Two Purse Designs To Try Making

Making purses is a great hobby to pick up for fairly cheap. You can begin making purses with only a few dollars invested, and then if you like it, you can try out new and cleverer designs.

To get started, you should try a basic scarf purse. Please note that these purses are not intended to hold much, but they are wonderful bags for a quick trip out. You will need two square scarves that are six to 10 inches on each side. You should take a needle and thread or use a sewing machine if you have one handy to create a hem that is about an inch or so on each scarf. To create a hem, you simply lay the cloth out flat and fold over one piece. Pin it down with straight pins and then use the needle and thread to sew a straight line across the scarf. You will be able to see the thread, which creates the visible hemline.

Once you have the hems, place the scarves against each other with the insides facing so that if you pretend the purse were put together, you would be looking at the outside of it. Pin the purse together and sew along the edges to create the main body of the purse. Once you have sewn the edges, your creation will begin to look like a purse.

Now you will need some type of silk cord, which you can find in most fabric shops. Take the cord and put a clear coat of nail polish or craft varnish on the ends of it, which will keep it from fraying. Then you will pin the cord inside the purse and sew it in place. That will create the strap of your purse.

Finally you will get to the really fun stuff. Use beads, gems, rhinestones, or whatever you find to create a beautifully designed purse. Use craft glue or fabric adhesive to put the decorative items on your purse. You can make a simple design or just accent the design of the scarf to make a beautiful masterpiece.

For your next project you will be making something a bit bigger and sturdier. You will need two pieces of polar fleece. One should be 14 inches by 22 inches, and the other one should be a 14-inch square. You should put the pieces down with the three sides lined up. (Since one is taller than the other, the top of the small piece will not reach the top of the larger piece.) Then you will put the pieces with the insides facing out. Sew them together and flip the bag so that it is right side out.

You will need a four-inch piece of some type of narrow ribbon or elastic cording that you will use to hold a button. Then purchase a very large button. You will hold the bag up and fold down the taller side. This piece is the flap for the opening of your purse. You will sew each end of the narrow cording to the flap and then sew the button onto the bottom piece so that you can use the cord to button the purse closed.

Next you will use a 4-foot cord as the strap of the purse. For this one, you will use large loopy sewing to create a cool look, such as a large X or a squiggle. Sew the cord to the outside of the bag so that you can use it as a strap. Next you can use felt pieces that you have cut to decorate the purse. Use fabric glue to keep them in place and create a design that works for you.

Your purse crafting is done with these basic projects. Try some new projects and make them more complex. Or you could make yourself a number of purses with these basic techniques. You could use heavier fabric with lining for the first purse, for example, which would make it able to hold more of your stuff. Also try these designs with different sizes and types of fabrics so that you can have a wide array of purse designs from which to choose when you go out.