How to Make Handbags With Ribbons

Woven ribbon makes a beautiful and expensive looking fabric. While it is beautiful, it is not expensive. Rolls of bargain ribbon are the perfect product for this woven ribbon handbag. With the ribbon fabric being created on top of fusible webbing, it makes the whole process fast, easy and successful. By cutting the fusible web the size needed for the fabric piece you will need for your handbag, you can ensure having the correct size needed after the ribbon has been woven and fused.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 7 yards, 3/8-inch wide ribbon-color A
• 7 yards, 3/8-inch wide ribbon-color B
• Corrugated cardboard
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• 1/2-yard fusible web
• Hot glue gun
• 1/3-yard lining fabric
• Iron
• Sewing machine
• Hand sewing needle and thread
• Snap

1. Cut a piece of corrugated cardboard 12 inches wide by 18 inches long. This will be your base to pin the ribbon to while weaving your fabric. Cut a 10 inch wide by 16 inch long piece of fusible web. Center the fusible web on top of the cardboard with the glue side up. Place a small amount of hot glue under each corner of the fusible web to hold it securely in place while weaving.

2. Cut 13 pieces of color A ribbon, all 18 inches long. Cut 18 pieces of color B ribbon, all 12 inches long. Place one 18-inch ribbon down the center length of the cardboard. Make sure it is running down the center of the fusible web. Place a straight pin on each end of the ribbon into the cardboard. Note: The ribbon ends will be beyond the edges of the fusible web. Place the remaining 18-inch ribbon lengths on each side of the middle ribbon and pin. Position them beside each other and touching. Begin in the center and work across the width of the cardboard, Weave a 12-inch long ribbon over and under each of the ribbons running lengthwise and pin. Repeat on both sides of the ribbon, alternating the over-and-under weave for each ribbon to create a checkerboard design. Pin the ribbon.

3. Iron over the woven ribbon to fuse the fusible web to create your fabric. Remove the pins and pull the fusible web fabric off the dots of hot glue on the cardboard. Trim the excess ribbon from around the edges of the fusible web. Place the lining fabric on your work surface, wrong side out. The fabric will serve as a backing for the woven ribbon and as a lining for the handbag made from ribbon. Peel the paper backing from the woven ribbon fabric piece and lay glue side down on the fabric. Iron the woven ribbon to the fabric. Cut around the woven ribbon piece. Place the woven piece on the remaining fabric and use as a pattern to cut out a lining piece.

4. Place the ribbon fabric face up on your work surface. Fold the short end over the front 6 inches and pin the side edges. Sew a 1/4-inch seam allowance along the pinned edges. Place the lining fabric face up on your work surface. Fold one short end over the front 6 inches and pin the side edges. Sew a 1/4-inch seam allowance along the pinned edges leaving a 3-inch opening in the middle of one side edge. Turn the sewn ribbon handbag piece right side out. Place the handbag piece inside the lining piece and match all the raw edges. Pin the edges together. This will include the flap above the sewn sides. Sew around the pinned edge using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Turn the woven ribbon handbag right side out through the opening in the lining and press. Hand sew the opening closed.

5. Cut a 36-inch piece of ribbon for the handbag handle. Fold over the ends a 1/4 inch and hand sew one end to each inner side of the handbag. Fold the flap over the handbag. Sew a snap to the underside of the flap and to the front of the handbag to close.