I’m trying to give as many handmade Christmas gifts as I can this year. This purse or handbag is perfect for the tween or teen or in your life. Use any cute fabric to turn just four simple pieces into a reversible handbag.
After I finished making child aprons for the little kids for Christmas, I needed something for our newly minted teenager. I already have a Daisy BB gun for her tom boy side and I wanted a handmade Christmas gift for her feminine side. I had pinned this purse tutorial from Very Purple Person a while ago and decided it was what I was looking for. You can get the free pattern here.
I’m a very beginner sewer and I knew from perusing the tutorial that it is written for someone with a little more skill than I had. I need to know to sew the pieces wrong sides together to start and what seam allowances to use. But it looked pretty simple so I decided to go for it anyway.
The first purse I made (the pink butterfly one) took me about an hour because I made a lot of mistakes figuring out the tutorial. But the second purse (the turquoise one) only took me about 30 minutes. I think it takes longer to cut out the pieces than it did to sew it together. I did opt to leave out the darts. I’ve never sewn darts before and I didn’t need more to think about and I think the purses turned out really well without them.
Don’t worry if you don’t sew! I have several other non-sewing handmade Christmas ideas like a Family Memory Jar and a Handprint Christmas Tree print (which is perfect for grandparents!).
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Ellen Christian
November 30, 2013That’s adorable and it came out great!
NiCaam
December 6, 2012love your purses, I’m a beginner sewer too and appreciate the need for simplicity. Was looking at ur Scrabble link and wondered if u could consider them as closures (?) for the purses? I’m now interested in the thought of making a quilt. NEVER in my wildest dream did I think I would look at quilt as a craft….LOL…ahhh age, you God joke you.
Camille
December 7, 2012That’s a great idea! I might have to play around with it. It’d be fun to use the recipient’s first initial.
I have not been bitten by the quilting bug… yet!
T'onna
November 30, 2012cute bag!
T’onna
Submarine Sunday Link Party
Katherines Corner
November 30, 2012made with love! thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop.xo
Donna
November 30, 2012These are cute and so versitile. Thanks for sharing.
Donna @onceuponasewingmachine.com
Marilyn
November 30, 2012What a great project…could be a purse or project bag. A definite “must make” for holiday gift giving!
Ana Lopes
November 30, 2012Just gorgeous !!! Love the colors and fabrics! Thanks so much for sharing! I’d love for you to visit my blog.
Happy day!
Hugs from Portugal,
Ana Love Craft
http://www.lovecraft2012.blogspot.com
Amy
November 29, 2012I have always wanted a bag like this with a little longer handles to swing across my shoulder. Can I be your secret Santa? LOL
Karie {Girl Going Country}
November 29, 2012OH that is so cute! Pinning this to try after my sewing lessons in January. 🙂