When it comes to purses, there are many options out there. Purses come in different shapes, designs, colors, and brands. They are also made using various materials. There are people who are conscious about the materials used in the products that they are buying, particularly those who are searching for eco-friendly items. If you are among them, you’re surely looking for purses that are made using materials that are not harmful to the environment and to animals.
Today, there are many materials that can be used in making purses. Some are common, while some can be out of this world. If you are looking for an eco-friendlier purse material or are simply tired of the same purse materials that most brands offer, we are here to give you more ideas. In this post, we are going to give you a list of the unusual materials used to make a purse.
1. Newspaper
After reading a newspaper, most people just throw them away. But others use them for arts and crafts and turn them into other things. Did you know that you can use newspapers in making a purse? The Fair Trade women’s organizations, which support underprivileged women worldwide, offers UrthBags the Bridgette Recycled Newspaper Tote. It is an adorable bag that is handwoven from recycled newspaper. Some of you might wonder whether this is a good idea since the newspaper is a fragile material. Well, this bag features a tough plastic covering, making it water-resistant.
2. Cereal Boxes and Online Shopping Packaging
In Italy, there are two Italian designers that are turning cereal boxes and packaging into purses. Rivituso and Bastiani are two designers who are experienced when it comes to working with leather. With this, they thought about turning everyday objects like packaging into chic handbags. This is what they call their upcycle project, where they use their leather expertise to give life to ordinary materials that are just going to be thrown away by most people. So far, they have made a handful of iconic purses with waste packaging and other materials like plastic, paper, and boxes.
3. Soda Can Tabs
An online shopping platform called Ecsama Studio, along with some Brazilian artists, haven been designing and crafting purses, bags, and other accessories that are made from recycled pop tabs since 2004. They are offering lightweight “chain-mail” purses that are made from up-cycled aluminum. These purses are stand-out among other accessories due to their unique design and texture. It is an ideal purse to use when traveling or when running errands. Their pop tab clutch bag comes in various fun colors.
4. Old Books
This may sound odd because some of you might think, why would a person turn books into a bag. Well, this can apply to old books that are no longer readable. For instance, if you have spilled liquid on the pages of an old book but its cover remains in good condition, you can reuse what is left. There are also lots of tutorials online that you can find when it comes to turning old books into purses.
5. Old Shirts
If you have old shirts at home that you no longer use, you can also turn them into a purse. Most shirts on their own might be too thin, but adding a lining can make it work. This is perfect for shirts that have cool prints, as they can look cool when turned into a purse. You can have this done by professionals, or if you have a sewing machine at home, maybe you can find tutorials and do it yourself. There are also other stores today that feature purses that are made from old shirts and other apparel like jeans. They are indeed fashionable purses.
6. Football (Soccer Ball)
Thomas Casadei della Chiesa from PangaeA Bags makes wonderful bags using old footballs or soccer balls that can no longer be used for playing. It is not easy to make at home, but his creation is truly genuine and an inspiration for a lot of people, particularly those who are into recycling materials. Plus, it is a really sturdy material for a purse.
7. Chips Bags and Candy Wrappers
Using actual rubbish to make something amazing is a brilliant idea. There are many people out there who are using bags of chips and candy wrappers in making purses. They wash and weave these materials to turn them into cool-looking bags.
8. Belts
Leather purses are usually expensive. But if you have old leather belts at home that you no longer use, why not turn them into a purse? All you have to do is drill or punch holes along the edges of the belts and sew them together. Then, glue a lining to the backside of the belts and use another belt for the strap. This is a great idea instead of just throwing away worn-out belts or those that no longer fit you. They can also make sturdy purses compared to other materials.
9. Old Jeans
This is a unique material for a purse, but many people are already into making them. If you don’t fancy sewing through leather, then try denim. There are actually many DIY handbag ideas using old jeans and denim. If you have ripped or ill-fitting jeans at home, you can use them to make a purse. Also, since denim is a strong material, you can also use them in making the strap of the purse. You can find lots of tutorials for this online.
10. Coffee Sacks
If you are a coffee lover, you can also showcase that through your purse. There are some people and brands out there that make purses out of coffee sacs and burlap. These are unusual but very trendy these days. There are some that paint or add prints to the bags to make them look more stylish.
These are some of the unusual materials that are used to make a purse. There are many more materials out there that can possibly be used in creating bags. Creativity is the key in order to create something different but great. In addition to creating stylish purses, using the materials we shared above are also great for saving the planet. Instead of throwing away things, it is a good idea to turn them into something useful, and making purses is one of those.