I've been looking for a storage solution to corral little items that also uses the available vertical space in the van without compromising visibility.  I thought a mesh bag system like they have on sleeper trains would be a good solution.  However, I have not been able to find anything like that available for purchase.  Yesterday I decided to take matters into my own hands.

DIY Hanging Mesh Net and Pocket Storage Solution

Materials and Tools Needed:

1 yard Nylon Mesh Material or Netting
3 yards Elastic Cord
Scissors
Thread and Needle or Sewing Machine

Measure the distance between your two hanging points.  For the van I chose the back clothes hook and the forward seat belt attachment point.  The fabric was slightly longer than these two points, which allows for some give when reaching into the pockets.  Cut the fabric to length.

Decide on the depth of your pocket.  Double that measurement and cut fabric accordingly.  This allows you to double the fabric over, making the fold the bottom of the pocket and creating the top opening.

Thread your elastic cord through edge of the mesh, leaving two rows at the top to prevent unraveling.  I threaded through every other hole in a straight line.  Thread one continuous cord through both sides of the mesh, folding it up to create the pocket.

Sew the sides closed.  Do not sew over the elastic cord, stop short of it to allow for movement.  Measure out and sew desired amount of pockets into the bag by sewing vertically up the bag, again stopping short of the elastic.  I chose to put two smaller 6" pockets on the ends, and 3 larger 11" pockets in the middle.  Anything less than 6" is going to be difficult to get your hand into, so be careful not to go too small.  I used the zigzag stitch on a sewing machine and did three passes for extra security.  It is possible to hand sew using a straight stitch but it will be much more time consuming.

Pull the end loop out of the side of the bag and hook over one of your hanging points.  Tie the other side in a bow and hang over the other hanging point.  Put some items into the bag and adjust the length of the cord to get the desired amount of elasticity.  Tie ends into a final knot, cut off any ends...

And, voila! 











Notice that the bag hangs a bit low in the middle (although I've got the pillows stacked up pretty high in this pic).  I think I will figure out a way to secure the middle to prevent sagging when adding heavier items.  Another solution would be to use stronger elastic cord, although that may make the pockets difficult to access.

Happy crafting!