Welcome to the first ever MAKE IT MONDAY!!!
the part of the show where Heather (that's me) tells you how to make something
This week's project is a book clutch that I have been wanting to make for a while. I was in love with this clutch a few months back and have been trying to make one however, it has been really hard to find a frame that will fit a book. Then I saw this zippered clutch from etsy over winter break. My mom and looked up a lot of tutorials on how to do it and here is our version of what we came up with.
Supplies you will need:
- a hardcover book that you don't mind cutting apart
- a zipper a bit longer than the edges of the book
- fabric to go on the inside
- sewing machine
- hot glue gun
- needle and thread
- scissors
- iron
- exacto knife
- paper and pencil
- Optional: bias tape and liquid fray stopper
- First thing to do is carefully cut the book pages away from the binding. It's not too hard but be careful to no cut through the book. I've done that on old books before.
- Before you do anything else take some measurements. Measure three edges of the book so you know how long the zipper needs to be, measure the dimensions of the inside where you want the lining, and stand the book up on one edge as open as you would like the clutch to go and trace that onto paper.
- Cut two strips of fabric as long as you need the zipper to be and at least an inch wide. I used matching bias tape to make it easier. Sew the fabric strips right side together to the zipper and iron flat
- This is the hard part. Tutorials make this look easy but it isn't and is hard to explain how to do it. I also found that it was easier with two sets of hands. CAREFULLY use a hot glue gun to glue the zippers to the edges of the book. You can tuck the edges of the zipper down or cut them and sew a stopper stitch across the zipper like I did on one side. It was easiest to do one whole side first and then with the zipper closed or halfway closed glue important points down on the other side so it matches up and then go back and glue the rest down with it open later. Be careful to make sure the edges do not bunch up.
5. Then use the pattern you traced on paper of the open book to make two triangle pieces to go on the edges of the book. This keeps items in the clutch and keeps it from opening too far and ripping out the zipper. Make sure to cut the pattern at least 1/4" larger than you need on three sides. You can hem the fabric or use a fray stopper like I did. It might be nice to use felt and they you don't have to worry about it. Glue these pieces into the sides as shown.
6. Now use the measurements of the inside that you took to make a lining piece and glue this down to the inside of the book.
Ta da!
In the future I might use felt instead of fabric, use a wider book, use a plastic zipper instead of metal (it's hard to slide and makes me feel like I might break it) also I would like to add a chain strap
I am new at making tutorials so I would love to know if this was very helpful and if you make one of your own I would love to see it!
Stay crafty,
2 comments:
So cute, Heather! I would love to try this over Spring break when I have access to more crafting tools! It might be hard to pick a book that is simultaneously cute for a clutch, wide enough to store the essentials, cheap enough to justify de-paging, and meaningful! I'll have to think about it. If you did add a chain strap, would you attach it to the front and back cover of the book or carry it zipper down and attach it to the spine?
Thanks! I know what you mean. Picking a book is hard! I bought a really awesome hardcover of Huck Finn but I realized later how old it is and I would feel bad taking it apart. I think that I would attach one end of the chain to one corner of the front cover and the other end to the opposite corner on the back cover so the zipper is facing up, if that makes any sense. I would like to make it so that the chain could be optional.
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