How to Make and Repair Handbags

Make a stylish handbag in just a couple of hours.

If you can sew a straight line using a sewing machine, then you can make a handbag. A simple handbag takes only a few hours to complete. It requires no pattern, and little in the way of advanced sewing techniques. It makes a stylish gift or treat for yourself, and can cost much less than buying a designer bag at a store. Also, once you have the basics of bag making, it's an easy transition to repairing common handbag damage. A broken strap or a snap that has fallen apart is no reason to toss a favorite handbag.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric, medium to heavy weight
• Lining
• Iron-on interfacing
• Sewing machine
• Hand sewing needle
• Matching thread
• Scissors
• Measuring tape or ruler
• Iron
• Seam ripper
• Magnetic snaps

Instructions

Make a Basic Handbag

1. Cut two rectangles for the main fabric for the handbag and two for the lining fabric, each measuring 11 inches by 16 inches. From the main fabric cut one piece 4 inches by 20 inches for the strap. From the interfacing, cut two 1- inch squares.

2. Pin and sew three sides of the main fabric together using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Right sides of the fabric are facing each other. Leave a long side seam open. Repeat for the lining, except leave 5-inch opening on the bottom.

3. Mark a 1-inch square on each of the bottom corners of your main fabric. The right sides of the fabric should still be facing each other. Cut out the squares. Repeat for the lining.

4. Press the corners together in the opposite direction from the seam of the bag so that the edges of the cut-out square make a straight line. Match up the seams from the side and bottom and pin. Sew together using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Press seams open. Repeat for lining.

5. Iron the fabric for the strap in half lengthwise. Open and fold the raw edges in towards the middle crease. Iron each new fold. With the edges still folded in towards the middle, fold again in half on your original crease. Iron again and pin. Sew each side of the folded fabric using a 1/4- inch seam allowance.

6. Turn the main body of the bag right side out. Pin the the strap to the seam on each side so that the end of the strap aligns with the top of the bag. Pin and sew using a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

7. Find the middle of the lining on each side and measure down an inch from the top. Place the top of the interfacing squares at this mark on the wrong side of the lining. Iron the squares in place. Take one side of your magnetic snap and gently press the two prongs into the interfacing so that the snap is roughly in the middle of the square. Use your seam ripper to make holes at these marks. Press the sides of the lining together and use those holes to make matching holes on the other side. Insert your snaps on the right side (inside) of the lining and press prongs closed.

8. Place the outside of the bag, along with the strap, inside of the lining so that the right sides of each are facing. Match up the top of the lining and outside of the bag and pin. Sew all the way around the top using a half inch seam allowance.

9. Pull the outside of the bag and the strap through the hole in the bottom of the lining. Slip stitch the hole closed and tuck the lining into the bag. Press the the top the bag and top stitch along the top edge of the bag.

Replace A Broken Strap

1. Open a 5-inch hole in the seam at the bottom of the lining with a seam ripper. Pull the the outside of the bag through the hole so that your bag is inside out.

2. Rip open the seam at the top of the bag where the strap is attached on each side. Pull the strap out of the hole at the bottom.

3. Follow Step 5 in Section 1 to make a new strap. Carefully insert the strap through the hole in the lining. Pin the ends of the strap in the holes at the top of the bag in the spot of the original strap. Make sure the ends are lined up with the top of the the bag and pin.

4. Sew the strap in place, matching the seam allowance that is used around the top of the bag. Sew the strap again using a slight smaller seam allowance to reinforce the hold.

5. Pull the outside of the bag back through the lining. Slip stitch the hole closed. Press the top of the bag. Top stitch across the handles to match the top stitch on the rest of the bag.

Replace A Broken Snap

1. Follow Step 1 of Section 2. Pry open prongs of the snap to remove. Take snaps out through the hole in the lining.

2. Iron on interfacing over snap holes to reinforce the snap location on both sides of the lining (wrong side). Use seam ripper to remake holes where the prongs go for a magnetic snap. Slip both side of the snap through the hole in the lining. Insert into holes and press the prongs closed.

3. Pull the outside of the bag back through the hole in the lining. Slip stitch the hole closed. Replace the lining into the bag and press.

Tips & Warnings

• Add interfacing when making your handbag using a lighter weight fabric. Cut the interfacing the same size as the outside of the bag and iron on the wrong side.

• Use a zipper foot to sew the top of the bag in Step 9, Section 1 to get past the snap.

• Use interfacing to reinforce any kind of snap you use in Section 3.

References

• Sew, Mama, Sew!: Fat Quarter Handbag Tutorial
• Lazy Girl Designs: Box The Bottom Corners Of A Bag

Resources

• Keyka Lou: How to Slip Stitch a Seam Closed
• You Sew Girl!: How to insert the best magnetic snaps ever.