Tutorial: Envelope Purse

My friends at Clover who sent me those crafting tools I was unreasonably excited about also sent me the pattern for this little purse. It’s actually an iPad cover, but they also include instructions for the iPad-less amongst us *coughmecough* to use it as a portfolio for a paper tablet. As soon as I saw the demos they made up for their booth, I knew I wanted to make it my own version of an envelope purse.

These purses make me drool, and they’re so on trend right now. These great little clutch purses that are impossibly flat. That somehow make you look both like a busy business woman and a lady with no strings attached, at the same time. If you need an iPad cover that looks like you, these are perfect, but no matter how you use it, you’ll look totally stylish.

The patterns are sold as traceable templates that you can do in three different sizes. Then you’ll also need the shapers, which are pieces of hard plastic pre-cut to the right size to give your purse stiffness that won’t wash out, or your ipad some protection from pokey things.

All the instructions are included with the templates. I followed the instructions for the paper tablet version, so I have a pocket I can slip the back of a legal pad in, and a triangular side pocket for business cards and things. Since I knew I wanted to use mine as an envelope purse, I needed to figure out a way to keep my keys and wallet inside without it falling out the sides. I picked up that keyring finding at Joann’s and used the extra fabric I cut off from the inside spine to make a loop I sewed to the edge just before adding the binding. To deal with cards and id, I made a little zipper pouch and sewed that in as I was sewing in the inside spine piece. If you wanted to, you could go all day adding pockets and features, even a special place for a cell phone.

This is my favorite kind of project, stylish and yet traditional. It looks like a homemade quilt kind of project, but for the very most modern of purposes. The perfect way to bring your love of traditional skills into your very modern life.

Disclaimer: Clover sent me these products for free because I told them I wanted to work with them, but didn’t pay me for the review. I did that for free because I really truly enjoyed the products. My word is my bond.

1 thought on “Tutorial: Envelope Purse

  1. This project looks so cute and fun!, I really like your blog. I was looking for instructions to make some material flowers, and your sweet organza flowers with the burned edges came up (thanx!) Then, I found more neat projects on this site. Definitely a sit to bookmark. Keep crafting!

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