This DIY Fat Quarter Project Is a Travel Must-Have

Want to know the travel must-have we can’t leave home without? A roll-up cosmetic bag to store makeup brushes while on-the-go makes for perfect packing every time, we guarantee it! This wanderlust-worthy fat quarter project is travel-approved and the DIY gift every budding makeup artist needs. For an extra touch of glamour, we recommend using Celosia Velvet™ for your outer fabric.

This project could also keep art supplies organized or a one-of-a-kind pencil roll for back to school! Don’t miss the full tutorial below.

Materials

• 2 fat quarters of fabric
  • We’re using:
    • Outer fabric: Celosia Velvet featuring the design Spring Blobs by acdesign
    • Inner fabric: Organic Cotton Sateen featuring the design Geometric Diamond Circle Pink & Mustard by acdesign
• Sewing machine
• Ruler
• Rotary blade or fabric scissors
• Invisible marker
• 1 yard of ribbon or bias tape for your ties
• Pins
• 2 beads (optional)

Step 1. Cut out your fabric. Cut three 14” x 9” rectangles, one from your outer fabric and two from your inner fabric.

Step 2. Create the brush pouch. Fold one 14” x 9” lining piece of fabric in half, wrong sides facing, and press. Place this fabric on top of the other inner 14” x 9” fabric so the bottom raw edges are lined up. Pin in place and baste stitch around the two sides and bottom with a ¼” hem. 

Step 3. Create the makeup brush pockets. Using your invisible marker and a ruler, mark lines on the pouch fabric (the 14″ x 5″ piece) from the top to the bottom about 1” – 1.5” apart from each other. We recommend laying out your brushes to see how much space you’ll need if your brushes have varying sizes.

Step 4. Stitch the brush pouches. Using your sewing machine, stitch a straight line from the top of the line you made in step 3 to the bottom, making sure to backstitch at the top and bottom. Repeat until you’ve stitched over all of the lines. 

Step 5. Attach the ties. Cut the material you’ll be using for your ties in half so you have two 18” strings. Overlap the two ends and pin to one short side of your base fabric 3” from the top, making sure about 1″ of the string is extended over the edge. Secure with a basting stitch ¼” from the edge.

Pro tip: If your tie edges are raw, we recommend finishing the end that will be exposed before attaching to your fabric.

Step 6. Sew the holder together. With right sides facing, pin the outer fabric to the base fabric. Sew around all four sides with a ½” seam allowance, making sure you stitch over the secured edge of your ties but not the excess in the center. Remember to leave a 3” opening on the bottom for turning.

Step 7. Turn your fabric right side out. Push out your corners with a chopstick or point turner.

Step 8. Finish your holder. Fold in the exposed raw edges of your opening and press. Topstitch around your fabric, making sure to stitch over the opening of the fabric to close it.

Now that you’ve customized your travel makeup brush holder, complete your on-the-go collection with a DIY zipper pouch and a matching luggage tag. Whether you’re going by plane, train or automobile, the Spoonflower Marketplace has just the design to help!