How to Make a Wet Bag

Dec 13, 2022

Ever out and about and need somewhere to tidily store a wet swimsuit, sweaty gym clothes or maybe even dirty diapers? With this wet bag tutorial, it’s all literally in the bag and solved with this handy waterproof storage solution! Made from Spoonflower’s Recycled Canvas and Polyurethane Laminate (also known as PUL), this cute lil’ pouch will help you securely stow away even your grimiest items until they can safely hit the wash. Follow along with Bonnie from Peppermint Magazine to learn how to sew your own handy wet bag.

A fabric rectangle featuring a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background lays on a white surface. A pink zipper has been stitched up the middle. A U-shaped handle in the same fabric has been sewn to the top center of the bag. The bag is laying on a white surface and to the left of a teal-and-black swimsuit and blue wetsuit. A small succulent is to the top left along with tortoiseshell sunglasses. — A finished wet bag ready to be filled with a swimsuit or wetsuit! Featured design: Girls Surfers Pink Small Scale by tasiania

Bonnie: Birds fly south for the winter and many humans too choose to weather the winter in warmer climes! Down here in Australia, we’re gearing up for a long, hot summer and without sounding too stereotypical, here at Peppermint magazine, we’re looking forward to some sun, sand and surf. However, cavorting tropical climates can lead to all sorts of sticky situations and you may be looking for a way to store your wet togs—or swimsuits, as you call them—that’s a little more elegant (and sustainable!) than a spare plastic bag scrounged up from the boot—er, trunk—of your car.

A wet bag is a zippered pouch with a waterproof inner lining that is useful for transporting all sorts of things—wet swimwear, reusable period products and diapers. Basically, anything wet and/or sticky that you want to keep separate from your clean and dry things. If you skip the inner lining, this design doubles as a simple and sweet canvas zipper pouch! With a neat French-seamed finish, the design includes clever folds that allow for optimized storage capacity and cuteness!

A yard of recycled canvas fabric in a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background is folded and lying on top of a yard of folded Polyurethane Laminate for the outside and inside of the wet bag, respectively. A 10” (25 cm) pink zipper is lying on top of the top fabric. Both fabrics are lying on a white surface. — Getting supplies ready: A yard of Recycled Canvas in Girls Surfers Pink Small Scale by tasiania, a yard of PUL and a 10” (25 cm) zipper.

Skill level: Intermediate

Materials

Sewing machine
1 yard (40”) of Recycled Canvas (we used Girls Surfers Pink Small Scale by tasiania)
1/2 yard (20”) of lining material (see note below)
10” (25 cm) zipper
Measuring tape
Fabric marker or pen
Fabric scissors or rotary blade
Fabric clips or pins (fabric clips recommended)

What is Polyurethane Laminate?

In order to keep any wetness on the inside of your wet bag, you’ll need a waterproof material for the lining. One of the favored fabrics for a project like this is Polyurethane Laminate (PUL). PUL is a polyester fabric with a plastic backing made up of a thin waterproof layer. Since PUL is thin, flexible, breathable and washable, it can be easier to work with than other options. For sewists wanting more eco-friendly PUL, options made out of recycled consumer plastics are available. Bonnie recommends buying PUL from Nature’s Fabrics, Noosa Fabric Co. and Wazoodle Fabrics.

1. Cut Out Your Pieces

Cut two rectangles measuring 12”x 27” (69 cm x 30 cm)—one in your canvas fabric and one in your lining fabric. Next, cut one rectangle measuring 7” x 2” (6 cm x 18 cm) and two rectangles measuring 1.5” x 3” (4 cm x 7.5 cm) from your canvas fabric.

Two rectangle pieces of fabric for the wet bag are lying on a white surface. The piece on top has been cut out of Polyurethane Laminate. The piece on the bottom has a design featuring small female surfers surfing through a pink background. Three smaller rectangles in the pink fabric are at the top of image, two small rectangles to the left and one larger rectangle to the right. A pink zipper is lying on top of the fabric to the right.

2. Attach Zipper Ends

The two tiny fabric rectangles at either end of the zipper are zipper ends. We are going to attach them to each end of the zipper to give us extra room to work with when we French seam the bag closed later.

Take your zipper and trim down the ends by 1/4” (0.6 cm). Then fold one fabric rectangle in half, right sides together, around the end of the zipper. Stitch along the folded edge.

Two images have been placed side by side in one rectangle. On the left, A pink zipper is lying on a white surface. A small piece of fabric has been folded right sides together over the right edge of the zipper. A pin has been placed near the open end of the long top side of the rectangle piece of fabric. On the right, A pink zipper is lying on a white surface. A small piece of fabric has been folded right sides together over the right edge of the zipper. A seam has been sewn in pink thread to the top right of the folded piece of fabric.

Fold the fabric back so the loose ends meet, wrong sides together, and topstitch along the new folded edge.

Repeat for the other end of the zipper.

3. Make the Handle

Take your 7” x 2” rectangle and fold in half lengthways, wrong sides together. Press.

A small rectangle of fabric has been folded in half lengthwise with the wrong sides of the fabric together and is being pressed together with a hot iron. The fabric features a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background.

Unfold and then fold in the long edges to meet this center crease. Press.

A small rectangle of fabric is being pressed lengthwise with a hot iron. The left edge of the fabric and the right edge of the fabric are being pressed toward the middle with a small gap between the two. The fabric features a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background.

Fold in half again and press.

A small rectangle of fabric has been folded together and is being pressed lengthwise with a hot iron. The fabric features a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background.

Topstitch down along both edges.

A small rectangle of fabric has been sewn along the top edge and the bottom edge. The fabric features a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background.

Set the handle aside.

4. Attach Zipper to Fabric

Lay your large (12” x 27”) canvas rectangle right side facing up. Place your zipper atop it right side facing down, aligning edges. Place your lining material atop this, right side facing down, making a sandwich with the zipper in the middle.

Two images have been combined into one rectangle. On the left, a pink zipper is lying face down on the top right edge of a rectangle of fabric. The fabric features a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background. On the right, a rectangle piece of Polyurethane Laminate fabric is lying on top of a rectangle of fabric featuring a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background. The edge of a pink zipper can be seen sandwiched between the two.

Pro tip:

Depending on your lining fabric it may be better to use fabric clips rather than pins to avoid creating holes in the materials.

Using wonder clips to hold the fabric together and a zipper foot, stitch it all together. Turn and fold materials so that the canvas and lining are wrong sides together and then topstitch down along the zipper.

A rectangle piece of Polyurethane Laminate fabric is lying on top of a rectangle of fabric featuring a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background. A pink zipper lays in between the two. Pastel wonder clips have been placed along the right edge in order to sew those three things together.

Align the other edges of your canvas and lining and zipper tape. Your canvas will end up folded one way and your lining folded the other to create the same right-sides sandwich configuration. Sew together along the zipper edge.

Open the zipper and manipulate the fabric so that the canvas and lining are sitting together, wrong sides facing. Topstitch along the zipper edge.

Two images have been combined into one rectangle. On the left, A rectangle of fabric featuring a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background lays on a white surface. A pink zipper has been laid along the right edge. On the right, A rectangle of fabric featuring a design with small female surfers surfing through a pink background lays on a white surface. A pink zipper has been stitched to the right.

5. Create Fold

Place your bag flat with the zipper positioned in the middle of the fabric (the zipper should sit roughly 6” (16 cm) in from the edges).

Fold one outer edge in towards the inside so it’s sandwiched between the layers, creating a Σ shape with a depth of 1.5” (4 cm).

Affix in place with clips or pins and repeat on the other side.

6. Finishing Steps

On the top edge of the bag (where the zipper sits when closed), pin or clip your handle in place, centered with each end 1.5” (3.8 cm) away from the zipper.

We are going to finish the bag with a neat French seam so with the bag right side out, stitch along the open top and bottom with a 1/4” (0.6 cm) seam allowance. Then flip the bag inside out and sew along these edges again with a 1/2” (1.2 cm) seam, encasing the raw edges on the other side.

A rectangle-shaped bag has been turned inside out, the Polyurethane Laminate fabric is showing as is the back side of a pink zipper. The bag is laying on a white surface.

Flip your bag right way out again and voilà! You’re ready to hit the beach, or simply head out and about with an easy mind knowing anything you encounter can be safely stored in this handy dandy pouch!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a wet bag for?

A wet bag is a waterproof bag that keeps wet or dirty things like swimsuits, gym clothes, used cloth pads, dirty diapers corralled in a safe container until you can get them into the wash.

What material do you use to make a wet bag?

In this tutorial Bonnie has used our Recycled Canvas for the outside layer of the bag and PUL, Polyurethane Laminate, for the inside.

Are wet bags washable?

Yes, they are washable! For Recycled Canvas, we recommend washing in cold water, tumble drying on low and if you’d like to iron out any wrinkles, do so promptly. For the PUL, you’ll need to check the details for the type you buy, but it’s generally also washable in the same settings, so feel free to get these bags dirty and then wash ‘em clean!

Want to Learn More From Our Friends at Peppermint?

See Their Quilted Coaster Tutorial

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