Thursday, April 19, 2012

{adding a handmade touch pt. 2}

Hi there! Thanks for coming back for part two of my mini makeover series! Yesterday I shared a simple handmade touch to a store-bought dress and today I'm sharing a tutorial on how to make zipper pulls for a store-bought bag!


I got this bag at Target for around $30. 


 I love it. It's sturdy, cute, and holds a ton! And there are a bunch of pockets which is my favorite. I have made myself a lot of purses and bags and totes, but have yet to make a cross-body bag of this nature. Maybe someday, but until then I'll stick to adding a handmade accent to a super functional bag.

This is a crazy simple tutorial and would be a great beginner project or scrap buster for you veterans. Here we go!

You'll need:
existing zipper pulls as a guide
fabric & coordinating thread
basic sewing tools
fray check

 Remove existing zipper pulls from bag and measure the length so you know how long to cut your fabric strips.
 Cut your fabric strips 2 inches x the length of the current pulls. I made mine a little wider than the originals because I wanted them to stand out more. 
 Press the strip in half length wise then press the two long edges into the middle.
 Press flat. Repeat for second strip.
 Top-stitch down each edge with coordinating thread. I used an 1/8" top-stitch here. Repeat for second strip.
 Trim the edges up nice and neat since things can tend to shift a smidge during sewing. Do this for both strips.
 Apply fray check to both trimmed edges of each strip and allow for it to dry. Once the edges are dried, put the new pulls where you took off the old ones!


Just a simple little addition, but I think it adds a bit of character and handmade goodness to what was already a fabulous bag! Enjoy!

I'm linking up to
Today's Creative Blog




Elizabeth
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8 comments:

  1. Ooh, great idea! I have a Converse leather(looking) bag from Target that I absolutely love, but the zipper pulls keep coming undone...now I can just make my own for a fun + functional accent!

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  2. This is adorable, I love it! (and your nails are fabulous!!)

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  3. Very clever and cute idea to spice up the ordinary!
    JoAnn

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  4. tOO cUTE! I love seeing your stuff! You are super smart!

    ~Keisha @ queeninoklahoma.blogspot.com

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  5. That added just the right amount of color to it...too cute! You have such wonderful ideas to make everything a touch of yourself...love it! xo Holly

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  6. What a cute idea!! I never thought of doing this, but it's such a great way to add a little something to a plain bag. Thanks for the inspiration!! This is great!

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  7. So simple but I love how much it adds to the purse

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