Note Top Purse Templates

Okay, my posts have been kind of sucky lately & I am sadly MIA in blogland. Sorry, it breaks my heart, but I've been so awfully burnt out. Hopefully this big fat purse tutorial & template will make up for it a little. :O)

This is a flat topped version of this ol' purse template. I tried to improve on the old one, so that it prints better & is easier to score (and hopefully this Tut. will make it easier for anyone who wanted to try it but wasn't sure how it went together.

There are two sizes (Medium & Small), so that the label templates (square & rectangle) can be used as purse flaps. The fun part about the flap is that it lets you dress it up a little more. These ones are embossed and stitched and lined and stuff...

I love the funkiness of the Basic Grey Urban Prairie against white.

See that stripey texture? Well, I'm bursting with excitement about that amazing paper company--aptly named Paper Temptress. The paper I used for this project is called Classic Columns. It's got the texture of fancy smooth watercolour paper but with these columns of stripes. The weight of it made it the nicest paper I've ever built a box with, sighhhh.

Templates are all linked here:

Small purse & stuff
Medium purse, Score Guide & stuff


The Small Purse Templates


The Medium Purse Templates



Supplies:

Cardstock: White Classic Columns cardstock
Patterned Paper: Basic Grey Urban Prairie
Cuttlebug Folders: Swiss Dots, Floral Fantasy, Textile
Miscellaneous: Embroidery thread (turquoise, Hot Pink, Apple Green); Basic Grey Urban Prairie Brads, Filigree embellishments from SU
Tools/Basics: Scor-Pal, Paper piercer, Needle & thread, Oh So Sticky tape

Puttin' it together:

• Building the Box
  

Step 1) Print template directly onto the column cardstock (speeeedy Baby!)



Step 2) One way to make scoring this really easy is to cut strategically:
A) cut roughly (leaving the score marks at the top of the purse (marked in blue below)
B) Then cut right to the template line in the Vs of the purse marked in red bellow




Step 3) After cutting strategically, you can line up the top line & the V on your Scor-Pal, or use whatever scoring method you like.



Step 4) Score the box where the dotted lines on the Score Guide indicate & crease the folds.



Step 5) Assemble the box. Line up the top of the flaps for tidiness.

Here's where I like to put the adhesive:



...looks a lot like a diaper, heehee. But it is a purse. :O) Having the two side flaps on the outside make a nice triangle. Alternatively, you could have the rounded flap (small middle one) on the outside. [For an example of the flap on the outside, please see this post.]

• Makin' a Lined, Embossed & Stitched Purse Flap:

Step 1 ) Trace the label template onto the back of patterned paper



Step 2) Stick the patterned paper down to the white column cardstock



Step 3) Use the patterned paper as a guide to cut the white cardstock away



Step 4) Pierce around the edges of the label shape

Step 5 ) Cuttlebug both the layers



Step 6) Adhere the thread end where it'll be hidden (on the patterned side at one of the pointier points) :O) The Cuttlebug embossing hides the stitches a little which gives a nice look, but you can still sew 'em.


Step 7) Stitch around the label shape

• Adding the Purse Flap:

Step 1) Score from point to point (the smaller points) and fold it



Step 2) Place the flap onto the box & mark where the back is (being sure to leave enough room for the middle section will make the fit nice) :O)



Step 3) Use those markings to score the second line (blue dotted line markings above) and fold it



Step 4) Pierce three holes in the back small section for brads (makes it much stronger)



Step 5) Mark the holes onto the box with a pencil



Step 6) Pierce three holes. [Depending on your comfort level with piercing you may wanna do this with a hole punch, or you can use a needle to create a pilot hole for piercing (less chance of buckling)]



Step 7) Add brads



To make the lined handle, I did this schtuff...

1. Cut a piece of Classic Columns cardstock (1 inch by 8 inches)
2. Cut a piece of Urban Prairie paper (also 1 inch by 8 inches)
3. Pierce holes along both sides of the handle.
   
4. To get tidy stitching on both sides of the handle, thread a needle & put it through the handle piercing so that the thread end is adhered where it will be hidden when you attach the handle to the purse.
   
5. Stitch it up with thread
   
6. Use Oh So Sticky tape to stick the handle on.

And that's it..

Happy Craftin' You Crafty Peoples You!



P.S. If you have loved ones on your list who'd like purse boxes, but you wanna switch it up a little & make a variety, there are 151 purses templates & tuts here.