Craft Couture Bags for Barbie

These Fashionistas carry white leather, couture bags made from recycled materials.

       I picked up a few worn leather handbags for a dollar each at resale, intending to use them again in a craft or two. The couture bags shown here were made from a recycled white leather purse that was too damaged to do much with.

Your discarded and broken costume jewelry can be reused to trim couture
purses for a fashion doll.

Supply List:

• recycled leather bag or purse
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• tacky crafter's glue
• discarded chains
• gold bead for clasp
• extra leather trim 
• cotton fabric scraps for bag bottom and interior
• embroidery floss
• cotton balls
• thin cardboard

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut the recycled leather, faux or real into a length measuring approximately 2"x3".
2. Hot glue the side edges together to make a cylinder shape. You can use a bit of cardboard tubing to help hold the shape of your bags until the glue has dried. 
3. Trim off the excess glue with a tiny pair of scissors once it has dried.
4. Measure and cut cardboard circles to fit the bottom end of each bag. 
5. Using tack glue, attach the cardboard circle to a piece of coordinating scrap fabric, leaving 1/4 inch of excess material to turn over the edges and paste in place. Making a neat finished edge for the bottom of your bag once you've glued it into place.
6. Stuff the miniature bag with a cotton ball after removing any cardboard you have put into the purse to hold it into place while the hot glue sets up.
7. At this point I finished the top edges of my leather with an embroidery stitch. 
8. Then I folded a small rectangle over twice and thread this through a small jump ring attached to a chain for the purse and glued it inside one end of the purse opening. Repeat the same step for the opposite side of the purse as well. 
9. I then glued the bag shut with hot glue. However, if the leather had been in better shape I would have chosen to line the bag so Barbie could actually put thins inside it.
10. Next I cut a strip of leather to hot glue on top of my back seam and then to wrap over the top of the purse "opening" and down just a bit for the fake clasp of the bag. 
11. Then I glued a tiny brass bead to this brown strap to mimic a clasp on the doll's bag.

Far left, Hot glue the side edges together to make a cylinder shape. You can use a bit of cardboard tubing to help hold the shape of your bags until the glue has dried. Left center, Using tack glue, attach the cardboard circle to a piece of coordinating scrap fabric, leaving 1/4 inch of excess material to turn over the edges and paste in place. Right center, Making a neat finished edge for the bottom of your bag once you've glued it into place. Far right, Then I folded a small rectangle over twice and thread this through a small jump ring attached to a chain for the purse and glued it inside one end of the purse opening.

More Ways to Make Couture Bags For Barbie Dolls:

• How to make miniature handbags for Barbie dolls