DIY Ziplock Bag Travel Kit / First Aid Kit

This travel, first aid, odds and ends, whatever you want to call it kit thing is so cool, and was so easy to make!!

I originally saw the idea here at Tidy Mom. 
They used a pot holder for the outside - which is brilliant because they are already made, and they come in many adorable patterns.
I did not use a potholder however, for two reasons.
1) I will be packing mine around with me on vacation, and I didn't want to add any bulk that I didn't need.  I think potholders are a little bulky for this project.
2) I am impatient and the night I wanted to make this, it was late, and I had no extra potholders lying around the house :)

So, I made my own "potholder" - and made it a little bigger - to fit more in - and a little thinner. 

This size will work for either sandwich or quart sized ziplock bags - however I used quart size bags because they are so much thicker and sturdier. 

2 pieces cotten fabric - 14" x 8"
1 piece of flannel - 14" x 8" (this is optional.  I wanted to give my case a little bit of padding and form.)
1 piece cotton fabric - 14" x 6" (for the outside pocket - optional)
1 piece of interfacing - 14" x 6" (if you are using a pocket)
Extra wide, double fold Bias Tape (1 package will do)

First, iron the interfacing on to the back of the pocket.  Then, sew a strip of bias tape across the top edge of the pocket.  To do this, sandwich the pocket fabric between the bias tape, and pin it.  Sew as close to the open edge of the bias tape as you can, all the way across. 
Next, lay out your fabric in the final order as shown below:
1 Large cotton piece, wrong side up
Piece of flannel
1 Large cotton piece, right side up
Pocket (lined up on bottom edge), right side up

Pin the bias tape around all 4 edges and sew. Again, sandwich all the layers of fabric between the bias tape, and pin it. You will have to make some minor folds at the corners to make the bias tape continue around the edge. Sew as close to the inside edge of the bias tape as you can, all the way around.  

Here it is, all sewn.  I folded over the edge of the end of the bias tape and sewed it down to make a loop - just like a real potholder :)  Might come in handy sometime - who knows...

Now, the pocket will be on the outside, so flip the fabric over.  I used 10 ziplock bags, 5 facing each direction.  I alternated 1 facing left, 1 facing right, and so on. 
I liked making my case this size (larger than a potholder), because although the left side and right side ziplock bags overlap a little bit in the middle, there is not a ton of extra bag hanging over.  (You want some overlap, so that when you sew down the middle you catch the ends of all the bags to secure them to the fabric.)
Be sure you tape the bags generously with scotch tape before you sew down the middle, so they don't slide around.  Determine the center of the fabric, and sew along the center line a few times with a zig zag stitch, as shown below:

If there is extra ziplock bag hanging over, you can trim it off after it is sewn down. 

And here it is all sewn together! 

I added a little piece of cord, looped and sewn down (see picture above) to go over a button on the opposite side to secure it closed (see picture below). 

As I said, I am taking mine on vacation soon, and I am so thrilled that all these little odds and ends are in one accessible, colorful, convenient place!!

In mine, I put things like: bandaids, hair ties, hair clips, chapstick, floss, safety pins, hand sanitizer, hand wipes, tissue, feminine products, nail file, eye drops, pain reliever, sunblock, neo to go.  And yes, it all fits!!

So go make one for your purse, your diaper bag, your car, your friend, your babysitter, your child's teacher - I'm telling you, everyone will love it!!