DIY Hanging Organizer – Free Sewing Pattern

I’ve got 2 beautiful new hanging organizers in my studio… thanks to you!

This was one of the sewing projects that you voted for me to make last year, and it turned out so well.

UPDATE: This blog post has been converted to an optional PDF that’s optimized for printing. Find it here. The blog post below is totally free to read, print, and sew! Just hit CTRL +P on your computer to print. The PDF download for $2 is totally optional. Did you know you can get ALL the Optimized for Printing PDF files organized in a library for you to access anytime you want? Check it out.

The DIY hanging organizers have generous half-circle baskets that can hold all kinds of things.

In my studio, I’m filling them with pre-cut fabrics, thread, and my tape measure collection. 🙂

In a bedroom the hanging organizer could hold socks, undies, and accessories.

In a bathroom – maybe tissues, reading materials, and toilet paper, lol.

What are you going to put in your hanging organizer?

I used sturdy canvas for the back of the organizer and for reinforcing the pockets (this is similar to mine). The floral pockets are sewn from beautiful quilting cotton (Penelope from QT Fabrics). The graphic arrow pockets are made with cute Premier Prints home decor fabric. I reinforced the upper corners of the baskets by stitching triangles. And the bottom of each basket contains ultra firm stabilizer. These can hold a lot without sagging!

Are you ready for the free Hanging Organizer Sewing Pattern? Let’s sew!

DOWNLOAD THE PATTERN TEMPLATE HERE.

You will need:

• 1 yard natural cotton duck canvas fabric, 60” wide

• 3/4 yard coordinating fabric for the exterior of the baskets (pretty quilting cotton or home decor fabric both work great)

• 1/2 yard Peltex 72F ultra firm double sided fusible stabilizer

• a heavy duty sewing machine needle, 90/14 or 100/16 recommended

• a 12” long piece of a 3/8” wooden dowel

• 26” natural twine for hanging

• pencil or fabric marker

• Wonderclips (optional but very helpful for attaching the curved pieces)

Cutting:

From the natural cotton duck fabric, cut:

• 2 rectangles 31” x 13”

• 3 rectangles 7” x 16 3/4”

• 2 squares 5” x 5”

Oops! I pre-washed some of my canvas duck fabric and learned a lesson. It got big wrinkles that never came out, even with LOTS of ironing + steam. I’m using the fabric anyway, but I won’t make that mistake again.

From your pretty coordinating fabric, cut:

• 3 rectangles 7” x 16 3/4”

and…

• 3 large circles – placing the straight edge of the hanging organizer pattern template on the fabric fold

From the Peltex 72F stabilizer, cut:

• 3 smaller half circles – trimming away 1/2” from the pattern template along the gray line and not folding the stabilizer.

Sew the back of the organizer:

Use a 1/2” seam allowance.

1. Make the hanging tabs by folding the 5” squares in half and sewing along the long edge.

Press the seams open. Turn the tabs right side out and press them flat with the seam on the back of the strip.

Topstitch along both long edges, 1/4” from the edge.

2. Fold the tabs in half with the seam hidden inside and pin the raw edges to the top edge of one of the 31” x 13” pieces of canvas.

The tabs should each be 2” away from the sides of the long piece.

Sew the tabs to the canvas back within the 1/2” seam allowance.

3. Pin the two 31” x 13” canvas pieces right sides together (with the tabs in between).

Stitch all the way around the piece, leaving 6” open at the bottom for turning right side out.

Tip: Before turning, press the edges open. This will help the edges turn out completely.

Clip the corners.

4. Turn the organizer back right side out and push the edges and corners out completely. Press.

5. Topstitch all the way around 1/4” from the edge, closing the opening at the same time.

6. Using a pencil or fabric marker, draw a 10” line along the bottom of the organizer, 1” above the bottom edge.

Connect the ends of that line with  6” tall vertical lines that are approximately 1” away from the sides of the organizer.

These are the placement lines for the lower basket.

7. Draw 2 more sets of placement lines, with 2” separating each basket.

The back of the organizer is finished. Set it aside while you make the baskets.

---

Make the organizer pockets:

1/2” seam allowance allowed.

1. Fold each circle in half and press. Place a half-circle of stabilizer inside, along the fold line. Fold in half again and press well on both sides to fuse the stabilizer completely.

Set the half-circle bottom pieces aside.

2. Pin a canvas and a coordinating fabric 7” x 16 3/4” rectangle right sides together along the sides and top edge.

Stitch the sides and top edge only with a 1/2” seam allowance.

Clip the corners. Turn the pocket right side out, and press.

3. Topstitch the top edge, 1/4” from the edge.

Baste the lower edges together within the 1/2” seam allowance.

Repeat Steps 2-3 to make the other 2 pockets.

4. Using a pencil or fabric marker, mark the center of the lower edge of the pocket rectangle and the center of the curved edge of the pocket half circle bottom.

Use small scissors to make 3/8” snips all along the bottom edge of the pocket rectangle. The clips should be at least every 3/4-1”.

5. Clip (or pin) the bottom edge of the pocket rectangle to the curved edge of a half-circle pocket bottom.

The right side of the pocket should be against the pocket bottom. Start by matching the center marks first and placing a clip in the center. Then clip one of the edges. Add more clips to ease the rectangle around the curved edge.

6. Sew the curved edge. Trim the seam allowance to 1/4”and finish it with a zig zag stitch, or serge the edge to finish.

Attach all 3 pocket rectangles to half circle pocket bottoms.

Assemble the hanging organizer:

1. With the exterior (pretty) side of the pocket showing, pin the bottom straight edge over the 10” long straight line at the bottom of the canvas back.

2. Stitch along the straight bottom of the pocket, 1/8” from the edge.

3. One at a time, pin and stitch the sides of the pocket.

It doesn’t matter whether you start sewing at the top or bottom edges of the pocket sides, as long as you have pinned the edges to the placement lines first.

Sew small triangles to reinforce the top corners of each pocket.

4. Insert the 12” long dowel through the hanging tabs.

Tie the 26” long piece of twine to either end of the dowel with slip knots.

Hang up your organizers and fill with stuff!

Tip: if you want to place heavier items in the pockets, use thumbtacks above the 3rd pocket  to secure the canvas back to the wall.

You might also like my blog post roundup of 11+ Free Sewing Projects to Make You More Organized.

xoxo,