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Passport Cover



Skill level: Beginner

You will need:

  • Cotton fabric x 2 pieces - 35cm x 16cm
  • Medium weight interfacing 35 x 16cm
  • Popper
  • Thread
  • Needle
  • Scissors
  • Clips
  • Iron
  • Chopstick (or alternative to push out the sewn corners)
  • Sewing machine

To make:

Take one of the pieces of the fabric and place it right-side down.
Place the shiny side of the interfacing face down onto the fabric.
Iron on the interfacing.

Take both pieces of fabric and clip them together, right sides together.
Using your sewing machine and leaving a 0.5cm seam allowance, straight stitch around all edges of the two pieces, except on one of the longer sides, leaving a gap of approx. 4/5cm unsewn (this will allow you to turn the fabric right-side out).
Trim the corners and the hem so there is less bulkiness.

Using the gap you have left unsewn, pull the fabric through the hole, so the right sides of the fabric are now showing.
Carefully use the chopstick to push out the corners and hemmed sides of the fabric.
Press with your iron. When pressing, neaten up the edges of the open section and press a hem inside – you will stitch this section closed in the next step.

Fold the fabric in half lengthways to find the middle, press.
Open the piece and lay it flat.
Take the left-hand side of the fabric and fold towards the middle so the overlap is 6.5cm and press. Repeat on the right-hand side. Place your passport under one of the flaps to check it fits well.

Measure one of the short, folded edges from top to bottom and then find the middle.
2cm from the folded edge, on the left-hand side, hand sew on one piece of the popper (make sure you only sew on the ‘flap’ piece and not all the way through all of the layers of fabric).
In the same place, on the right-hand side, hand sew on the other piece of the popper. After you have sewn a couple of stitches on the second half of the popper, fold it over to meet the first half of the popper to check both parts meet and have been positioned in the correct place. Continue stitching until the popper piece is secure.

Clip the overlapped sections in place. Machine a straight stitch around the whole fabric piece, approx. 0.2cm from the edge. Be careful when you’re near the poppers.
Also, stitch a straight line down the fold in the middle of the opened piece.

Place your passport in your case. You can keep some money or your other travel items in the case too.

Tips and ideas

  • If you do not have a British passport, please check the measurements. The passport we used was 17.5cm x 12.5cm (when opened and flat). Adjust the measurements accordingly if yours is larger or smaller.
  • You could use a different fabric for the lining.
  • If you would like a firmer case, add interfacing to both pieces of fabric.
  • If your fabric/s have a design or pattern that is best viewed a specific way up, ensure you cut the pieces accordingly and that you sew the fabric pieces together the same way up so the pattern is in the same direction when turned the correct way out.
  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to iron on the interfacing.
  • If you have a vinyl cutting machine, you could personalise the cover using heat transfer vinyl to add the person’s initials.
  • Make both the luggage tag and passport holder and gift to your family and friends.