Make a Handbag from Scrap Fabric

The "messenger" style handbag is a classic design that can be found in all cultures throughout the ages. In its simplest form, the messenger style bag is made from one piece of fabric, folded and sewed.  Since the bag can be made in many sizes and, depending on size,  requires little fabric it is a great project for scrap fabric of all sorts.

It is a good idea to add embroidery or decorations, if any, to the piece of fabric that you intend to be the exterior of the bag prior to assembling the bag.

Tools

Fabric scissors
Rotary cutter
24 x 36 self healing mat
6 x24 quilting ruler
Embroidery scissors
Sewing Machine or Serger (optional)

Materials
8x31 piece heavy, scrap fabric
8x31 piece lighter lining fabric
8x31 piece fusible interfacing
1 yard cord
Serger thread or sewing thread
Needles

Step 1
Place the material on a cutting mat. Measure and mark the fabric with a quilting ruler. Cut two pieces of fabric and a piece of fusible interfacing approximately 8-inches wide x 31-inches long each with scissors or a rotary cutter.   
 
Hint: You can omit the second piece of fabric if you do not want the bag lined.

Step 2
Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric that will be the exterior of the bag.

Step 3
Stack the fabric so the wrong side of the lining fabric faces the interfacing side of the exterior fabric.

Step 4
Measure 10-inches from the bottom of the fabric. With right side together, fold the fabric up to create a pocket.

Step 5
Sew the pocket closed using a serger, sewing machine or by hand. Using a serger, continue serging beyond the fold to the end of the fabric to stitch together the exterior and lining and add a finished, decorative edge. Repeat for the second side of the bag. Finish by serging the top portion of the bag.

Step 6
Turn the bag right side out.

Further Reading:
"Hip Handbags"; Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader; 2005.
"Handbag Designer 101"; Emily Blumenthal; 2011.

Related Tutorials 
Turn Your Kid's Old Blue Jeans into a Purse
Make a Grocery Bag from Scrap Fabric
Make a Grocery Tote Bag from a T-Shirt
Make a Purse from Blue Jeans Shorts
Make a Throw Blanket from Old Sweaters

Turn Your Kid's Old Blue Jeans into a Purse

Before: worn, outgrown jeans

If you have kids, you are likely to have outgrown blue jeans in your house. Old blue jeans are a great source of fabric for crafts, including homemade handbags.

Some of my daughter's old jeans have really nice, decorative pockets that can be reclaimed and repurposed to add interesting details to the bag.

While this bag can be created with a sewing machine or a serger, I recently learned how to use the piping foot of my serger to install a zipper, making the assembly of this blue jeans bag super fast.


Here is how we did it:


Tools

After: Repurposed Blue Jeans Purse

Fabric scissors
Rotary cutter
24 x 36 self healing mat
6 x24 quilting ruler
Embroidery scissors
Sewing Machine or Serger (optional)

Materials
Old blue jeans or other heavy, scrap fabric
Serger thread or sewing thread
Nylon or polyester zipper
Needles

Step 1

Cut jeans

Cut along the inseam of one blue jean leg to create a piece of flat fabric. Cut out a back pocket.

Cut fabric & place pocket

Step 2
Cut a piece of blue jean fabric about 9-inches x 20-inches. Place the pocket where you want it to be on the bag. Pin the pocket in place.

Step 3
Sew the pocket to the material using a top stitch about 1/4-inch from the edge of the pocket.  

Hint: An edge stitch or stitch in the ditch presser foot will make the job a lot easier.

Step 4
Place the nylon or polyester zipper at the edge of the fabric so the right side of the fabric faces the right side of the zipper tape.  

Warning: If you are using a serger, select a zipper that is at least four inches wider than your fabric. The zipper must be wider than the fabric so the blade is not damaged when serging the zipper in place. Also, do not use a metal zipper on a serger or you could damage your blade.

Step 5
Pin or baste or glue baste the zipper to the fabric.
  

Glue baste

Hint: A glue stick or seam tape works very well if you plan to serge the zipper to the fabric.

Step 6
Sew one side of the zipper. Repeat for the second side of the zipper.

Step 7

Cut inseam

Prepare the handle for the handbag. Cut the inseam off the length of the blue jeans.

Serge inseam to create handle

Serge over the inseam to create a strong, durable handle for your repurposed blue jeans bag. Turn the inseam around and serge the other side of the inseam.

Determine the length handle you want for your bag and cut the serged inseam to that length.

Step 8
Turn the bag so it is inside out. Insert the serged inseam you prepared as a hnadle just above the zipper so each end of the inseam pokes out of the bag and will be caught and sewn in place as you sew or serge the sides of the bag closed. Check to be sure the handle of the bag will not be caught, just the ends. Sew or serge the edges of the bag.

Add depth to bag

Step 9
Add depth to your bag by folding the bottom corners of the bag out and serging over the corners.

Step 10

Handbag from repurposed blue jeans

Turn the bag right side out and enjoy.

Further Reading:
"Hip Handbags"; Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader; 2005.
"Handbag Designer 101"; Emily Blumenthal; 2011.

Related Tutorials 
Make a Grocery Bag from Scrap Fabric
Make a Grocery Tote Bag from a T-Shirt
Make a Purse from Blue Jeans Shorts
Make a Throw Blanket from Old Sweaters

Pattern Report: Butterick Waverly B5507, shopping bag

Butterick B5507

Pattern Description: Butterick Waverly B5507, shopping and lunch bags

Pattern Sizing: None


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Sort of.


Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
This pattern was easy to sew and I like that the bag folds up inside itself ...but the shape of the bag makes it poorly suited for shopping. The bag is very wide and shallow. The shape is not well suited for shopping as groceries may fall out.

Fabric Used: Mystery fabric bought on sale at Hancock Fabrics. I first used the fabric for making a muslin and then cut up the muslin to recover the fabric and use to make grocery bags.

Embroidery close up

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: None other than embroidering on the bag prior to sewing.


Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I am unlikely to use this pattern again.


Conclusion: The pattern was OK, but not for me.

Pattern Report: Kwik Sew 3700, version D, clutch

Kwik Sew 3700 clutch

I love patterns that include multiple styles. I like choices and I like to be able to try different techniques. The other day my daughter and I used scrap fabric and the pattern for version B of Kwik Sew 3700 to make a purse as a gift.

Today my daughter and I  share version D of Kwik Sew 3700 that we made as another gift for another friend. The pattern was cute and the clutch purse we made did come out looking like the bag on the package. Yay!

Cut the fabric

My daughter embroidered the name on the fabric using our embroidery machine before cutting the fabric.  She cut the pattern while the machine embroidered and then asked me to take over so she could Skype.  We were on a deadline as we needed the present for a party.

I cut the fabric (taking care that the name was placed correctly on the flap) and cut heavy Pellon fusible interfacing. The pattern made a facing optional, but after discussing it, we opted to face both sides of the purse. I ironed the interfacing to the fabric.

Serge the point

After cutting the pieces, I departed from the instructions. I used my sewing machine to sew the two notches on the bottom of the purse and then I used my serger to make a rolled edge on the "V" point of the purse flap.

Serge the seam

I pinned the two pieces of the purse together and then basted the purse using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. I then serged the purse, again using a three-thread, rolled edge.

Once the purse was serged and I checked my work, I turned the purse inside out so the seam no longer showed.

My daughter then added velcro to fasten the purse. She then added a wire wrapped ring and a set of earrings she made to "fill" the purse.

This is a quick, fun project that we will make again. Great teamwork.

Related Reading
Pattern Report: Kwik Sew 3700, Scrap Fabric Purse
Make Wire Wrapped Rings
NJAD Index by Type of Found Object
NJAD Index by Type of Jewelry Made with Found Objects


Further Reading
"Exclusively You: Easy Fabric Purses (Leisure Arts #4228)"; Leiasur Arts; 2006.
"It's a Wrap: Sewing Fabric Purses, Baskets, And Bowls"; Susan Breier; 2006.
"Making Vintage Bags: 20 Original Sewing Patterns for Vintage Bags and Purses"; Emma Brennan; 2007.
"The Bag Making Bible: The Complete Guide to Sewing and Customizing Your Own Unique Bags"; Lisa Lam; 2010.
"101 Fabulous Fat-Quarter Bags with M'Lis: 10 Projects for Totes & Purses Ideas for Embellishments, Trim, Embroidery & Beads Stylish Finishes-Handles & Closures"; M'Liss Rae Hawley; 2008.

Make Earrings from Scrap Fabric

Earrings from Scrap Fabric

My daughter and I have been working hard to reuse as much as possible when sewing and crafting. Sometimes using found materials is inspiring, sometimes its a lot easier to go buy new. We've a bunch of these lightweight fabric earrings from scrap fabric. The earrings can be made as large or small as you like and are a great way of creating a new fashion accent from trash in only 30 minutes or less. Overall, a winning combination.

Materials
Scrap Fabric
Pellon fusible interfacing (in light or medium weight)
Serger thread (light blue)
Needle
Fishhook earring findings (surgical steel, silver plate, gold plate, copper
 or sterling silver)

Tools
Serger
Chain nose pliers

Measure the fabric

Step 1
Cut four pieces of scrap fabric into 2.5x2.5 inch squares. Cut two pieces of fusible interfacing into 2.5x2.5 inch squares.We used scrap fabric and scrap interfacing, any selection of woven fabric will do. Heavier interfacing will give more structure to the earring, but lightweight interfacing will work.

Cut the fabric into a square

Step 2
Iron the fusible interfacing to the back of two of the cut 2.5x2.5 pieces.

Step 3
Sandwich the fusible interfacing between the fabric and use a three thread rolled edge to sew the pieces together until the square is framed by the rolled edge. We used

Serge the edge to create frame

a light blue thread to frame our fabric and sewed with a 1/4-inch seam allowance so the resulting fabric earring was a 2x2 square.

Leave thread tail

Do not cut the last serger thread. Instead, leave the thread long enough to create a loop and tie the thread into a knot just above the top corner of the fabric diamond.

Tie thread to create loop

Step 4
Tie the serger thread and knot.

Step 5

Add earring finding

Use pliers to open the ring of the fishhook earring finding. We used a gold plated, brass finding. Feed the loop onto the ring of the finding. Use your pliers to close the loop, securing the earring to the finding.

Repeat to create second earring

Step 6
Repeat to create matching earring.

Related Tutorials
Make a Handkerchief from Scrap Fabric
Use Your Serger to Make a Belt from Scrap Fabric
Make a Grocery Bag from Scrap Fabric

Further Reading
"Fabric Jewelry: 25 Designs to Make Using Silk, Ribbon, Buttons, and Beads"; Teresa Searle; 2008.
"Felt, Fabric, and Fiber Jewelry: 20 Beautiful Projects to Bead, Stitch, Knot, and Braid"; Sherri Haab; 2008.
"Fabric Jewelry Wrapped, Braided and Sewn"; Heidi Pridemore, Nancy Zieman