My mom approached me a few months ago about working on a joint sewing project for my niece’s 2nd birthday.  Taylor is her first and only granddaughter, so you can just imagine how she is completely spoiled by Grandma and Aunt Kelly.

My mom is the one who taught me to sew and craft so I was excited to have the opportunity to do something together.  She picked out all the fabrics and sewed up lots of little skirts and tops (even some bridal veils) for an elaborate dress-up trunk.  I was tasked with creating some jewelry pouches and bags.  These are the perfect size for My Little Ponies, plastic necklaces, and anything else someone who is 2 needs to carry around.  A bit fancy?  Sure, but that’s the fun of dressing up – right?

These little drawstring jewelry pouches are simple and easy sewing projects that make for great gifts.  Since you don’t need much fabric, you can splurge on something luxurious.  JoAnn’s has a nice section of brocades that you can sometimes catch on sale (if you can tolerate all the little threads they shed).

And since there aren’t any zippers, a drawstring pouch is more forgiving for a new sewist than zippered pouches.  All those gathers help hide any less than straight seams.  These pouches I made don’t have any pockets, but it’s easy to add  small compartments if you’re making one for an adult.

I originally found instructions for this project on Craftster, but have made some modifications over the years.  If anyone wants to add this to their holiday sewing list and needs some help getting started, just let me know.  I’d be happy to help.