Bandana Snap Bag Tutorial

 I had a few pieces of bandana left after making the apron in my Bandana Apron tutorial. (See it here.) I was intrigued with finding a good use for those points. You could also start with a whole bandana and cut it in half twice from point to point and do the same thing.(My points are just a little smaller than a bandana cut into 4 triangles.) You could make two small purses from one bandana. The larger purse is made from one bandana cut in half from point to point. Both are closed with a "snap closed "opening made with an old metal measuring tape. (This has been around the internet for a while now, but we just had a tape bite the dust and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!) The tutorial below is for the small bag. The larger one is made the same way. I chose to line mine with fleece and a cotton fabric, but the small one is unlined.

1.First choose a piece for each side. I chose to make one side lime green and the other gray/black. Although there are three peices in the photo, you only need two.  Fold the points along the long side in and overlap so that the intersection lines up with the point at the bottom. Since the print on
a bandana goes all the way through the fabric, you can fold either right or wrong side over. (If you're doing this with regular fabric, you will have to pay closer attention to what both sides look like!) Sew across the top with a 1/4" seam. Turn right side out. Press.

2.Place the fronts together and sew along both sides and the pointed bottom, using a 1/4" seam. Turn and press. (If adding fringe or a tassel to the tip, you need to do this now. Of course, you can do like I did and just pick out enough of the seam to insert it and resew it.

You now have the body of your bag. 

3.Sew a cord or grosgrain ribbon at the side seams to serve as a handle or strap.

4. If you want a snap closure, round the ends of two pieces of old metal tape measure using tin snips or scissors that you can throw away afterward!  These should each be the width of the top of your purse.

5. Slip each piece under the flap and push it up to where it is aligned with the top of the purse. Sew under the tape to form a casing to enclose it. the tape should be put in where the rounded sides face outward. When you've done this, you should be able to "snap" the opening open and closed.
 All of the above steps took about 5 to 10 minutes. Simple, right? Now the fun begins! Add some trim:

feather boa....

jewels and sequins...

rick-rack....

fabric bow and fringe....

                                                                  OR....

buttons.

This little project is so fast and easy, I would consider making them as party favors or gift containers. Fill one with goodies and present it to a friend. . It might be just the right size for a phone, credit card, and set of keys. (You might feel more secure with a zipper opening if you keep something valuable in it! (What more could you want? Oh....chocolate! It would fit too!) The large purse is big enough for anything you would normally fit in a purse. I glued fake jewels on with fabric glue to give it some bling.

Until next time.....