DIY
DIY
DIY
DIY
Frugal-nomics DIY: Faux Calf Hair Leopard Studded Clutch
One of my absolute favorite style bloggers is Wendy of Wendy’s Lookbook, and while perusing her site one day, I came across this gorgeous calf hair leopard-printed studded Valentino clutch that was simply stunning. So, I came across this great faux calf hair leopard-printed fur while I was grabbing the faux fur I used for my vest, and immediately knew what I’d do with it. Tell me what you think below.
SUPPLIES:
1/2 yard faux calf fur, 1/2 yard of silk lining, interfacing, a zipper, wire cutters, straight pins, about 70 pyramid studs, a rotary cutter, a straight edge, a thimble, and a sewing machine.
HOW-TO:
1. Cut (2) 14 x 9in rectangles of each of the faux fur and interfacing, and (2) of the silk lining 14.5 x 10in.
2. Use your wire cutters to remove all but 2 prongs (on opposite ends) from each of your pyramid studs (Note: it’s a little tedious, but glue wasn’t as secure as I would have liked, and if you leave on all the prongs, they rumple the fur).
3. While I did this step last, I’d like to suggest here that you apply your studs…because once you get it all sewn together it’s a little trickier to fold down the backs of the studs from the inside.
4. My zipper was a little too long, so I cut it down like I did here. Then I used my straight pins to secure it to one of my faux fur rectangles, face down.
5. I had to wrap my brain around how to attach lining and top fur….so I played with the concept on how to attach them both. So, while my faux fur was attached to one side of the zipper, I flipped the zipper over and pinned my hemmed silk lining to the “wrong” side of the zipper.
6. I laid it all flat here so you could see me attach the 2nd layer of fur to the “right” side of the zipper, with lining on the reverse.
HOW-TO CONT’D:
7. Sew your fur and lining respectively to your zipper.
8. This is how it looks thus far.
9. While sewing up the sides of my bag, I added the little 90 degree notch so zipper could be inset (like I did here with the throw pillows).
10. Last but not least, I pulled the lining out of the inner portion of the handbag, and stitched across the bottom (Note: you may have to pull it over the lining to sew the sides of it on the wrong side).
DIY
DIY: Camo and Leather Foldover Clutch with Tassel
We’ve seen it on the runways of DKNY and even Valentino — camo is really hot right now! But you know, I wanted a functional way to wear it — an accent piece that I would get more wear out of then say with a top or a jacket. So, I opted to make a clutch. I combined the camouflage with a few textural elements like the tassel and leather…and I’m killin’ a bunch of Spring/Summer fashion trends at once. Tell me what you think. Are you a fan of this neutral pattern?
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SUPPLIES: needle and thread, zipper (11.5 inches), rotary cutter, straight pins, faux leather/vinyl, camouflage fabric, silk lining, scissors, wash cloth & iron (optional), and a sewing machine (note: can be hand sewn).
HOW TO:
1. Cut out two camo rectangles (mine were 13 x 10 inches), and two leather rectangles (13 x 3inches).
2. Pin one leather rectangle to camo rectangle. Place raw edges together, right sides facing each other.
3. Flip it over and sew on wrong side. Repeat for other camo/leather section.
4. Cut two pieces of silk out for lining. (Note: I used my new attached camo/leather rectangle as my guide for what size I would need).
5. Take your zipper face down and pin it to the top edge of the right side of a piece of your camo/leather rectangle AND one piece of the silk (Note: If you happen to find a zipper that is too long, feel free to do what I did here to shorten it).
6. Sew these three pieces together.
7. It may be a little tricky to work around zipper head. You’ll want to sew as close to the teeth as possible, so after sewing about an inch, pull zipper head back. (Note: You’ll move it back into position as you go along).
8. Right sides facing, take the other camo/leather piece and silk and lay it on top of the other side. Pin the free side of the zipper to these pieces along the raw edge.
9. Sew the zipper on.
10. Be sure to watch out for the zipper pull like in Step #7.
11. It’s time to sew it all together! Use straight pins to give yourself about a half inch seam allowance on the remaining three sides.
12. Go ahead and sew it all up.
13. Before you get to that last side….be sure to open up zipper a few inches so you can get it open once you are done sewing.
14. Cut corners of bag off at an angle on both sides.
15. Flip bag to the right side.
16. Take a piece of leather about 7.5 inches in length, and cut about 7 thin strips of leather for your tassel with the rotary cutter.
17. Fit leather strips through zipper head.
18. Take one leather strip and wrap it firmly around the head of the bundle of strips three times.
19. Hand stitch this binding strip to the bundle of strips for security. Cut off excess.
20. If your fabric is puckering at all, feel free to iron it out, applying a damp cloth over the leather portion.
