peg bag tutorial

This peg bag is pretty easy to make and is one of the first projects I undertook when I got my first sewing machine a couple of years ago. It was the first sewing I’d done since home economics class in about 1989.

You will need:

  • A child’s coat hanger
  • 0.5 metre bias binding (I’ve used 1 inch wide as I’ve found the wider it is, the easier it is to work with)
  • 3 pieces of contrasting fabric, each 55cm x 30cm
  • Thread

Step 1.

Make a template. Lay the coat hanger on a piece of paper and draw around it, leaving approximately 1.5cm extra on top of and at the sides of the coat hanger. Make it as long or short as you want (this one is 40cm long). Draw a circle (approx. 12cm in diameter) in the top third of the template and cut it out (I drew around a small saucer).

Step 2.

Step 3.

Iron a small double hem down on the top edge of the front piece and sew using a straight stitch.
Step 4.  Sew a straight stitch all the way around the hole, about 0.5cm from the edge. Then sew a zig zag stitch all the way around the whole of the front piece to stop in from fraying.

Step 5.

Iron the bias binding in half and pin it around the hole, making sure you tuck the edge of the fabric right into the bias fold. Make sure you iron one end of the bias down to make a neat finish. Sew a straight stitch all the way around the bias binding. Sometimes when I turn the fabric over, I’ve found that I’ve missed bits of the bias on the other side (especially when I’ve used thin bias binding). Don’t worry – just flip it over and sew another straight stitch all the way around. This double stitching also looks quite good. Alternatively, you could hand sew the bias onto the fabric. The front of the peg bag is now done… you’re actually more than halfway there…

Step 6.


Now for the back of the bag. Sew the right sides of the remaining two pieces of fabric together, leaving a hole at the side to turn it the right way around. Try to sew fairly close to the edge (I left about 0.5cm). Turn it the right side out, push out the corners with your fingers and iron flat. Sew a little label to the back if you fancy it (I’ve used Bec’s idea for labels).
Step 7.
Pin the right sides together – the front will be a bit bigger than the back. Just make sure you line the two pieces up so that they are even at the very top of the bag (the hole where the coat hanger hook will poke out). Sew a straight stitch all the way around, leaving the coat hanger hole unstitched. Turn right side out (via the round hole) and iron. Put the coat hanger in and you’re done! For a gorgeous gift, pair with some painted pegs or a matching