Wedding Bag

Many women tend to accumulate accessories over time, like shoes, jewelry and bags; these items are an easy way to change the look of an outfit (and they generally still “fit” whether you gain or lose any weight). And while I admit to buying more shoes and jewelry then I need, I don’t end up buying bags because I’m lazy. I use the same bag everyday because it would be too much of a hassle to move all the junk I have in one bag to another.

However, I didn’t really want to carry my large everyday bag to a wedding I was attending, so I thought I could buy a smaller bag that would be more appropriate. Truthfully, I didn’t dedicate myself to finding one, but merely checked out bags when I happened to be at a store. I wanted to get one at a thrift shop because it would be cheaper and I didn’t want to spend much for a bag I wouldn’t get much use out of. Unfortunately, I didn’t find one I wanted.

Then I looked at some other stores with new bags, but I didn’t see anything that I liked. Most of the bags were the wrong size, the wrong color, the wrong material, the wrong design…or just plain wrong. And really, I didn’t even want to spend $20 on a cheap bag that wasn’t particularly cute and that I would just get rid of after I used it. I thought that if I was going to carry a cheap bag, I might as well just make one myself (and at least get some sewing practice in while I was at it).

I made a very simple purse with the materials I happened to already have. It’s not a terribly large bag, about nine inches wide and five inches high. The flap folds over the top of the bag and tucks under a front band of fabric. I created two tabs on either side of the bag and connected a chain (I had bought from the jewelry section of a craft store) to each tab. I chose a very light blue fabric with thin satin stripes on it. From a distance, the fabric just looks like an icy blue (which matched well with the navy I was wearing). The fabric wasn’t stiff enough on its own, so I put a piece of cardstock inside the bag and that helped to maintain a more rectangular shape. Will I use this bag again? Probably not, but it’s served its purpose.