirely around each circle, about 1/8″ from the edge.
9.
On large circle, form a casing for the drawstring cord: stitch 2 1/2″
from edge, then stitch again 2″ from the edge (buttonholes should be
between these rows of stitching.)
10. Turn large circle satin side up. Measure and mark the exact center
of the circle. Put a dot of craft glue in the center and position
canning lid in center.
11. Place small circle, satin side down, on top of large circle and
canning lid, using tape measure to help you center it. Pin in place.
12. Mark six “spokes”, evenly spaced, with pins or a marking pencil on
the smaller circle. (Stitching on these “spoke” lines will form the
pockets.)
13. Using a zipper foot, stitch around canning lid through all layers
of fabric. At every “spoke”, lift the presser foot and turn the fabric,
then stitch to the edge of the small circle. Lift the foot again, turn
the fabric 180 degrees, and 
stitch
over your spoke line to return to the edge of the canning lid. Repeat
until you have stitched all six spokes and have stitched completely
around the canning lid.
14. Cut the silky cord exactly in half. Attach a safety pin to the end
of one of the pieces. Use a stick pin to attach the other end to the
jewelry bag (so that it doesn’t get pulled all the way through.) Use
the safety pin to feed the cord through a buttonhole, through the
casing, and out the same buttonhole.
15. Adjust cord so that bag opening is about 10″ and 5-6″ of each end of 
the
cord are outside of the buttonhole. Loop ends to form a knot at the
buttonhole. Loop each end and tie a knot to secure. Repeat with other
piece of cord, going in and out the opposite buttonhole.
16. Trim each cord end and brush with a dot of clear nail polish to keep end from fraying.
17. Cinch closed and tie a bow with the cord.
