The Making of a Whimsical Handmade Purse

13 Sep 2009

4 Comments  cute handbags, green handbags, handbag making, handmade purse

I am making handmade purses for the upcoming craft fair and have decided my next project will be a whimsical handmade purse.  What’s a whimsical handmade purse, you ask?  What comes to my mind is something fun, cute and fanciful.  Perhaps a princess would carry such cute purses.  To get a clearer picture in my mind I spend several hours getting lost between sites like Mary Frances Collection, which is full of fabulous whimsical inspiration. and tutorials like Threads Magazine’s posting of a drawstring bag, which is where I find the style of purse and the pattern I want. 

Now I have a somewhat clearer vision of my whimsical handmade purse in my head.  Since I make my bags from recycled fabric, I check my stash and find some drapery fabric that has the right weight and body but it’s white — pretty and may work but I keep looking.  Next I find a blouse, it’s black with kind of an oriental pattern on it, that will work with the pattern but it’s not going to quite give me the whimsical style I’m looking for.  I think I’ll go with the white and add some sort of embellishments to fancy it up. 

For embellishments I have a little trouble locating anything that I like in my stash so off to the dollar store I go.  I come home with several things I can use, a toddler’s tutu made out of blue netting with sparkles on it, a couple of doll clothes accessories that have boas attached, some plastic butterflies, some silk flowers and a sheer purple polyester camisole.  I decide that I will make the outside of the purse from the tutu and line it with the white fabric, perhaps adding a butterfly or two on the outside or maybe between the layers.  I’ll save the camisole, boas and flowers for another pattern I found.  Stay tuned and I will post my results soon.  In the meantime, you can check out my other handmade purses on my etsy site at http://stufffrombarb.etsy.com.

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Getting Organized to Make Cute Handbags and a Handmade Purse or Two

26 Aug 2009

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 Yikes! I just committed to do this year’s annual Fall Craft Festival
and now I need to create some new cute handbags for my inventory.  I
still have a handmade purse or two left from the spring show and need make a list
of everything I have on hand.  Some of the items I have left, like the
fabric lunch bags that I made way to many of, I will put on sale or in
a bargan bin.  One thing that I think will help me get organized is to
make a list of all the different styles to make so that each handmade
purse will be one of a kind.  Once I decide on the styles, I will think
about features for each one that will make them functional as well as
cute handbags.  When making handbags, I use recycled materials to
create green handbags, which is one of the unique selling points I will
be using.  Wow, so much to think about. 

  • The marketing highlights:  unique, one of a kind, green handbags
  • The
    styles:  Organizer purse, crochet purse, drawstring purse, mesh purse,
    zipper purse, quilted purses, patchwork handbags, travel handbag,
    silver handbags, quilted backpack, drawstring backpacks, mini backpacks
    and silver evening bags are some of the styles I want to include.  If I
    have time and am up for the challenge, I may even try my hand at a
    felted purse or a clear backpack. 
  • The features:
    Different types of closures, magnetic, zippered, drawstring, snapped,
    tied or with a flap.  Other features will include the type of pocket,
    open at the top patch pockets on the inside and outside of the purse,
    zippered inside pocket, pockets with a ring attached to keep track of
    your keys; dividers inside the purse and maybe even some handbag
    charms.  

What style and features would you be interested in when thinking of a handmade purse?

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