Protected: Project Bags for Cross Stitch: What To Look For
20 mins read

Protected: Project Bags for Cross Stitch: What To Look For

Siri0

This month I’d like to spend some time talking about project bags. And making one for myself, of course. This will not be a tutorial, so I apologize if that’s what you’re looking for. Rather I’ll be researching the different types of project bags out there, and providing some links to patterns and shops. Because I like to know all the different possibilities there are before settling down to buy or make the one that fits me best. So if that’s you too, hopefully my exploration on the topic of bags will help you decide as well.

Due to the nature of the internet, many of these links may break over time. But hopefully, by providing as many examples as I can today, at least some of them will still work for you whenever it is you come across this article! I’ve also tried to include shops from US, Canada, and UK where possible for physical products. But of course, feel free to do a search of your own if you need them to ship from another country!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using one of these links, I earn a small commission. However, there is no extra cost to you. Thanks for understanding! Learn more in my Disclosures & Privacy Policy.

What’s A Project Bag?

First off; what do I mean by a project bag? For the sake of this post, I’m referring to a bag that is being used to hold your current craft project.

I’ll be primarily focusing on cross stitch projects, but many of these bags are multipurpose and can be used to hold EPP projects, your current crochet/knitting WIP, all sorts of embroidery styles, and much more. In fact, if you’re a multicrafter like me it’s good to keep in mind what other uses your bag could have in the future!

Usually, these bags are used for crafting on the go. So if you travel a lot or like to bring your project to work, a friend’s house, or a local crafty meetup this is what you should keep in mind while reviewing your options. But sometimes it’s just for keeping your materials together around the house, if you like to switch between stitching on the couch to stitching in bed or out in the garden.

They can also be used to simply contain the materials for a specific project so you don’t accidentally use them up on something else. You don’t even need to have started a project already. Maybe you purchased a specific fabric to be used with a pattern you don’t plan to start just yet and just want it all kitted up and ready to go for when you finish your current project or you’re simply in the mood for a new project.

What To Put In Your Project Bag

Since this is primarily a cross stitch blog, I’ll be covering bags that can hold cross stitch projects effectively. That includes, but is not limited to:

  • Fabric
  • Hoop/Qsnap/Frame
  • Thread
  • Needles
  • Scissors/Thread Cutters
  • Pattern

Bonus points if it has room or designated areas for other tools such as:

  • Seam Ripper
  • Thread Conditioner
  • Needle Threader
  • Ort Holders

Types of Project Bags

During my research, I determined that there is about 4 main categories of project bag out there. At least of the style specifically marketed as a stitch project bag. The large square pouches, the flat bottom pouches, folio cases, and multi-fold case.

These categories are based on bags that people have made specifically with the intention of using to house their craft projects. And these names aren’t official, just what I’ve lumped them together as. I’ll talk about each and their subcategories soon.

But first I want to talk about repurposed bags!

Repurposed Bags

What do I mean by repurposed bags? I mean bags that you likely already have that were made for or marketed to hold something other than your craft project. You do not need a fancy bag to hold your project. It just needs to have room for your project essentials and be nice and portable.

Repurposing bags is ideal. Bags you no longer have use for and could potentially end up thrown out and cluttering up a landfill. Give them new life as a craft bag. They may not be as pretty or be optimized for your craft, but they get the job done. And they don’t cost anything extra, because you already have them!

For these to work you may need to get a little creative with how you store your materials. Your needle might get tucked into the corner of your fabric or in a needlebook. Your thread might need to be on a ring or in a smaller bag inside your bag. You might want a sheath for your scissors so they don’t stab through the bag. But they can and do work wonderfully.

Plastic Bags/Ziplocs

Okay, not the most glamorous of bags. But especially as a beginner these are great! Cheap, easy to come by, and can often be reclaimed from the packaging of something else. I can’t be the only one with a huge pile of variously sized plastic bags saved over the years from a variety of places. Small zip bags such as the kind hardware sometimes come in from flatpack furniture often get reused to hold board game pieces in my household. But larger bags get set aside for a variety of things including holding current projects.

I don’t have a current cross stitch project in a plastic bag, though I did use them a lot when first starting out. So here’s an example of a few different EPP projects I’m working on currently since they don’t require a lot of room when in the basting stage.

They also don’t need to be your only bag. You could also use small zips to just hold your thread or small accessories within a larger bag.

Many folks also like using the zippered mesh bags which can be a bit sturdier than your average ziploc but are still pretty inexpensive.

Tote Bags/ Reusable Grocery Bags

I’d hope that by now you’ve switched over to using reusable grocery bags for your shopping. From my understanding it’s already pretty common outside of the US. And now within the US many states are charging companies use of plastic fees, which naturally get passed on to customers making it a no brainer to switch to reusable bags. Which is great! Because it’s much better for the environment. But it also sometimes means you end up with extra bags. Either you forget yours and end up buying a new one while out, various brands giving them out as merch, or just somehow magically end up with more bags than necessary.

Now’s a good time to reuse them for other things, including projects. These tend to be larger bags but depending on y our project that may be a good thing! They’re perfect for scroll frame projects and for larger hoops / Q-snaps. I don’t often use my 11″ Qsnap, but when I do it’s going in a tote. Along with some smaller bags or a whole bobbin box for my tools. Bonus points if you cross stitch something onto the bag itself! Like this bag I made for the UNDERTALE Cross Stitch Book.

Pencil Pouches

Obviously you’re not fitting a hoop or Qsnap into a pencil pouch, but I have found that they’re often perfect for bobbinated thread! Which means they can also get thrown in a larger bag with your fabric and frame of choice. Here’s a simple one I made out of vinyl following a tutorial from Make It & Love It. The clear vinyl makes it so you can see your thread, and is a little sturdier so you don’t have to worry about your scissors. I also tend to tuck in a small biscornu to hold my needle.

You don’t have to make your own though– whether you already have a pencil pouch on hand or you pick up a cheap one from a dollar store / poundland, these little bags are useful for more than just pencils!

Miscellaneous Bags

I can’t possibly list off all the different types of bags that you may or may not have on hand. I’ve mentioned the most common, but here’s one more example of a repurposed bag.

When I asked about project bags on the Pixel Stitch Discord I got a wonderful example from Poekie, one of our regulars. She shared a bag with Velcro dividers that can be resized to suit your needs. And it reminded me of this ‘electronics organizer‘ I got ages ago that is meant to hold charging cables, power banks, etc. As it turns out, it’s also great for a 6″ Qsnap and a row of bobbins.

Even plenty of room for excess fabric on that qsnap, and I can use the extra divider on top of the bobbins to keep them from moving around. The pockets at the top can be used to hold floss drops, scissors, seam rippers, etc. A great example of repurposing a bag that was otherwise just sitting in my closet unused.

Repurposing bags is all well and good, especially on a budget or just starting out. But sometimes it’s good to have something special to keep your project in. Something that either inspires you or is tailor fit to your use. Whether you make one yourself or purchase one, let’s talk about craft-specific project bags.

Large Square Pouch

These large square pouches came up the most often in my searches! I found a ton of tutorials and patterns for these, and they’re quite easy to either make or purchase. And fun to customize! Like this quilted bag tutorial from FlamingoToes.

They can be as big or as small as you want, and is essentially one big pouch for you to keep all your materials together.

Written Tutorials
Video Tutorials
Paid Patterns
Purchasable Bags

Vinyl Square Pouch

Of course there’s also a subset of these that are basically the same style, but with a vinyl panel in front so you can see inside the bag. You of course do not have to use vinyl for them, so if the above tutorials aren’t quite clicking for ya, check out some of these and just swap out the vinyl for whatever fabric you like!

My favorite is probably this cute example by ModaFabrics!

Written Tutorials
Video Tutorials
Paid Patterns
Purchasable Bags

Zippered Flat Bottom Pouch

At first glance this category looks an awful lot like the flat pouches above. Here the difference being that the bottom of the bag is squared off allow it to sit upright on its own.

I’ve made several of these over the years, though my favorite is the style from the Free-Tutorial site! That one seems to be reposted from TheSewingChick, but the original site no longer works, so… I’ll take what I can get. Plus these are easy to make wider or taller as needed to fit your hoop/qsnap preferences!

Written Tutorials

Pay attention to sizes here — some of these you may need to scale up depending on your project and what you want to fit in it!

Video Tutorials
Purchasable Bags

Folio Cases

Another style of project bags I came across was the folio case. Aka something that you unfold like a book to then also provide you with a flat working area. These also exist in a variety of styles, including large pockets for a variety of crafts, and a subcategory of them that have rows of thread bobbin pockets which I’ll list separately.

Most of these are going to be paid patterns, as they’re a lot more complex designs.

Large Pockets

First we’ll start with the Large Pocket folios as these are pretty versatile. I love this one by ChrisShermanHandmade that includes a clip for floss drops! But Chris has a ton of different styles of folios so be sure to check out the full shop!

Written Tutorials
Video Tutorials
Paid Patterns
Purchasable Bags

Bobbin Pockets

Similar to the above, but with a page dedicated to bobbin pockets, such as this Stitch and Go Case by WhatSaysieMakes:

Video Tutorials
Paid Patterns
Purchasable Bags

Multi-Fold Cases

Lastly, a category i’m calling Multi-Fold Cases, as they fold over more than once to create a smaller profile pouch. Again these will be mostly paid patterns as they’re a bit more complex. But totally worth the cost to support these creative designers! Some may need to be scaled up if you want to include a hoop, as they’re not always cross stitch specific. But they’re also great for holding your other tools within a larger bag!

I did make the Goody Goody Binding Kit by LellaBoutique a few years back though and I use it loads! Would work well for in-hand cross stitch projects. And you can fit quite a few bobbins in that zippered pocket.

Written Tutorials
Paid Patterns
Purchasable Bags

So What Did I Make?

Alright, so clearly I’ve spent hours scouring the internet to make sure I am aware of every style and pattern of bag, pouch, and folio that could be conceivably used to store cross stitch projects and/or their accessories. What did I end up making?

I ultimately settled on this pattern by WhatSaysieMakes – The Stitch and Go Case. I did of course end up customizing it by adding a zipper around it rather than using a tie closure.

And I made use of an EEP UFO that had been sitting unfinished in my stash since 2019! Which is of course, rainbow. It was a free pattern from I Am Luna Sol, but it seems their site has changed quite a bit since 2019 and they no longer offer sewing patterns/tutorials. Alas.

Still, it made for a perfect cover for my folio and looks great on that quilted sparkly black fabric. And I found out that the case fits a small Nurge hoop or a 6″ QSnap pretty well from the base pattern. Plus it would be real easy to make it a little taller for a Medium Nurge, or a bit wider for an 8″ Qsnap if I make another.

I tend to work a lot of smaller projects though, so this size is perfect for me and now lives on my couch. Hopefully you found your perfect project bag through this exploration as well! And remember you could always adjust a design or mash up two different patterns to make the perfect case if needed!

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