Tuesday, June 12, 2012

DIY: fabric covered clutch


A few years ago, a friend gave me a huge amount of purses of all kinds. I split them with my roommate and still ended up with 8 barely used bags--and some of them remained that way. This little blue clutch was one of those I "was definitely going to use". Fast forward to today, and I think I have actually carried the clutch with me no more than three times.

But with the days of summer upon us, I started to get some ideas about this clutch--mostly because I often end up sporting the oh-so-lovely purse strap sweat on hot days. It's really cute, you guys. But what's cuter is jazzing up a boring purse using a little bit of paint and fabric.

You will need: a plain clutch, acrylic paint, mod podge, paintbrush, a razor or sharp scissors, fabric

Before you begin, clean the outside of the clutch (I just used windex because the surface was vinyl). Paint any areas that will be exposed, excluding zippers. Cut your fabric down to the approximate size of the clutch--make sure to cut it larger so you have enough to wrap around! Working a few inches at a time, cover the face of the clutch with a thin layer of mod podge and carefully wrap with fabric (I used a stripe pattern, so I also had to make sure my stripes lined up with the edges--it would be much easier to use a floral or solid). Let dry for 1 hour. Using the razor or one blade of the scissors, carefully and slowly cut away excess fabric (I used a seam that ran around the outside of the purse as a guide, which helped!). Cover with a layer of mod podge and let dry for 1 hour. Touch up any painted areas that may have flaked, and once dry cover entire cluch, excluding zippers, with a layer of mod podge (this may not be necessary depending on the fabric of your clutch, but since mine was vinyl the paint didn't adhere very strongly). Let dry overnight.

Now I have a lovely new clutch with a lot more personality!

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