Better Bag

A toiletry organizer that actually stays organized.

“Can’t I stop packing and unpacking my toiletries every time I travel like some kind of bathroom nomad?”

- Anonymous

Designed to hang

A reinforced hanging loop and wide base provide flexibility—hang it in tight spaces or stand it upright on counters.

Easy-access pocket

The bottom pocket uses a single magnetic closure for quick one-handed access while keeping items secure in transit.

Mid-routine mobility

Handles on the top and side provide grab-and-go flexibility—move it mid-routine without stopping to zip up the main compartment.

Secure organization

Internal dividers create stable compartments that keep items in place—even when turned upside down or thrown around, nothing shifts.

Current market

Design goals

I set out to design a toiletry bag that works as well at home as it does on the road. Drawing inspiration from wooden makeup organizers, I prioritized intuitive, one-handed access—no stretchy pockets or zippers to fight with. Contents needed to stay put during transit, and the bag had to adapt to any space—from cramped hostels to spacious hotels.

Sketches

I explored multiple approaches to the bag's design—experimenting with ways to create sturdy organizational structures that were both flexible and stable, and could transition seamlessly from hanging to standing upright on a counter.

Prototyping

I started with rough paper models to explore the bag's geometry, then moved to a full-scale muslin prototype and material tests. The prototype revealed I needed slightly more width and height to accommodate varied item sizes. After testing foam and finding it too floppy, I switched to stiff felt for the dividers.

Mini paper models
Divider material tests
Full scale prototype
Divider design tests
Testing internal compartments
Full scale prototype

Decision points:

Riveted dividers — To avoid flimsy sewn-in flaps or velcro attachments, I secured the dividers with rivets, creating rigid compartments that maintain their structure.
Magnetic bottom pocket — A magnetic closure with open sides provides instant access without adding another zipper. Testing confirmed items stay secure even during movement.
Single-bag capacity — I sized the bag to eliminate the need for multiple organizers when traveling—enough space for makeup, toiletries, medicines, and contact lenses.
Future considerations:
- Built-in mirror
- Handle that converts to a hanging hook

Final design

Toiletries fit comparison

A head-to-head comparison showing how this design stacks up against a traditional single-compartment dopp kit when carrying 33 different toiletry and self-care items—from makeup and skincare to contacts, medications, and hair products.

Materials

Patterns

Using my prototype pattern as a foundation, I refined the dimensions and drafted the final production pattern on graph paper. The digitized version is shown on the right.

Production process

Cutting out the fabric

Tracing my paper templates, I laid out my pattern on the fabric.
Prep fabrics for sewing

I stacked fabric pieces and aligned the interior foam/felt for each panel.
Aligning panels for sewing
Attached panels
Prepping main body panel

This panel was quite unwieldy and required a lot of clips.

Attaching zipper

The zipper attachment also require a ton of clips to stay secure around the rounded edges.
Sewing on my Juki 1541s ♡.
Building the lid piece

I sewed the panels together with as minimal seam allowance as possible and then top stitched the outside.
Testing the zipper alignment

I was shocked this worked on the first time, zippers aren’t usually my thing.
Zipper looking good!

Building the base

This will become the entire bottom half of the bag.
Creating the seam flap

This panel will attach the lid to the base. I used double sided tape to align it.
Checking the alignment before I attach the panel.

Creating the interior pocket flap

Cutting out the fabric.
Adding the felt interfacing for structure.
Checking flap alignment

Using scotch tape I checked the alignment of the flap.
Based on this test, I shifted the seam line slightly so the flap would close properly.
Checking alignment after sewing

Looks good, moving on!

Creating a handle

Wrapping thread around folded paracord created a finished end for the handle.
Attaching handle

Tacked down the handle using lavender thread directly on the wrapped section of the handle.
Pull test

Checking that the handle creates enough space to slip around a door knob.

Planning internal dividers

Using paper I tested my plan for the internal divider design.
Sewing the divider

The dividers would create a sort of lattice that required an interesting sewing process.
Testing the divider fit

Making sure the divider would still fit before I started punching holes for the rivets.

Rivet tests

Being new to rivets I did several tests on scrap material to make sure my plan would work.
Initially I tried attaching the rivets with a hand setter - this proved nearly impossible given the geometry of the bag.
Marking rivet locations

Created a quick template to mark the location of the rivets with consistency.
Punching holes

Using leather punches I created holes where the rivets will go. This part was nerve-racking because I was punching holes in a nearly finished bag.
Final step with rivet press

To make sure the rivets were attached properly I decided to use a proper rivet press. The geometry of the dividers made this tricky, but ultimately doable!
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