A little DIY inspiration to kick off your weekend:
Pictured above is a Marc by Marc Jacobs purse that I spotted on my last outlet mall trip. It’s probably, what…$400? Ish? (I couldn’t find it online, so no link, apologies.)
It looks exactly like the purses I used to make out of old jeans when I was in high school.
This is an easy one, guys.
1. Start by cutting off the legs of a pair of old jeans (or use a pair of shorts, like I did).
2. Flip the jeans inside-out. This would be a good point to iron the fabric so it lays flat; I skipped that step because I was trying to get the whole deal done during what I (rightly) suspected would be a very short nap.
3. Pin along where you want to sew (put a slight upwards curve towards the outside of the “legs” so the purse isn’t too boxy).
4. Break out the needle and thread.
5. Sew the bottom closed (this will be much faster and neater if you have a sewing machine, obviously, but I don’t).
6. Press the fabric with an iron again to get out any lumps and bumps.
7. You can fashion a strap using the leftover denim from the legs (just cut a long strip, fold in half lengthwise with the side you don’t want showing facing out, sew closed the open side, and turn right-side-out before attaching to the bag)…
Or you can do what I did, and clip on a fancy belt that you never wear (if you use one with links, you can just pry open the links on the ends with pliers and attach them to the belt loops).
To keep the purse closed, sew in a zipper or add a snap to the center (and extra snaps to the sides if you like). You can also add extra embellishments like buttons, studs, sparkles, and big silk ribbons tied to the belt loops, if that’s your thing.
Ta da!
And here’s me wearing my new purse out to dinner with my friend Andrea.
(I like it best as a crossbody.)
(Additional outfit info: H&M shirt, necklace c/o LOFT, Paige Denim leather leggings, heels c/o Marchez Vous.)
