Custom Built Purse - Elastic Pocket

I wanted a good expandable pocket to store my headphones and ds games in, but I didn't want to have a large opening. The perfect solution was to add an elastic to the opening, which would allow the opening to open fully when I needed it to, but close up to safely keep my things in place.

Elastic Pocket A

Figure out how the size you would like your pocket to be. Cut a piece of elastic to the width of your pocket, adding in a ½” seam allowance. Stretch the elastic as far as it will go and measure the width when stretched. This will be the width that you cut for your fabric. 

Unstretched Elastic

Stretched Elastic

Cut out your fabric, doubling the height, using the width of the stretched elastic and adding in a ½” seam allowance for both measurements.

Fold over the fabric, top to bottom, right sides together, and press the fold. Attach the elastic to the top along the fold and sew the ends to both sides. To secure the elastic really well, use a wide but short zigzag stitch, or a darning stitch.

Sew both of the fabric sides together. Turn pocket right side out through the opening on the bottom. Press along fold and seams.

Now you will need to sew along the top, just below where the elastic ends. You can use topstitching thread if desired, or you could also just go over the seam after with topstitching. You can also add bias tape that goes over the elastic. Using your zipper foot, press the elastic right up into the fold, and sew along the bottom edge to the elastic. Near the end, you will need to stretch out the elastic to force your fabric to lay flat. 

Stretch out the elastic a couple of times once finished sewing the elastic into it’s pouch, to evenly distribute the gatherings in the fabric.

Accordion fold the bottom in places to shape the pocket into a square. Use the gathers that form from the elastic to form the folds.

Attach the pocket by the bottom to where you want it to end up, with the pocket upside down. Sew along bottom with ¼” seam.

Fold Pocket up along bottom seam, pin in place and press bottom seam, keeping raw bottom edge from showing out of the sides.

Topstitch along sides and bottom, fully attaching the pocket to your work. Reinforce the top of the sides if desired.


I made this pocket extra long, so that I could actually divide it in to two pockets without making two pockets. To divide one pocket into two or more pockets, just sew a line from the bottom of the pocket to the top, at the desired location. Super easy and time saving.

Elastic Pocket B

Figure out how the size you would like your pocket to be. Cut a piece of elastic to the width of your pocket, adding in a ½” seam allowance. Stretch the elastic as far as it will go and measure the width when stretched. This will be the width that you cut for your fabric.

Cut out your fabric using the width of the stretched elastic and adding in a ½” seam allowance for both the width and the height, as well as adding in the width of the width of the elastic you are using to the height.

Fold over the seam allowance at the top and the bottom and press. Place the elastic under the fold. Using your zipper foot, sew along edge of the elastic, pulling the elastic along as you go. By not attaching the elastic to the sides yet, your fabric will not gather and it will be easier to sew. You can use topstitching thread if desired or you could also just go over the seam after with topstitching.

Now, you will need to secure the elastic to the edges. Sew one end of the elastic, then thread the remaining bit of elastic to the other end (fabric will gather together), pin and then sew into place. To secure the elastic really well, use a wide but short zigzag stitch, or a darning stitch.

Stretch out the elastic a couple of times once finished sewing the elastic ends, to evenly distribute the gatherings in the fabric.

Fold in the ¼” seam allowances on the sides and press

Accordion fold the bottom in places to shape the pocket into a square.

Attach the pocket where you want it to end up and pin in place.

Topstitch along sides and bottom, fully attaching the pocket to your work. Reinforce the top of the sides if desired.