How to Make Fast First Aid Pockets

Give a thumbs-up for easy-to-reach first aid items.

You should equip your home and car with a fully stocked first aid kit. A quick reach location for commonly used emergency items, such as bandages, hand sanitizer and a list of important medical phone numbers, often is needed in kitchens and family rooms. Take away the frustration of digging through a drawer for a bandage or trying to open a bandage box with your one uninjured hand. Create a set of convenient and decorative pockets for quick access to first aid medical items.

Things You'll Need

• Tissue paper
• Scissors
• Pins
• Ruler
• 1/3 yard medium-weight base fabric
• 1/3 yard contrasting fabric
• 1/3 yard iron-on interfacing
• 18-inch quilting ruler
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Magnetic hooks (optional)
• Fabric markers (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure and cut a 13-inch by 13-inch Template A and a 7-inch by 13-inch Template B from tissue paper.

2. Fold the base fabric with selvages together. Pin Template A to the base fabric with one side of the template parallel to the selvages. Cut out the two rectangular pieces.

3. Pin Template A to the iron-on interfacing and cut out one rectangular piece.

4. Fold the contrasting fabric as you did the base fabric. Pin Template B to the fabric with one side parallel to the selvages. Cut out the two pocket pieces.

5. Place the two pocket pieces wrong sides together. Use a 1/2-inch seam to stitch across the top of the pockets. Turn right sides out and iron along the top seams. Top-stitch along the top edge.

6. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of one base piece.

7. Machine-baste the sides and bottom of the pocket piece to the right side of one base piece.

8. Place the right sides of the two base pieces together. Pin the pieces together. Start a 1/2-inch seam at 2 inches from the bottom of one of the side edges and stitch around the piece, leaving a 3-inch opening on the side seam.

9. Turn the pieces right sides out. Tuck in the seams at the opening. Iron. Top-stitch around all edges. Measure 6 inches from one side to mark the center of the pocket piece. Top-stitch through all thickness of fabric to create two pockets.

10. Make three 3/4-inch buttonholes along the top of the piece. All buttonholes are perpendicular to the top. Two are 1/2 inch from each side and one is centered. Use the buttonholes to hang the pockets on magnetic hooks or to tack through to hang the pockets on a wall or bulletin board.

Tips & Warnings

• Use magnetic hooks to attach the pockets to the refrigerator.

• Tack the pockets to the inside of a cupboard door.

• Use pockets in a school classroom.

• Create the pockets from light neutral color fabrics and decorate with fabric markers.

• Reconfigure dimensions and use inside a school locker for holding small school supplies.

References

• American Red Cross: Anatomy of a First Aid Kit

Resources

• Kids Health From Nemours: First-Aid Kit
• Simplicity: Sewing Basics and Techniques