SewCanShe DIY Car Visor Organizer Instructions

SewCanShe DIY Car Visor Organizer

Specifications

• Finished size: approximately 6 x 11 1/2
• Material: Fabric, Vinyl, Fusible Interfacing

Bind the Free Edge of the Vinyl Pocket:

1. Fold the fabric strip in half lengthwise and clip it to thevinyl rectangle.
2. Sew the binding strip to the vinyl with a 1/4 seam allowance.
3. Turn the folded edge of the vinyl over to the other side and topstitch it down.

Make the Card Pockets

1. Stitch along one long edge of the card pocket pieces with a 1/4 seam allowance.
2. Press the seam open and fold the piece in half to create a pocket piece.
3. Topstitch along the edge of the seam and draw lines for card slots.
4. Baste and sew along the drawn lines to make the card slots.

FAQ
Q: What size should I cut the fabric for the exterior of the organizer?
A: Cut the fabric according to the specified measurements provided in the instructions.

DIY Car Visor Organizer Pattern from SewCanShe.com

www.sewcanshe.com/diy-car-visor-organizer-free-sewing- pattern
Keep your car organized with a DIY car visor organizer! This free sewing pattern for an easy to sew organizer has a large zippered pocket at the top, a generous see through vinyl pocket, 2 card slots, a flapped pocket with velcro to keep small items safe, and a snap tab to hold your sunglasses. It will help you keep all your things right where you need them and easy to find.
There’s only a little bit of vinyl in this project, but make sure you review my tips for sewing on vinyl.

Finished size: approximately 6” x 11 1/2”

MATERIALS LIST:

• 1/4 yard (or fat quarter) of cotton fabric for the organizer exterior

• 1/4 yard (or fat quarter) of cotton fabric for the lining and pockets

• 1/2 yard of 20” wide fusible interfacing (Pellon Decor Bond 809 or SF101)

• a 6 1/2” x 7” rectangle and a 2” square of see through plastic vinyl
  • 3 1/2” of sew on hook and loop tape (velcro) that is 3/4” wide

• 19” of 1” wide elastic

• 1 plastic snap (I use Kam Snaps)

• a 11” long zipper (I suggest a size 4.5 YKK handbag zipper or Zipper by the Yard from ByAnnie for this project)

You will also need

• a fabric marking pen
• Wonderclips – especially necessary when working with vinyl
• a sewing stiletto (very helpful – I use mine all the time!)

CUTTING
From the fabric for the exterior of the organizer, cut:

• 2 rectangles 6 1/2” x 12” (for the main compartment)
• 2 squares 2” x 2” (to bind the ends of the zipper)

From the fabric for the lining and pockets, cut:

• 2 rectangles 6 1/2” x 12” (for the lining of the main compartment)
• 2 rectangles 6 1/2” x 3 1/4” (for the card pockets)
• 1 rectangle 8 1/2” x 4 1/2” (for the square velcro pocket)
• 2 rectangles 2” x 4 1/2” (for the velcro pocket flap)
• 1 strip 2” x 6 1/2” (to bind the free edge of the vinyl pocket)
• 2 from the Snap Tab template (see the download link above, print at 100%)

From the see through vinyl, cut:

• 1 rectangle 6 1/2” x 7”
• 1 square 2” x 2”

From the fusible interfacing, cut:

• •2 rectangles 6 1/2” x 12” (for the main compartment)

BIND THE FREE EDGE OF THE VINYL POCKET

1.  Fold the 2” x 6 1/2” strip of fabric in half lengthwise, wrong sides together. Clip it to one of the 6 1/2” side edges of the vinyl rectangle with the raw edges of the fabric lined up with the edge of the vinyl.
2. Sew the binding strip to the vinyl with a 1/4” seam allowance.
3. Turn the folded edge of the vinyl over to the other side. Topstitch it down close to the folded edge.

MAKE THE CARD POCKETS

1. Place the two 3 1/4” x 6 1/2” card pocket pieces right sides together. Stitch along one long edge with a 1/4” seam allowance.
2.  Press the seam open. Then fold the piece in half along the seam. Press again to make a 3” x 6” pocket piece.
3. Topstitch along the edge of the seam.
4. Use the fabric marking pen to draw a vertical line down the center of the piece. Then draw two more lines that are 2 1/4” away from the center line.
5. Lay the vinyl pocket on your workspace, right side up (the side with the topstitching is the right side). Place the card pocket on top, on the left side and even with the edges. Use Wonderclips to hold the card pocket in place.
6. Baste around the side and bottom edges of the card pocket a scant 1/4” from the edge.
7. Using a regular stitch length (I used a stitch length of 3), sew along the 3 drawn lines to make the card slots. Backstitch neatly at the top of the each line.

MAKE THE SQUARE POCKET WITH A FLAP

1. Fold the 4 1/2” x 8 1/2” rectangle in half, wrong sides together to make a square. Pin.
   Sew around the sides with a 1/4” seam allowance, leaving a 2” opening for turning the pocket right sides out. Clip the corners to remove the extra fabric.

2. Turn the square pocket right side out and press. Turn the raw edges at the opening to the inside and press. Set the square pocket aside for now.

3. Place the two 2” x 4 1/2” flap pieces right sides together. Use the fabric marking pen and a thread spool to draw rounded corners at two of the corners.

4. Pin the flap pieces together. Sew all the way around them with a 1/4” seam allowance, leaving a 2” opening along the top straight edge for turning.

5. Clip the corners. Use small scissors or pinking shears to cut small notches around the curved edges.
   Turn the flap right side out through the opening. Turn the raw edges to the inside and press it flat. If desired, topstitch along the top straight edge.

6.  Trim corners of the fuzzy side of the 3 1/2” piece of sew on hook and loop tape so that it fits the flap.

7. Place the two hook and loop pieces together and trim the corners of the scratchy piece in the same way.
   Pin the soft piece to the flap about 1/8” from the curved edge. Pin the scratchy piece to the square pocket about 1/8” away from the top edge.

8. Sew the hook and loop tape pieces to the pocket and the flap by stitching neatly around the edges of the tape.

9. On the same side of the pocket that has the hook and loop tape, mark a small dot that is centered and 1” above the bottom edge. Following the manufacturers instructions for your plastic snaps and snap press, install the female side of a plastic snap over the dot.

MAKE THE SNAP TAB TO HOLD YOUR SUNGLASSES

1. Place the two pieces cut using the snap tab template right sides together. Sew around the curved edge with a 1/4” seam allowance. Use small scissors or pinking shears to cut notches around the curved edge for easy turning. Turn the piece right side out and press flat.
2. Topstitch around the curved edges, 1/8” away from the edge.
3. Mark a dot that is centered and 1/2” above the curved bottom edge. Install the female side of a plastic snap over the dot.

SEW THE POCKETS TO THE ORGANIZER EXTERIOR

1. Press to fuse the 6 1/2” x 12” fusible interfacing pieces to the wrong sides of both of the 6 1/2” x 12” exterior fabric rectangles.
2. Place one of the exterior fabric rectangles on your workspace right side up. Lay the square pocket on top with the hook and loop tape and snap piece facing up. The pocket should be 3/4” away from the right edge and centered top to bottom. Pin the pocket to the exterior fabric rectangle along the side edges.
3. Slide the raw edge of the tab piece under the bottom edge of the square pocket by about 1/4”. The tab piece should be centered with the bottom edge of the square pocket. Place a pin at the bottom of the square pocket to hold the tab piece in place. Make sure that the male side of the plastic snap on the tab piece is facing up.
4. Sew around the side and bottom edges of the square pocket, attaching the snap tab at the same time. Be sure to backstitch neatly at the top corners of the pocket.
5. Close the snap tab to keep it out of the way. Stick the flap to the top of the square pocket, lining up the hook and loop tape.
6. Then sew the top edge of the flap in place, topstitching close to the fold.
7. Lay the vinyl piece with the card pockets on the left side of the organizer exterior rectangle. Secure it with lots of Wonderclips.
8. Baste around the vinyl pocket and card pocket a scant 1/4” from the edges.
9. Fold the 2” square of vinyl in half and clip it to the right side of the organizer, centered top to bottom.
   Baste it in place a scant 1/4” from the edge.

ATTACH THE ELASTIC TO THE BACK PIECE

1.  Cut the 1” wide elastic in half to make two peices, each 6 1/2” long. Pin or clip the elastic to the remaining 6 1/2” x 12” exterior fabric rectangle. The elastic should be 2 1/2” away from each side edge as shown above.
2. Sew across the ends of the elastic a scant 1/4” from the edge.

PREPARE THE ZIPPER
For this project, you’ll need exactly 11” of zipper, without stoppers or any extra zipper tape at the ends.
If you are using a regular zipper: cut off the zipper stoppers, measure and cut the  zipper to exactly 11” and then sew across the ends of the zipper to prevent the sliderfrom coming off while you work.
If you are using Zipper by the Yard (my favorite): add a slider to your zipper and then cut a piece that is 11” long. Sew across the ends of the zipper to prevent the slider from coming off.

1. Fold one of the 2” squares of exterior fabric in half, wrong sides together. Pin or clip it to the back (wrong side) of one of the ends of the zipper. The raw edges of the binding piece should be lined up with the end of the zipper.
2. Sew the across the binding piece with a 1/4” seam allowance.
3. Turn the folded edge of the binding piece over to the top (right side) of the zipper. Topstitch along the folded edge.
4. Repeat to bind the other end of the zipper. Trim away the extra binding fabric so that the binding is flush with the sides of the zipper.

SEW THE ZIPPER TO THE ORGANIZER PIECES

1. Lay the organizer rectangle with the pockets on your workspace right side up. Place the zipper along the top edge, right side down. Center the zipper along the top edge and secure with clips.

2. Attach a zipper foot to your sewing machine. Sew the zipper to the top edge of the organizer piece with a 1/4” seam allowance. Move the zipper slider out of your way when you come to it so you can sew a nice straight seam.

3. Place one of the 6 1/2” x 12” lining pieces on top (with the fabric pieces right sides together) and clip along the top edge.

4. Sew along the top edge with a 1/4” seam allowance.

5. Fold the lining piece around to the back so that the fabric pieces are wrong sides together. Finger press the seam next to the zipper to make it straight and flat. You can carefully press the seam from the lining side, but do not use an iron on the front near the vinyl.
   Topstitch along the seam 1/8” away from the zipper.

6. Lay the back exterior piece (the one with elastic sewn to it) on your workspace right side up. Place the front of the organizer on top, right side down. Line up the top edge of the zipper with the top edge of the back piece and use clips or pins along the top edge to hold the layers together.

7. Sew along the top edge with a 1/4” seam allowance.

8. Lay the remaining 6 1/2” x 12” lining piece on top, lined up with the zipper. The two lining pieces will be right sides together. Sew across the top edge with a 1/4” seam allowance, as before.

9. Fold the lining piece around to the back so that the fabric pieces are wrong sides together. Finger press the seam next to the zipper to make it straight and flat.
   Topstitch along the seam 1/8” away from the zipper.

FINISH YOUR DIY CAR VISOR ORGANIZER

1. Refold the pieces of the organizer so that the lining pieces are right sides together and the exterior pieces are right sides together and the zipper is sandwiched in between. Open the zipper half-way. Place clips all the way around to hold the layers in place.

2.  Sew all the way around this square piece with a 1/4” seam allowance. Leave a 4-5” opening in the lining for turning it right side out. Clip the corners to remove excess fabric without cutting the stitching.

3. Turn the organizer right side out through the lining. Press it flat (be super careful not to let your iron touch the vinyl!). Turn the raw edges at the opening to the inside and press. Sew the opening in the vinyl closed.

Insert the lining into the pocket and you’re done!
I would love to see the DIY car visor organizers you make with my free pattern! Please post a photo to Instagram and tag me @sewcanshe so I can take a look.

References

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