How to Sew a Paper Purse

Materials:

chip board pieces in the following sizes:
- 1" x 5-7/8" strip
- 7/8" x 5-3/4" strip
- 2-1/2" x 5-1/8"strip
- 2-1/4" x 5" strip
- 1-1/2" x 2-1/4" oval
- 1-7/8" x 1-1/4" oval
decorative paper
tacky glue
Crystal Clear acrylic spray
glue stick
oval template
braided fabric or paper trim
1-3/4 yards of cord
four brass 1/4-inch eyelets and a setter
1/4-inch paper punch
small black bead with a large hole
macrame-type bead with a large hole
utility knife
pencil
scissors
straightedge
cutting mat

Steps:

2. Pre-shape the body of the purse by bending the exterior and interior side pieces of chip board to form a slight curve.

4. Glue the decorative paper to the chip board pieces. Glue the long edges over and down. On the inside pieces, trim the short edges of the paper close to the chip board pieces. On the outside strips, trim one end and leave the other with about a 1/8-inch overhang. This paper will overlap the glued strips to make a hidden joint so that no chip board shows at the seam when the pieces are placed together.

6. Glue a piece of paper a little larger than one of the chip board oval pieces and glue it down, centering the chip board on the decorative paper. Clip the edges and glue them under for a smooth cover.

7. Cut a liner piece of paper a tiny bit smaller than the oval and glue it onto the bottom side of the oval card stock piece, folding the edges over.

9.Grip the pliers at the ends and squeeze tightly to crimp the eyelets.

10. Place a bead of glue around the rim niche in the body of the purse, and glue the oval piece into place. Do the same for both the top and base of the purse.

11. Thread the cord through both the top and bottom pieces of the purse. Loosely knot the ends of each cord up about four inches. Keep these knots adjustable so that they can move down into place after the tassel is secured to the cord (figure F).

12. Thread a small black bead and then a larger bead onto the cords (figure G).

13. Attach the tassel to the end of the cord low enough that the large bead will slide over and cover the attachment knot.

14. Slide the beads down over the tassel knot and secure them with tacky glue.

15. Add paper or fabric trim and jewels where desired. Use tacky glue to secure it in place.

16. Spray a gloss coat onto the purse if desired.

Tip: It is important to glue the decorative paper on after the chip board is shaped. Otherwise, the interior paper will bunch up or the exterior paper will stretch.