How to Sew a Slip Pocket in a Tote Bag

by Amanda Whisman September 07, 2026 1 Comment

How to Sew a Slip Pocket in Any Tote Bag

One of the easiest ways to add more storage to a tote bag is with a slip pocket. And the nice thing about making your own is that you can make it whatever size you want and divide it into sections that work for you.

I’m using my Easy Charm Tote for this tutorial, but you can use this same method with just about any lined tote or bag. It doesn’t have to be one of my patterns, either.

What You’ll Need

• Cotton fabric for your pocket
• Lightweight woven fusible interfacing
• Ruler
• Fabric marker or Hera marker
• Basic sewing supplies

I use Pellon SF101 on my slip pockets. It gives the fabric a little more structure without adding a bunch of bulk.

Decide How Big You Want Your Pocket

First, decide how wide and deep you want your finished pocket.

For the Easy Charm Tote shown here, my finished pocket is approximately 7" high x 14½" wide.

To figure out your own pocket size, you’ll cut the fabric twice the finished height of the pocket, plus ½" for your seam allowance.  The width of the fabic should be the same width of the tote lining.

For this pocket, I cut my cotton fabric and SF101 14½" x 15".

Fuse the SF101 to the wrong side of your pocket fabric according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Sew the Pocket

Fold the pocket fabric in half with right sides together.

Sew the raw edges opposite the fold using a ¼" seam allowance. You’ll end up with a fabric tube.

Press the seam open.

Turn the tube right side out and press it flat. Position the seam slightly above the bottom edge rather than directly along the fold.

Topstitch the Pocket

The folded edge without the seam will be the top of your pocket.

Topstitch approximately ⅛" from the top edge using a longer stitch length, like 3.5mm.

I like to add a second row of topstitching about ¼" below the first. You certainly don’t have to, but I like the extra detail.

Position the Pocket on Your Lining

Place the pocket on the right side of your lining and center it from side to side.

For my Easy Charm Tote, I placed the top of the pocket 4" below the top edge of the lining.

Pin or clip the pocket in place.

Divide Your Pocket

Now decide how many sections you want.

You can leave it as one large pocket or divide it into smaller sections. They don’t have to be the same size, either. If you want one section for your phone and another for smaller things, mark them accordingly.

Use a Hera marker or erasable fabric marker to mark the vertical lines for your pocket divisions.

Sew the Pocket to the Lining

Using a longer stitch length, sew across the bottom edge of the pocket approximately ⅛" from the edge, backstitching at the beginning and end.

Sew across the bottom a second time. On this second pass, follow your marked vertical lines to stitch the pocket divisions and secure them to the lining.

And that’s it. Your lining now has a custom slip pocket, and you can continue assembling your bag according to your pattern instructions.

Once you know how to do this, you can add slip pockets to all kinds of bags. Make them wider, deeper, divide them differently, or use a fun coordinating fabric. It’s an easy way to change a bag to work better for how you’ll use it.

And remember, you can use this with other designers’ patterns, too. If you love a tote pattern but wish it had another pocket, add one.

More Free Bagmaking Tutorials

If you want to keep learning, head over to my Learning Library. I’ve collected my free bagmaking tutorials there so you can easily find more techniques to try on your next bag.

You can also browse my bag sewing patterns when you’re ready for your next project.  

If you try adding a slip pocket to your next project, and let me know how it turns out. I’d love to see your creations—tag me on social media @BeMandyThings!

Happy sewing!

Amanda

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