Okay, so I saw this Haney Garcia purse online and thought, “Why not try making one myself?” It looked pretty cool, and I figured it would be a fun project. Plus, who doesn’t love a new bag?
First things first, I needed to gather some stuff. I didn’t have any fancy leather or anything, so I just grabbed some old fabric scraps I had lying around. I found a thick, sturdy piece for the main body and a softer, patterned one for the lining. I also rummaged through my craft box for some zippers, buttons, and an old belt I could use for the strap. Basically, I was just trying to use whatever I could find at home.
Next, I started cutting out the pieces. I didn’t really have a pattern, so I just kinda winged it. I sketched out a rough shape of what I wanted the purse to look like on a piece of paper and used that as a guide. I cut two large pieces for the front and back, and a few smaller ones for the sides and bottom. I also cut out the lining pieces, making them slightly smaller than the main fabric. Cutting everything out took a while, and I definitely made a few mistakes along the way, but it wasn’t too bad.
Then came the sewing part. I dusted off my old sewing machine, which I hadn’t used in ages, and got to work. I started by sewing the side and bottom pieces to the front and back panels. It was a bit tricky, especially since I was using different types of fabric. I had to adjust the tension on the machine a few times to get it right. After a lot of trial and error, and some seam ripping, I finally got the main body of the purse together.
After that, I sewed in the lining. This was a bit easier since the fabric was thinner and more manageable. I made sure to leave an opening at the bottom so I could turn the purse right side out later. I also added a small pocket to the inside for my phone and keys, because who wants to dig around in their purse for those?
Next, I attached the zipper to the top of the purse. This was probably the hardest part. Zippers can be a real pain to sew, especially if you’re not used to it. I had to pin it in place very carefully and go slowly to make sure it was straight. I messed it up a couple of times and had to rip it out and start over, but eventually, I got it in there.
Once the zipper was done, I turned the purse right side out through the opening in the lining. Then I sewed the opening shut and added the strap, which I made from the old belt. I just cut it to the length I wanted and attached it to the sides of the purse with some sturdy thread.
Finally, I added some finishing touches. I sewed a few buttons onto the front of the purse for decoration and added a small charm to the zipper pull. It was just a little something extra to make it look more unique.
- Gather materials: fabric scraps, zipper, buttons, old belt.
- Cut out fabric pieces for the front, back, sides, bottom, and lining.
- Sew the main body of the purse together.
- Sew in the lining and add an inside pocket.
- Attach the zipper.
- Turn the purse right side out and sew the lining opening shut.
- Attach the strap.
- Add decorative buttons and a charm.
And that’s it! My homemade Haney Garcia-inspired purse was finished. It’s not perfect, of course. There are a few wonky seams, and the zipper is a little bit crooked. But overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s a decent size, it’s functional, and it’s definitely one of a kind. Plus, I made it myself, which is pretty cool. I’m already thinking about my next project!
