DIY | How to Make Your Own Clutch Bag

How to make your own clutch bag: a simple, easy and inexpensive DIY style tutorial that absolutely anybody can attempt! Like with all of the DIY fashion tutorials in our Editorial, this is a very simple but stylish DIY clutch bag tutorial – so don’t worry if you are not an experienced seamstress! Additionally, you don’t even need a sewing machine for this tutorial – a needle and thread will do, although you can of course use a sewing machine!
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With a lot of leftover navy felt and an ever-growing imagination for easy and affordable DIY fashion projects, the DIY felt clutch was created! In my recent #OOTD ? posts over on my Instagram feed, you will often see me accompanied by bags which have actually turned out to be my own DIY creations. Not only have I found a new passion and hobby in creating these handmade fashion items, they have been receiving a lot of attention of late both on and offline!
 

Make Your Own Clutch Bag Kit

To make your own DIY felt clutch bag like this one, you will need:

• Felt material: I used L 60cm x W 30cm, but you can make the bag bigger or smaller depending on your personal choice.
• Bag straps/handles (optional)
• Zip
• Cardboard (optional): I used L 40cm x W 20cm to place in-between two layers of the felt material to make the clutch bag firmer. Of course, you don’t have to add the card if you don’t want.
• Artificial flower or other accessory to be used as a bag charm (optional)

 

How to Make Your Own Clutch Bag

Below are the step-by-step instructions for this DIY clutch bag tutorial, showing you the different stages of how to make your own clutch bag.

1. Take your piece of felt fabric and lay it flat on a hard surface.
2. If you decide to make your clutch bag firmer so that it doesn’t fold, now is where you add the cardboard sheet. Centre it up on the piece of felt that you have cut out, ensure that the border between the edge of the cardboard and the edge of the fabric is consistent all of the way around – in my case the margin was around 2cm on all sides. Glue the cardboard to the fabric and then take another piece of felt to cover the cardboard sheet. Sew this to the first piece of felt you were working with.
3. If you are not inserting a sheet of card simply skip the above step.
4. Now you are ready to pin and tack your fabric and insert the zip.
5. Fold the felt over widthways and using pins, secure the two sides of fabric in place. Don’t forget to insert the zip at the top of the folded fabric. Align the zip and again, secure with pins.
6. If you are new to sewing then I would recommend using the “tacking” method first, which means loosely sewing the material together before you spend time sewing it up properly either by hand or using a sewing machine. If you feel more confident then you can go in and sew up the two sides of felt and sew on the zip along the top line. I sewed my bag by hand – you can do the same or use a sewing machine if you would prefer.
7. Lastly, it is time for those final touches. If you would like to add straps or handles (defying the point of a clutch I know, but this is YOUR bag so…) do so, or add a bag charm like I did – my DIY flower bag charm.