Purses Made With Recycled Material

Recycle, remake, reuse

Nearly anything that qualifies as fabric can be used to make a handbag, tote or purse so long as the material can be sewn or secured without sewing. Some purses are made of materials that are not fabric at all but plastics or metals woven to resemble fabric. There seems to be no limit to the imaginative handbags for sale in boutiques and on the Internet, sometimes for amazingly high prices. Fortunately, materials are available everywhere and patterns for making handbags may be purchased, downloaded or invented. Just because a material's original use has expired, it still may be beautiful and serviceable, and even profitable.

Denim

Denim from jeans, overalls or other garments is probably the material most used in making purses from recycled materials. Not only do most people enjoy wearing denim, but it will also survive years of use. Denim from garments is usually cut away from the original seams, leaving various-size pieces to combine in patchwork. If the pieces of fabric are large enough, perhaps from a man's large overalls, pieces cut from the legs may be made into a tote, clutch or wallet.

Vintage leather

Another popular choice for recycling is leather from jackets and coats sold in resale shops or charity stores. Most of the time a leather jacket is discarded because some part of it is worn or damaged, but large portions---the back for example---may be serviceable. Leather pieces or scraps can be used to make patchwork handbags or purses of many different styles and sizes. A sleeve is probably enough leather for a wallet or coin purse.

Various Fabrics

Commercial purses are made from an enormous array of regular woven fabrics, all of which are likely available as discards in charity, resale stores or remnant outlets. The styles can be copied in velvet, velveteen, wool or blended wool suiting, tweed and coat fabrics of all kinds. Tapestries, perhaps designed to be upholstery or draperies, make dressy purses that are probably tough enough to survive hard use. Other upholstery fabrics, like corduroy or cotton blends, make attractive purses with no end of possible choices.

Lining Fabric

While pastel satin or floral silk---perhaps from discarded silk scarves---may be too delicate to use for making purses, any of these may be used for lining. Linings make purses much more like manufactured products that are easier to use and more attractive. A purse made of denim may not need lining, but a purse made of leather patches or upholstery fabric will be more satisfactory with an attached lining to organize purse contents. Linings in fabric purses also help to distribute the weight of items and add to the stability of the outer material.

Invent fabric

Intriguing ideas for handbags from recycled materials are found in designer boutiques, art outlets and websites where they can be purchased or studied. Creative folks weave unlikely materials like seat belts from cars and airplanes in simple patterns to create stunning tailored bags. Others combine the pull-tabs from soda cans into intriguing metal fabriclike materials for handbags. Plastic bags, no matter the source, can be cut into strips and crocheted or woven into resilient sturdy bags for no cost at all. Some of the most colorful handbags made by artisans are woven from candy wrappers or structured with pieces from juice boxes or other discarded packaging material.

References

• The Just Xcessories: Handmade Handbag From Recycled Materials
• Natural Living for Women: Recycled Handbags
• Go Green Items: Go Green Items Features The Hottest Eco Friendly Handbags!
• Online Athens: Woman's hobby transforms recycled material into purses