If you love upcycled crafts, this DIY No Sew Handbag is right up your alley! Made with upcycled supplies, you’ll love the final look! Plus, it’s spacious and perfect for everyday carrying!
I love a good handbag. Seriously, at one point in my life, I had over 50 taking up space in my closet. That was before I began embracing my frugal roots and before I learned the value of reusing whatever I can.
That is exactly what this DIY no sew handbag does! It reuses a couple of things so that you’re wasting less and getting a pretty awesome handbag for basically free! Okay, not free, but super cheap! This homemade tote bag make use of an old cereal box and duct tape to make a sturdy, decently sized purse. How’s that for using trash to make something beautiful!
I love the size since it’s perfect for carrying my Bible and my Bible journaling kit to church each week. It would also be great for lightweight snacks each day and so on. The possibilities of this homemade no sew handbag are endless!
Normally I would only do a card for this, but I think for this post, I am going to tell you how to do it in the post as well. The instructions for this can be sort of confusing, so I want to be able to show you as well as tell you.
What supplies does a homemade no sew handbag use?
As I said, this is an upcycled craft and as such, the supplies needed are very few. I personally prefer felt for the covering, but you could use spare fabric or even fleece.
You will need:
- Empty cereal box (I used a Cheerios box 12 ½ x 6 ½ x 2 ½)
- 9” x 12” piece of grey felt
- 12” x 18” piece of grey felt
- Black duct tape
- Aluminum foil
- Scissors
- Glue gun
How Do I Make a Homemade No Sew Tote?
To start, measure the box 7 1/2″ from the bottom. Cut the top off as straight as you can possibly get it. You can throw the top away.
Next, measure two 18″ strips of duct tape and lay them sticky side up. Pull off 2 small squares of aluminum foil, but do not press down to add them to the tape.
Instead, lay them at the top and bottom edge of the tape gently without pressing. If you press down, it will be too hard to get the foil off the tape later on. This helps to keep the ends from sticking to anything.
Starting at the end area with no foil, tape the two pieces of tape together. It’s best to start bottom to top so you can keep each piece aligned. This make the strap part of your no sew handbag.
Remove the foil from one side of the tape. Do the same side for each piece. Tape it to the inside of your box at the top edge. Repeat on the other side.
Take the 9×12″ felt and cut two pieces that are 7 1/2 x 2 1/2″. Starting at the top of the box on the thinner sides, use a hot glue gun to attach each piece to the box. Position it so the edges of the felt are hanging over the top. Continue working around the edges of the box making sure you are gluing right up to the edge.
Next, cut the larger pieces of felt into two pieces of 9 3/4″ x 18″. Take your time cutting it to ensure you get a straight cut.
Attach these strips to the wider section of the box. Again, move around the edges from top to bottom making sure you get a smooth finish with some of the felt hanging over the edges.
Finally, use hot glue or duct tape to secure the edge pieces that are hanging over. Using more duct tape, secure the inside of the box to help it be more sturdy.
It’s important to note that its very important to get the felt lined up with the box edges. If you don’t, your felt could be crooked which will look bad. If your measurements are slightly off, that is okay. The felt will stretch enough to cover it.
How to Clean a Felt Handbag
Your no sew handbag won’t hold up to a washer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep it clean. To clean it, wipe dirt and dust off of it with a damp rag. Don’t get it too terribly wet because no matter how good it may look, its base still is cardboard.
DIY No Sew Handbag
Ingredients
- 1 Empty cereal box 12 ½ x 6 ½ x 2 ½
- 12” x 18” piece grey felt
- 9” x 12” piece grey felt
- Black duct tape
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
- To start, measure the box 7 1/2″ from the bottom. Cut the top off as straight as you can possibly get it. You can throw the top away.1 Empty cereal box
- Next, measure two 18" strips of duct tape and lay them sticky side up. Pull off 2 small squares of aluminum foil, but do not press down to add them to the tape.Black duct tape, Aluminum foil
- Instead, lay them at the top and bottom edge of the tape gently without pressing. If you press down, it will be too hard to get the foil off the tape later on. This helps to keep the ends from sticking to anything.
- Starting at the end area with no foil, tape the two pieces of tape together. It's best to start bottom to top so you can keep each piece aligned. This make the strap part of your no sew handbag.
- Remove the foil from one side of the tape. Do the same side for each piece. Tape it to the inside of your box at the top edge. Repeat on the other side.
- Take the 9×12" felt and cut two pieces that are 7 1/2 x 2 1/2". Starting at the top of the box on the thinner sides, use a hot glue gun to attach each piece to the box. Position it so the edges of the felt are hanging over the top. Continue working around the edges of the box making sure you are gluing right up to the edge.9” x 12” piece grey felt
- Next, cut the larger pieces of felt into two pieces of 9 3/4" x 18". Take your time cutting it to ensure you get a straight cut.12” x 18” piece grey felt
- Attach these strips to the wider section of the box. Again, move around the edges from top to bottom making sure you get a smooth finish with some of the felt hanging over the edges.
- Finally, use hot glue or duct tape to secure the edge pieces that are hanging over. Using more duct tape, secure the inside of the box to help it be more sturdy.
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