How to Make Purses | Wallets | Pouches | Cases
Craft Tutorials and Sewing How-Tos
If you would like to show off your creative and crafty side, why not start making your own purses? You can still follow the fashion trends, but you can create whatever style and size that suits you, and it'll be totally unique!
There are all sorts of different styles of purse you can make including small clutch bags, coin purses, wallets, eyeglasses cases and camera pouches - In fact there is a tutorial for every requirement, taste, sewing ability level and pocket!
I hope you find the below roundup of projects useful, and I hope it inspires you to let your imagination run wild :-)
Leather Drawstring Purse
Useful Purse-Making Tools & Materials
You're only as good as your tools, so make sure you buy good quality basic tools to help you to create awesome purses!
A rotary cutter has to be a must-have for any sewer because they allow easier and more accurate fabric cutting. This model is by Fiskars and has a lifetime warranty.
Sharp fabric scissors are essential for clean cuts, and they should only be used for cutting fabric.to keep them in the best condition. These 2 pairs are a perfect set for large and small jobs, and are guaranteed for life.
Purse Making Intro & Tips
There are many fabrics out there which can make for a confusing choice, however if you're a beginner I would definitely recommend cotton or linen first. Nothing too thin or flimsy, unless you are doing to add interfacing to stiffen it, or batting to bulk it up. Quilt weight cotton is most common. Home décor and upholstery fabrics are often used too as they're quite sturdy and durable. Other fabrics you can use are leather (or faux leather), vinyl, canvas, silk, wool, calico or denim. You can also reuse other materials such as vintage tablecloths, or even sweaters (however watch out for sweaters as they stretch unless you felt them first in hot water). Purses are hardly ever made with stretch fabric so don't make life difficult for yourself by choosing a stretchy material!
- For linings, a thinner material than the outside is used and it is often smooth and slippery such as polyester or nylon. Cotton is also a popular choice, especially if you want the lining to be patterned. Fabrics made specifically for lining will be labelled as such, and if it's polyester then try to go for an anti-static option.
- There are various fastenings and closures you can use for purses, with the most common being zippers, button flaps, velcro and magnetic snaps.
- Interfacing (also called interlining or stabilizer) is used to firm up the walls of your purses, making them stiffer without completely losing flexibility. For instance if you are using thin cotton and it's too flimsy for you, then you can add interfacing to the inside of the fabric, and perhaps a lining too (in order to hide the interfacing on the inside). Or maybe you want a purse to stand upright when put down? Interfacing is not usually necessary for small purses but is more more often used for larger designs. The important thing is to not fear it because it is an extra stage in the project and because you may not have heard of it before.
There are different 'weights' of interfacing (lightweight to extra heavyweight), and the heavier the 'weight', the stiffer the resulting fabric will be. Medium-lightweight is usually enough for a purse project, but it's a useful product so I would suggest experimenting first before you use it in a final project. Interfacing is available as either 'fusible' (also called 'iron-on'), or 'sew-in'. The fusible type is ironed directly onto your purse fabric so that it sticks, and you should use a fusible interfacing that is a lighter weight than your purse fabric. On the other hand, the sew-in type can be a higher weight than your purse fabric and is often used with the fusible type.
Click here, here and here for excellent interfacing information.
- Wadding/batting is a material used in a similar way to interfacing but is there to add bulk rather than stiffness. You will find it used in quilted bags, and it is basically a cushioning layer you add to the inside of your purse fabric (and is also good for handles/straps). Wadding is also available as either fusible/iron-on or sew-in.
Tutorials List - A Varied Selection to Get You Started
- Make-Up Pouch
Useful boxy purse. - Zippered Wristlet
Cute purse with wrist strap. - Water Bottle Carrier
With quilted exterior. - Pinch Pouch
A purse with a flex frame top; perfect for your sunglasses. - Quilted Fabric Wallets
With a smart professional finish. - Change Purse
With a zipper. - Receipt Wallet
Made from cleanable, waterproof oilcloth. - Purse Organizer
Keep your things neat and tidy in your handbag. - Zippered Wallet
With separate coin compartment. - Handmade Bunny Purse
Adorable rabbit face purse with a strap.
Recycled Fabric Pouch
More Sewing How-Tos
- Piggy Bank Purse
Adorable and unusual purse shape. - Mini Wallet
In an envelope style. - Lip Balm Cozy
So you won't lost another one! - Triangular Prism Purse
Sturdy cosmetics container. - Stripey Pen Case
With squishy felt sides. - Super Simple Camera Case
Quilted, with bias tape edges. - Felted Camera Case
Made by knitting simple rectangles - but you could use an old sweater instead. - Reversible Purse
To be carried on the wrist. - Drawstring Pouches
Great for a storage and a travel solution.
Duct Tape Purses
Wallet Making Video Tutorials
Purse Tutorials Galore!
- Framed Purse
Fab tute on how to add metal frames. - Zippered Pouch with Pocket
And clear plastic section. - Loop Handle Purse
With pleats and a metal handle. - Pleated & Darted Silk Purse
Pretty purse with wooden handles. - Wristlet Clutch Purse
With added ruffle embellishment, snap and eyelet. - Linen Tissue Case
Made from yummy fabric. - Mini Wallet
Made from some cute Japanese fabric. - Summer Wallet
With button closure. - Pop Bottle Purse
Recycle plastic bottles into a fun coin purse. - Clutch Purse
Wth button closure.
Cute Felt Purses
The choice of fabrics you can choose from for your sewing projects is endless, and this particular product is a matryoshka design on 100% cotton. Buying fabrics can be very addictive!
Purse Making Video Tutorials
Another Tutorial List
- Open Pocket Pouch
Ideal for packed lunches. - Zippered Flat Purse
Lined case with a zip. - Single Pleat Clutch
Straightforward slimline purse with a pleat in the center. - Sketch Wallet
To keep your pencils organised with your sketchbook when travelling. - Reusable Snack Bag
Perfect for keeping your dry snack in. - Oilcloth Makeup Pouches
Oilcloth is very useful if you want a wipe-clean surface. - Mini Keyring Pouch
Perfect size to hold your lippy in! - Bleach Dot Clutch
Envelope style purse with a bleach dyed pattern. - Kitty Pencil Case
A sweet design for cat lovers.
Pleated & Framed Purse
Recessed Zipper
More Purse/Wallet/Pouch How-Tos
- Patchwork Purse
Pretty case with zip. - Ms. Lipsie Pocket Girl
A purse with a girl's face design. - Clasp Frame Purse
Classy rectangular template. - Japanese Coin Purse
With a clasp top. - Zipped Purse
In polkadot material. - Hip Pocket Purse
With little tassels and a cord strap. - Quilted Pouch
Perfect for keeping your (sun)glasses in.
Chain Wristlets
Polka Dot Wallet
A Further Tutorials List
- Puffy Pouch
With fabric stripes. - Purse Pouch
In Cath Kidston fabric. - Laptop Sleeve
Quilted for protection. - Ipod / Camera Cozy
Quilted, with a simple flap top. - Phone / Camera Cozy
Quick 'n' easy case. - Patchwork Pouch
Easy zippered purse. - Cylindrical Pencil Cases
With piping around the edges. - Triangular Pouch
Little linen and cotton purses. - Heart Shaped Pouches
Learn how to insert a zipper on a curved shape. - Manly Wallet
With a cool metal eyelet feature. - Necktie Glasses Case
Easy-to-sew pouch from an old tie.
Sewing Pleats
There are many different pleating patterns you can try to incorporate into purses if you want to add an interesting design accent; including box pleats, pintucks and diagonal pleats. The above diagram shows 3 different ideas to get you started; I've tried to show how the pleats in each picture are formed and what they look like both from the top and from the front.
1) This is a pleating design where the middle section is furthest forward. The vertical line on the diagram represents how much of the pleats are pressed with an iron; not usually more than 1/3 of the way down the purse. A lot of the time you will see bags and purses that have the pleats formed and sewn in place at the top and not at the bottom so that the pleats disappear as they go down to the base, giving a flared effect.
2) This is a repeating pleat pattern, with the back-and-forth folding being the same going across the top. Again, this one is only sewn at the top, with a short amount of the pleats being iron pressed, so that the pleats disappear about midway. The pressed section of the pleat folds can also be sewn if you want to keep them in place permanently.
3) This is an all-over pattern of parallel pintucks. The thin pleats are folded and pressed all of the way down, and therefore they must be secured with stitches at the top and the bottom. You can also sew vertically along each pleat too if you like, especially if the surface you are pleating is large.
You can be creative with pleating so don't be afraid to experiment :)
Scrappy Phone Case
Even More Instructionals
- Craftster Collection
Huge number of purse tutorials from forum users. - House Pouch
Fun design with button embellishments. - Organiser Wallet
Wrap-around design. - Gathered Clutch Tutorial
Stylish creased design. - Cord Wallet
With card and zip compartments. - Recycled Sandwich Bag
Made from khaki pant pockets. - Make-Up Pouches
Handy for general use. - Lil Cutie Pouches
In fun fabrics. - Keyboard Wallets
Made using a computer keyboard. - Zippy Wallet
Fab everyday purse. - Scrap Ribbon Wallet
Funky clutch wallet. - Zakka Inspired Pencil Pouch
With cute car embellishment. - Vinyl Wallet
See through sections keep you organised.
Pocket House Purse
D12 Dice Handbag
Photo and purses by Lenore Edman - Click here for more details.
Pretty Purse Projects
- 5 Handbag Accessories
A set of pouches for eyeglasses, tissues aand more. - iPod Clutch & More
A variety of purse, pouch and bag how-tos. - 3D Padded Pear
Really unusual and cute pear coin purse. - Hip Pouch Sew-Along
A 3-part walkthrough for making a zippered pouch. - Simple Foldover Clutch
Cute, functional and really easy to make. - Pencil Pouch
Classic pencil designs with a zipper. Perfect for school or college. - Wool Camera Wrap
Beautiful camera case made using wool blanket fabric. - DIY Geometric Pouch
Make your own funky fabric with fabric marker pens. - Upcycled Menswear Pouch
Use quality thrift store jackets to make luxury pouches.
Pyramid Purses
Purse Projects to Impress
- Craft Passion Collection
A list of awesome purse tutorials including macaron shapes and pencil cases. - Kiwi Wristlet
A summery and fresh purse in a novelty shape. - Double Flap Pouch
With clever compartments isnide. - Sophisticated Bow Clutch
Simple and stylish clutch purse with bow embellishment. - Tartan Wool Purse
With silver chain embellishment. - Rotary Phone Purse
Retro vinyl handbag making great use of real phone parts. - Textured Leather Clutch
Clever sewing technique for making stripe accents.
Mini Keyring Purse
Have you made a purse before?
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Please Comment On My Lens!
Amazing and all the time it took to gather this information. Cudo's
cool idea. i am going to make the strappy phone ouch. lovely
I have knit purses! I think I made one out of a brown paper bag once as a kid, too.
I'm definitely going to attempt to make one of these nut I bet it doesn't turn out looking as good as yours! These are awesome :) bookmarked!
like the lens! I think I'll try to make one...thanks!
Quite a variety here. Great collection!
Nice Lens! Great products and patterns.
Thank you! I have been looking for scrap crafts and I see several that I can use my scraps up on here. Thank you again!
Great info here...very creative! I want to make a purse now!
Very informative and interesting. Wonderful job!
Hi nice lens you got there and ranking well. I just forwarded a link to my daughter in law
Have given you a squidlike.
i want to do this again!
@anonymous: Im gonna shwo this to my daughters. Great lens
It is a great idea to make your own purse it is cheaper this way .
Beautiful. Thank you!
So many great ideas. Have to try some
Nice lens!
Another great lens! First time I heard about duct tape purses! Useful lens!
Wow! This lens is very helpful! I love the Leather Drawstring Purse idea. Very adorable. Thank you for sharing.
I wish I knew how to sew, these are so cute!
I've never made a purse, but some of these are really inspiring me to try!
These would make a good gift for the gf
Nice lens!
I'll have to try making one sometime :)
This lens is stellar! Nice job :)
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Love this >:D
Great lens! :)
This lens is really great... nice job!
Nice tutorials with some great ideas. Thanks :)
Thank you for all your effort-what a great site! Love the patterns
Nice lens!
Creative idea, nice lens with nice information, thanks for sharing it.
Looks great! User friendly, thank you!
When i was a paid seamstress, I made lots of bags for clients. this is a wonderful lens.
I love this, makes me want to go and try it out :) Everything is beautiful!
i love this so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I love the wallet making tutorial, this is a great lens!
These would be great as Christmas gifts. I'd love to make some of these as gifts. Nice lens!
Very trendy wallets.Thanks for sharing.
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I would really appreciate it
All the wallets were great !
This wallet making video tutorial was great! Thank you for sharing such great ideas!
SICKKK. i can sure use this!
I always use these tips when I sew... It helps me alot http://howtofixstuff.blogspot.ca/2012/04/how-to-se...
My sister and I get together every week working on quilting projects. The wallet patterns are so elegant that I sent her some of the free patterns. I think we have a new project.
These are all so cute!
Brilliant ideas! Thanks!
another I've added to my Favorite Lenses lens
Great lens!
A leather hip pouch is a great way to have coins on you if you don't have a wallet with a coin holder.
Wow.So beautiful.
Great lens. I'm not much into sewing, but my better half is. I will have her check this lens out. Thanks!
Learning how to sew is very economical. Since the baby always outgrows his/her clothes, making them by yourself can help you save a lot. This is perhaps the reason why many mothers are indulging in making childrenâs clothes. Not only are they saving budget for the family, but also, they are using their recent knowledge on how to sew as a source of income.
Some really nice patterns here!
wonderful tutorials.
Very nice lens with some great ideas! Love it! Thanks.
Great craft.
So many good ideas. Got this one bookmarked for future reference.
Love, love, love this lens! So much to see and do! I'll visit daily probably ~very good!
Very nice lens!
I've always admired purses and little zippered bags like these, and have seen quite a few shops on Etsy that sell them. But tutorials...wow, this is such a great service. Thank you!
will definitely try some of these projects out... :)
This is a nice one. I loved reading it. Make more!
Super nice lens. Thanks for sharing. Squid-liked!
that's a lot of cool purses! Thanks
wonderful lens ! easy diy :D thanks !!
We just love your ideas!
well done. I came here and learned techniques to put in a zipper. Thanks.
Great lens, I like DIY projects and I often browse for ideas.
Love this lens and that you have the tutorials available. Angel blessings. Bear hugs, Frankster
i love the mismatched fabric. great lens
Great lens!!
These are all so cute! Thanks for a great lens :)
I love these, they are so creative. I wish I knew how to sew.
I can see myself making some of these projects. Funny thing is bought a sewing machine years ago and every time i tried to use it the needle would break. It didn't matter how i tried to set it for the correct tension it would still break. I finally just gave up and have never used it again.
Nice lens.
any creative idea is always welcome!
sooo cool! this lens is awesome.
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Wow, what an awesome lens..:):) very creative. I like the tutorial you have shared.. Good luck..:)
Nice lens
Nicely done & great resource. ***Angel blessed*** as part of the April Fools' Quest & featured on "My Life with Angel Wings" lens ... :)
lovely lens. ~blessed by a squid angel~
Wow! This is like the motherload of purse making tutorials! Thanks for a great lens! I am bookmarking!
Excellent lens! Blessed by a Squid Angel :)
nice lens - blessed by an Angel x
cute bag for girl friend
nice
Awesome lens! I loved the linen wallets!
Your purses and wallets are very nice, Creative lens.Thanks.
I can't thank you enough for these purses. I really want to try some of them. Thank you!
I really like these purses and wallets, very cute! I especially love the pleated pouch purse, gorgeous!
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