really easy DIY soft clutch

it's been a while since i've done a DIY.

most recently, i made a sequin bralette and a (faux) snakeskin clutch (seen with this outfit)

this post will guide you to easily make your own soft clutch.

(don't be fooled by the amount of text below, i've also included tips!)

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you'll need: sharp (pref. fabric) scissor, 

outer clutch fabric (snakeskin print for me),

an inner clutch fabric (no one but you is really going to see it), 

needle & thread, pins to hold fabric together if you have some (if not, more needles will do just the same)

clip on button,

not pictured, but a zip! haha

and a sewing machine (unless you're happy to sew it all by hand)

1. cut the fabrics to your desired shape/size. just make sure the width is shorter than the length of your zip. 

 2. pin the material together, making sure that they're pretty damn close to being the same cut. (we don't want to sew it all together, and bits have shifted). 

btw, the above picture is not the full length of the material, it is folded.

also see tip 1.

 3. tadaa! the top (zip) ends have each been sewn - be sure not to sew all four layers together, each (2) ends should have the outer & inner fabric sewn.

also see tip 2.

 4. here's the trickiest part.

to make these instructions a little easier, first zip up the zip.

lay the zip on top. have the zip edges folded in so that the top face of the zip is lying on the snakeskin face. have the zip track as close to the fabric as possible (see picture 6). (if you have enough pins, pin it down - this will make it easier for you to sew)

if your zip is longer than the clutch you've cut, just make sure that when the zip is closed, the zip handle is closest to the edge of your clutch.

now unzip, and sew one side. (the back of the zip should be facing you, and the zip should be lying on top of the snakeskin face). 

then repeat this step (4) with the other side of the zip.

also see tip 2.

5. sew the sides of the clutch together (4 layers each side) inside out (like above), for both sides.

 6. flip it inside out, and you have the above picture! 

7. using a needle and thread, i hand sewed clip-on buttons to one side of my clutch. (top and near the middle). when folded, and clipped down, it looks like the picture below.

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tip 1: the snakeskin material doesn't fray, so i didn't bother to hem it in. if you have a material that frays,  after cutting it and before sewing anything, just fold it in by about 3-5mm and sew. this will just make everything look neater on the outside. 

tip 2: at the beginning of each time you start sewing (by machine), sew a couple times in (i don't know the proper term, but pretty much so that the needle sews in a couple times), reverse it just about the same amount of times, then continue sewing forward. also do this at the end of each sewing line. this will secure the thread in.

tip 3: if you'd like to make sure your folding stays in place, use pins to hold it down before sewing anything. you could even iron it down! (:

any questions? post a comment (:

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