DIY: Turn a Scarf into a Purse
I love the idea of scarves. They come in a million different colors and patterns, they’re as light or as heavy as the season requires and everybody wears them. But why do I feel like such an idiot when I’m wearing one?
So one day when I was at the store I spied the cutest bird patterned scarf for only five bucks! I don’t have any clue at all how long I stood there and tried to decide if I wanted this thing. So much was running through my head. “Come on, it’s only FIVE dollars!” “Five dollars is five dollars and if I don’t wear it I wasted that money!” “But it’s so cute – I can try the whole scarf thing again! ” “But will you or will it just sit in the closet making you feel like an idiot?”
I guess you know how this crazy dialogue by myself panned out… I bought the scarf. And then I never wore it even though I loved it. So one day I decided that I’m crafty and I need a new book bag so I got after it. And guess what? Turns out it was super easy and this book bag is super cute!
For this project you will need:
- scarf
- matching fabric as a liner
- matching thread
- pinking shears (or scissors)
- hot iron
- anti-fray glue
- sewing machine
as a liner
(or 
)
Measure out your scarf and then cut a piece of your liner fabric that is about two feet tall by the width of your scarf + 2 inches.
Now a bag is no good if I can’t easily toss my phone into it… If you want to make a pocket, cut a piece of your lining fabric that is bigger than your phone.
Fold the sides in, pressing them down so that they stay, and cut the corners at an angle. Fold the top and bottom down and press down. Sew across the seam at the top to close up.
Flip the pocket over and sew it onto your liner. Take the top and bottom of your liner piece and fold them under. Press the seam so that it stays and sew it down about a quarter of an inch away from the fold.
Next, follow the steps in the animated image above (it’s much easier to follow than a ton of pictures).
This is what your bag will look like just prior to turning it right side out…
Trim down the middle of the top of the scarf until you get close to the lining. If you use pinking shears you don’t have to worry so much about fraying, but go ahead and use your fray check or fray stop to keep the scarf from unraveling. Allow to fully dry.
Twist the straps around and around and then tie them into a knot twice. Give it a good tug to ensure that the knot will hold.
And that’s that!
I was pretty surprised by how sturdy my bag is. Here its got about 5 library books and a notepad inside.
With the huge variety of scarves available, you could have a bag to match every outfit! And if you’ve been buying scarves you don’t wear for one reason or another, you can totally remedy that by turning them into something else!
A crafter since her earliest years, Allison spends a little time every day making something. She crafts, sews, paints, glues things onto other things, and is a firm believer that a life spent creating is a life worth living. Visit Allison’s blog, Dream {a Little} BIGGER.