How to Lace a Leather Handbag

Dress up a relatively simple handbag with laces.

Handbags often are a sign of a person's overall fashion taste. Some people prefer fussy handbags while others like simple handbags. Some must have the latest haute couture bag, while others settle for something less expensive. However, there is a way to make your handbag stand out from the rest without having to spend a fortune: Add your own lace-up pattern to any simple leather handbag you own. The results are best if this handcrafted addition is made on a moderately-priced quality bag. Carefully choose your ribbon color to match the bag, or regularly change out the ribbon to match your outfits.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil or chalk
• Ruler or tape measure
• Protective mat
• Leather hole punch, 4 millimeter
• Hammer
• Eyelet setter
• 16 eyelets, 4 millimeter
• Ribbon, 30 inches

Instructions

1. Turn the leather handbag inside out.

2. Mark 16 spots on the inside of the handbag with pencil or chalk. The marks should be in two vertical rows and 1 inch apart, with eight spots in each row. The spots should be 1 inch apart vertically as well. These locations may be anywhere on the handbag, but plan ahead. Before you begin, decide if you want two or four symmetrical lace-ups on the handbag, one in the center, or a fashionable off-center lace-up. Place the 16 spots for each lace-up accordingly.

3. Place a plastic protective mat made to protect surfaces from impact into the inside-out handbag. Position it behind where the 16 holes are drawn.

4. 

   A hole punch looks like a large nail with a hollow tip.

   Position a leather hole punch head above the first of the 16 marks.

5. Hammer the butt of the hole punch a couple of times, or until the punch reaches the mat. Continue punching the rest of the 16 holes, making sure the mat is behind each one before punching it.

6. 

   Many leather items use eyelets.

   Place an eyelet through the first hole in the handbag. The rounded end should be facing away from you, and the cylindrical end should face toward you.

7. Position the eyelet setter into the eyelet. Make sure the protective mat is behind the holes.

8. Hit the setter with the hammer.

9. Turn the handbag right-side out.

10. Run the ribbon through the bottom two eyelets, with the ribbon tails dangling on the outside of the purse, then pull them so the tails are of equal length.

11. Take the left tail and put it into the second-from-bottom right-hand eyelet. Take the right tail and put it into the second-from-bottom left-hand eyelet.

12. Reach inside the bag and push each ribbon out through the hole directly above it. Repeat this until you've run out of eyelets. Tie off the ribbons inside the bag and trim the ends to 1/2 inch.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a ruler or tape measure for precision when marking where the eyelets go.

• Hammer down any stray flaps of metal without the setter.

• Try using a leather thong instead of ribbon for the laces.

References

• Mixed Media Art; Jewellery Elements -- Setting Eyelets; Laura Thykeson and Carmen Sanchez
• Mixed Media Art; Jewellery Elements -- Eyelet Tools; Marilyn Comparetto and Pat Upton