repurposing Vinyl Packaging into aPocket Organizer

I promised some vinyl packaging upcycling and here is just one idea - I have more, stay tuned! This post first appeared on Whip Up a couple days ago. I am reproducing it here basically because I can. If you aren't familiar with Whip Up, do pop over and check it out. They have lots of great stuff and links.

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Hey, do you have too much of this?


I do. Every time I get something factory new, I always end up with more packaging than product. Not content with just tossing the stuff away, I've been pondering how best to deal with this surplus packaging. Plastic bubble packs are pretty much a write off, though I'm hoping an idea will it present itself in time. Vinyl packaging, however, actually happens to be pretty useful stuff. Many items made of cloth and some types of toys come pre-bagged in their own heavy duty vinyl wrap, often decked out with zippers, snaps or velcro used as closures. This is packaging to be reckoned with and begs to be reused. Still, after storing all my off-season clothing, bagging up every last one of my toiletries, making terrariums, and mining them for notions, I still have a few vinyl packages kicking around.

Time to bring it to the sewing machine.

Here's is one way to repurpose excess vinyl packaging.


This little pocket organizer is just the right size for storing the small stuff that gets misplaced like craft supplies and jewelery, or hang it low for the little ones, who love to sort, organize, and generally poke things into pockets.


To make your own clear pocket organizer, gather up your sturdy vinyl packaging, some fabric for the backing (I used an old button down dress shirt), some medium to heavy weight iron-on interfacing, fabric strips (or pre-made double-fold bias tape) for edging both the pockets and the outside frame, and two eyelets for hanging. A grid ruler and rotary cutter is your friend for this project, so bring them out too if you have them.

Begin by cutting the backing fabric and interfacing both into 14" by 11" rectangles. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric rectangle, following the manufacturers directions.

Cut a 12" by 11" rectangle of vinyl. Divide that vinyl rectangle into three equal sections of 4" by 11".

Cut three fabric strips for edging the vinyl pockets, 1 1/2" by 11" wide (or cut three 11" long pieces of the double-fold bias tape). Prep the strips by folding each them in half length-wise, wrong sides together, and pressing flat. Open up the strip and fold the raw edges in to meet the center fold. Press. Once more fold and press the center.


Open up a fabric (or bias tape) strip and align a raw edge, right sides together, with the longer side of a vinyl strip. Machine baste the fabric to the vinyl. Refold the fabric strip over the vinyl edge and stitch fabric to vinyl. Repeat for other two vinyl pieces.


Position the vinyl strips onto the right side of the fabric backing as shown:


The bottom strip should align with the bottom raw edge of the backing and each vinyl strip above should sit just above the fabric lined edge of the strip below. The top 2" of backing will remain uncovered.

Stitch the bottom of each strip to the backing 1/4" from the edge.

Next, divide the three vinyl pockets into nine by making two vertical lines of stitching. This is when having material with vertical stripes is quite handy. Otherwise, use tailor's chalk or faint marks with a pencil to mark vertical lines at 3 2/3" intervals from the side edges. Stitch from the bottom edge of the organizer straight up to the top edge of the top pocket. Reinforce the top edge of the pockets by taking a couple of back stitches as you sew by.

Cut the fabric for the outside frame into two 1 1/2" by 12" strips and two 1 1/2" by 14" strips. Prep each strip in the same manner as the pocket edging. Edge the sides with the two 14" strips. Sew on the top and bottom edging with the 12" strips, leaving a 1/2" of overhang on each end. Tuck in this overhang before your final top stitch to create smooth corners.


Using the manufacturer's directions, attach the eyelets to the top edges of the organizer.


Hang the organizer on the wall by looping the eyelets onto nails or screws. Try lacing the eyelets with ribbons before hanging for a bit extra pretty, if desired. Fill pockets with goodies.



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