Thursday, April 15

artful thursdays #14.....zipper purse tutorial

ok, huge confession here...i have the biggest wool collection in my state, i think.
plus i never, ever pass up a vintage metal zipper at a sale. i buy even the used ones that someone clipped out of a skirt. it seems i always see a vision of something new that could be made with old vintage wool skirts and coats. time to get busy making some zipper purses for my artful thursday project this week...
my favorite thing to tuck inside these little purses is my jewelry when i travel, next i like to corral all the little things that collect at the bottom of my purse: lipstick, gum, nail file, that sort of thing. once you make one you will be making them for everything. 4 seams on the sewing machine and a bit of hand stitching is all it takes.


gather together scraps and pieces of wool felt. i use washed and felted clothing and hand dyed wool. even the tiniest pieces will make a flower.
you will also need a zipper, any length will do, i always cut off the extra, some embroidery thread and something sweet to sew on top like a vintage button or bead.


step 1. cut your wool felt into a rectangle. my tiny size purse is 8 inches by 5.5 inches.


step 2. scallop or zig zag cut the short ends of the wool rectangle.


step 3. pin the cut edges to your zipper and sew both ends to your zipper. i use my zipper foot and a smaller stitch like 2.5.



step 4. close the zipper and turn the purse inside out. pin the two ends closed. you can either center the zipper down the middle, or move it to one side a bit. sew the zipper pull end first. unzip the zipper just a bit and sew a 1/4 seam allowance. i sew this seam twice to make it extra sturdy.
step 5. now sew the other end closed. it is a bit tricky sewing over the metal zipper teeth. i have a sturdy jeans needle i use and i 'walk' the needle over the zipper teeth with my hand. sew this seam twice also.


step 6. cut the zipper end off with utility scissors and turn the purse right side out. poke all four corners out nicely and press your zipper purse using a wool setting on your iron and steam. i iron right over the zipper.


step 7. now for the the decorating part. for this little purse i added a felt flower embellishment and stitched it on with embroidery thread.


my friend cassondra walters mailed me these gorgeous vintage wool flowers. you can make your own with tiny scraps of felt.


first i cut out the two felt circles using a circle template and trace the circles with a pencil. cut out the green felt stem and leaves and place them on the purse where you like them. sew through the two circles and attach the little applique and bead.


step 8. using a pale green thread sew tiny back stitches to attach the stem and leaves. so adorable! these little purses feel so thick and scrunchy in your hands and can totally go the distance with their metal zippers.


here are a whole stack of ideas to get you going.


these two purses have millinery flowers sewn on them.



i couldn't resist this polka dot fabric to line this purse, plaids are my favorite!


fancy buttons make great flowers!


these two purses have tiny seed beads and embroidery for the design.




if you like you can attach a fun bead or button to the zipper pull with a jump ring. this little bell shaped glass bead looked like a little mushroom to me.
happy thursday, julie

113 comments:

Karin said...

So adorable! Love each and every one of them.

Julie said...

Generous tutorial of your pretty little pouches! Thanks so much!

gretchen said...

these are such happy little things, julie! i might have to start (and finish!)one tonight. thank you for the wonderful instructions and the gorgeous eye candy! - gretchen

Jingle said...

These are so super cute!!!

Lisa Russell said...

These are SO pretty!

Michele {The Scrap Shoppe} said...

Just so cute! Love them!

Nicole Austin said...

i LOVE these sweet purses! thank you for sharing. i'm inspired to try to make one of my own! :)

Susiebelle said...

Love! That mushroom is the cutest thing ever!
~Jane

Stephanie said...

What sweet little things! I love the contrasting zippers (and the super easy instructions). Can't wait to make one (or ten) of them!

Shane Pollard said...

You're such an inspiration Julie. I will make one for my granddaughter's June 1st birthday, she will be five and loves pretty, girlie things. Only problem I can't find felt in soft colours in New Zealand. Can you give me a source in US? Thankyou.

Kateyed said...

OMG...those are so charming, I can hardly stand it. I have a new sewing machine, still sitting in "wait" for my courage. Have not sewn since my twenties and I am long past that. You make it look possible. Maybe this will be the project that propels me along!
Thank you :-)
Suz

Kika said...

Those are so sweet....I have to say the mushroom one is my favorite!

Amy said...

oh my gosh! Just when I think I've got the sewing but kicked you show me something else I just HAVE to make! How wonderful! Thanks for the tutorial!

Jillayne said...

These are way too cute! I have a feeling they will quickly become an addiction for me too!

Michelle in Saskatoon said...

these are great! I love the colors and the embellishments too, thanks for showing how to do them!!

KarenB said...

OMG!!! Everything you touch is fantastic! I love the red and aqua one. Love, Love, Love

Marina Collings Whiting said...

ooooh! the mushroom one is the best of all the game!

Tina said...

WOW - love them all. Thanks for sharing.

tina
pretty paper posies.

Zita - Mlle Magpie said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! With your wonderful instructions, even I will try this myself :)

paperbird said...

I love these sweet little purses Julie.

Stacey said...

I use the little zipper purse I purchased from you to hold my ipod. I just love it. Thanks for the easy to follow tutorial.

Jennifer said...

Julie, these are so cute. I have to confess that zippers scare me. But you make it doable.

Rachel@oneprettything.com said...

You are so fabulous. I just love these. Thank you sooo much! I'll be linking.

Susan Z said...

Your zippers purses make me so happy and it's thanks to YOU that i now have the largest zipper collection ever. Thanks for this tutorial. I feel like I hit the jackpot!!!! Can't wait to make one...Finally!!!

Tania Martyns said...

I loved felt, I'm 39 colors and I want more colors, your work is wonderful, congratulations! the bags are beautiful!

Tania Martyns said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jo in TAS said...

Your little purses are absolutely gorgeous! I love the wool colours you have!!

angelina said...

julie in utah:: you rock for this, a mothers day present i needed...x
xx

Kristal said...

Oh Julie, I love these! I mean, I REALLY love these ♥!! LOL!!! Sorry I missed the last 2 weeks...moving...unpacking...losing my mind! But I hope to be back this week :0)

Jana said...

I'm in love...your mini purses are adorable.
Jana

Carrie Me! said...

I too love making and using zipper pouches and yours are fabulous!

The colors and the embellishments are so beautiful =)

Michele T said...

These are awesome! I love all your ideas and each has a personality of its own! Thank for the tutorial, you have inspired me!

Mary Ellen said...

I love wool, and these are ADORABLE!!! I'm going to check my wool stash!

Ashley Ann said...

I love your embellishments. Beautiful!

Laura said...

Those are gorgeous! I am so inspired!

Anne Marie said...

These are adorable. I need to make myself one before summer arrives.

Diana Trout {Nan.DT@verizon.net} said...

These are so perfectly cute and clever. Thanks for sharing!

Eila A said...

Lovely purses! Thousand thanks for the tutorial!

Estela Mata said...

Hi! i really love these sweet little purses! thanks for sharing. So cute, so adorable.
I will try to make one. I have zig zag scissors but I love your scallop scissors. Can you tell me where can I bought that scissor?

Rebekah Greiman said...

I cannot wait to try my sewing hand at these. I love the little embellishments! Thanks for sharing. I enjoy trying out new sewing projects. I just posted how to make a shirt from two silk scarves. You may like it, I don't know, but I thought I would share the link:
http://www.potholesandpantyhose.com/A/Arts_%26_Crap.html
Hope you enjoy!

Zarinaia said...

Oh! these are so CUTE!! Can I link your tut on my blog?
thanks

Eleonora

Unknown said...

Your purses are really beautiful. I love making little purses too, i have at least 3 in my bag at all times! I never thought of looking for old zips on my op shop trips so now i have some else to scan for! Thanks.

Roben-Marie said...

I am so wanting to make one of these! Thanks for this awesome tutorial! These are so beautiful!

Tracey@bountifully said...

thank you for the great tutorial, these are so beautiful, I am going to go scavenging for wool now to make one. I have linked to your tutorial from my blog.

Anonymous said...

drool drool drool. Adding it to my tutorial list.

araleling said...

Thanks for this lovely tutorial :)

Createology said...

Great tutorial. Thank you so much for being so generous with your talents. Happy creating...

StressTheSeams said...

Thank you so much for a wonderful tutorial. I found it so inspiring I had to make one! I changed things up a bit, but I still linked you. Check it out at http://stresstheseams.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-you-be-inspired-days-pocketwatch.html

Thanks!

KeyQuilter said...

very cute! where'd you find the scissors that cut a scalloped edge, sharp enough to cut through wool cleanly? TIA

kt said...

I am crazy about these, every single one! thanks for making a how to
kt

Jos van KloskaCreAtief! said...

I totally adore them!!!!

LivArtNow said...

These are sooo sweet!! thanks for sharing!!

Linda

Maggey and Jim said...

I love them all, especially the mushroom one.. I must make a few, I do have some old zippers..I saved
Maggey

Anonymous said...

I absolutely LOVE the tutorial on your wool pouches. I enjoy working with wool & look for new things to make. I WILL be making some of these. Thank you for the project. Dianne

Shaheen said...

Adorable! thanks for the tutorial. Check out my blog to see the picture. Thanks again.

Gal said...

Brilliant!! I've never thought to make it like you do bfore. Okay, this will be my next project. I'll post it on my blog if I made it. :)

hdrapetis said...

greetings from Greece. I got on your blog accidentally and I find it special. I really loved this project! Question: how do you do with lining hiding the dodgy edges?
Thank you!!!

lightbluegrey said...

What a feast to the eye!

L.M. said...

How absoulutly darling! Your beautiful and simple designs remind me of my German and Italian roots and are never out of style. Thank you so much for your generosity to share your techniques with the world. I thank you very kindly. Lore

Dolly said...

This is a great tutorial and wonderful little purses !


You quickly mentioned the one with the polkadot lining......how did you do that? It still has a scalloped edge at the zipper, so I'm confused.

Morna Crites-Moore said...

These are just precious. I hope I get around to trying to make one ... or more! Thank you.

RookieMom Heather said...

Thanks for the tutorial. I'm going to make a little monster wallet for my 3YO. Wish me luck.

Brittany said...

Like everyone else, I love them! I made one today and it was super easy. It turned out really cute. I still have to decorate the outside. Now all I have to do is buy a ton of zippers to make more. Thank you so much for sharing!!

Red Geranium Cottage said...

Those are the cutest little bags. I just love them.I'll be making up some of these soon. Thank you.

Unknown said...

so cute...will make one soon...thaks for ur tutorial!!

Eileen {bluebirdluxe} said...

Absolutely adorable! Thank you for the wonderful tutorial! :)

EditorK said...

Hi Julie,

I've added your project to AllFreeSewing.com. I think it's a great project our readers will love to make. Here's the link:

http://www.allfreesewing.com/Bags-and-Purses/Zipper-Purse-Tutorial

If you have any questions or would like to see more of your projects on the site, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks!

Kirsten
Editor
AllFreeSewing.com

Anonymous said...

Wow! Thats so cool, this is going to keep me busy! Thanks so much for sharing. ;-)

Luv Creating Cards 'n' Keepsakes said...

Hi Julie,
Love your tutorial on the tiny zipper purses, thanks for sharing your fab idea. The purses are absolutely gorgeous. I will have to try them out. I'm sure that my daughter would love to try too. I've not been able to peek at you blog for a while, sorry, but just had a few minutes today, so have been having fun catching up.
Many thanks again for all the lovely things you showcase and share with us.
Warmest best wishes,
Su
-x-

Luv Creating Cards 'n' Keepsakes said...

Hi Julie,
Love your tutorial on the tiny zipper purses, thanks for sharing your fab idea. The purses are absolutely gorgeous. I will have to try them out. I'm sure that my daughter would love to try too. I've not been able to peek at you blog for a while, sorry, but just had a few minutes today, so have been having fun catching up.
Many thanks again for all the lovely things you showcase and share with us.
Warmest best wishes,
Su
-x-

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! I love it!!

Purple Swirly said...

this is so cool! (^_^) keep it up...

marie said...

Wonderful tutorial - thanks so much for sharing it! Your little purses are beautiful.

paulajane said...

Love all of them! It's true, when you start making, you just can't stop!

paulajane said...

Love all of them! It's true, when you start, you just can't stop!

Anonymous said...

pretty purse love it

Ashma Pereira said...

Hi,
My sister is crazy about wallets and purses.I have never done anything special for her.I checked your site,I realized how simple and fun it is to make a purse.I am gonna make one for my sis.And will update you soon on it.Thanks for teaching us to make such lovely purses.The purses shown in this site gives a lot of mental peace.

Ο κόσμος της Σοφίας said...

These are adorable! I wish I new where to buy such as beatiful fabrics...

profumo di lavanda said...

meravigliosi!!
grazie per il tutorial, sarà molto utile per fare i prossimi regali di Natale

Wibchen said...

I totally fell in love with these purses. Thank you so much for sharing <3

Anonymous said...

Love Love Love these, thanks for sharing your idea and how to. Gonna get started on making one ( or more). Yours are beautiful.

Jennifer Mathis of Ellison Lane said...

Great tutorial. Thanks for putting it together. Those are so cute!

Anonymous said...

Just saw these on Pinterest! Love them! Going to get supplies tomorrow and make some for Christmas presents. Thanks for the easy instruction, too. Love making creative crafts like these :)

Sathiarani's Kitchen said...

thanks for your clear and precise tutorial, I made 2 lovely pouch, hand sewn as a birthday gifts...will try more of your tutorial...thanks alot..

Anonymous said...

I am going to make one. They are so cute! Thanks for the tutorial.

diything said...

made one tonight for my little girl.. love it - thank you for sharing

diything said...

i made one tonight for my little girl - love it! thank you for sharing

Joann Loftus said...

Oh, wow! These are so darn adorable! Thanks for the very detailed tutorial. I will try making one (or two!) when I get a chance. Love them!

Mistie said...

I have a whole bunch of scrap felt that I've been wanting to do something with and I am definitely going to try these cute little bags. Thanks for your great tutorial!

Anonymous said...

Ok ... Ok .. one more .. one more.... beautiful .. beautiful.... you're the one and only .... the one and only ... tssss...

talona.etsy said...

Thanks for sharing your talents! Cute, Cute!! I plan to make these from some wool sweaters, after my next trip to the recycle store. Awesome flowers, in ~*~* L O V E *~*~ with your little zipper purses.

Nykki Makes said...

I too would love to see how you lined one.
Great Mother's Day gifts, thank you..

Nykki Makes said...

I too would love to see how you lined them.
Great Mother's Day gifts, thank you...

Dragemamma said...

Great tutorial! Thnx ;-)

Dragemamma said...

Great tutorial! Thnx

Ana María said...

Too cute! Thank you for the idea. =)

Ana María said...

Too cute..! Thank you for the idea. =)

Anonymous said...

These are so cute. Where did you find your scallop shears? I cannot find them anywhere.

Valérie said...

Beautiful!! I'm gonna try it, thanks ;)

Carole Beath said...

Here I am...way down on comment #67 and it's no wonder. These little wool purse creations are absolutely wonderful...and your tutorial is fantastic. You are a kind one to share this.
Carole

Ronda said...

Love this tutorial! Where do you buy your wool?

Ronda said...

Love this tutorial! Where do you buy your wool?

pattyj said...

so simple, but so cute. Thanks!

pattyj said...

So simple,but so cute,thanks.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I saw ur post and thought that that case was the cutest thing! well, i followed ur tutorial and made one myself! thank you so much for the tutorial, they were extremely helpful!

~Narita said...

oh yes!
Just what I need, another hobby!

Sooooo inspiring, ty :)

Nadine said...

I find your creations absolutely gorgeous! I love your colors, your quiet
atmosphere, and your huge creativity!

Then, on the delightful pictures your are showing, I saw a treasure...! A
pair of scissors that I had dreamed about and which I thought didn't exist!

Some CURLY zigzag scissors!!!

Please, please, please: could you tell me what is the brand of your
wonderful scissors, and where you bought them? I was looking for fantasy
scissors that could cut felt, I had looked for such scissors and couldn't
find any in real shops or on the web, and was even asked my sellers "are
you sure this does exist?". And, thanks to you, I saw these fantasy blades!!!
I hope you''l be able to answer my question and help me in my quest...!

I wish you all the best in your creations,

nadine

Anonymous said...

Nadine - I want those pinking shears too! :0) I just googled "curved pinking shears" and found some new on ebay. Good luck!

Unknown said...

These are beautiful! I love how much attention you've paid to little details- the seed bead couching(?) and those lovely fabrics and colours.

connieJ said...

These are adorable!!!!

Unknown said...

Lovely...and I so appreciate the various designs. So glad I found the site.

Marie said...

This is the first time that I have saw your site and I love it. I love the little wool pouches. I'm going to be making these for my 2 sisters for Christmas. You have great direction. Thanks
Marie

Unknown said...

Hi There! I came across your purses and just LOVE them!!! I seen the one with the polka dots on the inside and was wondering if you could share how you did the liner on the inside? I tried one way and it just didn't come out right, was wondering if you could share a way that would work with this style of purse? Thank you! :) Love all your work!

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