How to Make Purses Out of Potato Bags

Make a purse with a potato bag.

Potato bags can be used to make homemade custom purses. Both plain and printed potato bags can be used to make purses, each looking very different from the other. A printed potato bag will make a purse that has a vintage or craft feel, while a plain bag can be decorated to fit any style you want. Try making your own potato bag purse with an empty potato bag and a few other sewing supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Potato bag
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing needle
• Heavy gauge thread
• Iron on patches (optional)
• Adhesive gems (optional)
• Paint (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut the top of the potato bag with scissors, to about 2 inches taller than what you want your purse to be. The extra 2 inches will allow room for a hem.

2. Fold the top of your bag inward 2 inches and poke straight pins in various spots to hold it in place.

3. Thread your sewing needle with heavy gauge sewing thread and knot the end.

4. Poke the needle through the front of your bag and back out to sew your first stitch. Continue to do this until you have stitched all the way around the hem and knot the end of the thread to hold the hem in place.

5. Cut the top half of the bag, that you cut off earlier, into two identically sized pieces.

6. Fold the two pieces into long straps for your purse. To do this, Fold in the sides of each piece and then fold the whole piece so the folded creases are on top of one another.

7. Sew along the fold, on each piece, with your needle and thread to create the handles for your purse.

8. Sew the ends of one of the handles into the inside of one side of your purse to make a loop, and do the same with the other side. To sew the handles, stitch an "x" formation of stitches onto the ends of the handles you are sewing onto the bag.

9. Decorate your bag with iron-on patches, place adhesive jewels on them , or even use paint to paint a design onto the fabric.