Wise Owl Purse

You're smart enough to see that this Wise Owl Purse from Heidi Borchers is one of a kind. Learn how to make a shoulder bag unlike any other that you've had before from this free purse pattern. Fabric crafts rarely yield such rare results like this fun fowl bag. Apart from felt, this DIY purse uses other materials. It's a recycled craft, and as such transforms would-be trash into a delightful shoulder bag. This homemade purse is a no-brainer.

Materials:

• Aleene's Fabric Fusion Peel & Stick Tape
• Aleene's Fabric Fusion Peel & Stick Sheets (you will also be using the package for the base of this purse)
• Small paring knife
• Dark brown t-shirt fabric (or other fabric of choice) for outside approximately 15" x 8"
• Fabric for inside panel approximately 13-3/4" x 4-5/8"
• Fabric - for feathers (you can select a fancy embroidered fabric or a cute print fabric)
• Felt -medium brown, beige for eyes, beak, brows
• Buttons - for eyes
• Velcro - adhesive backed 1" piece
• Beaded necklace or chain (for handle)
• Scissors
• Needle and thread (to stitch on beaded necklace handle)
• Patterns

Instructions:

1. Cut open the sides of the packaging with knife. Remove any excess paper scraps after cutting open. Lay packaging on work surface printed side up.
    
2. Apply Aleene's Fabric Fusion Peel & Stick Tape along edges (in rectangle pattern).
    
3. Turn over and apply Tape to unprinted side. Also apply strips along flaps and down center.
    
4. Cut t-shirt material at least 1/2" larger than packaging.
    
5. Remove release paper from tape on printed side. Press onto fabric. Cut fabric to 1/2" along all edges.
    
6. Remove release paper from tape along outside edges and flap (leave paper on tape strip down center).
    
7. Wrap fabric around edge and press into adhesive clipping corners to ease fabric around curved edges. The front is now covered with fabric.
    
8. Cut piece of liner fabric 4-5/8" x 13-3/4". Apply tape to uncovered side of packaging. Press liner fabric into adhesive.
    
9. To close packaging back up, apply Peel & Stick Tape along front side of each flap. Remove liner paper, fold flaps in and fold end flap into adhesive. You have now covered the packaging on both sides and have re-assembled it to its original shape.
    
10. Apply Aleene's Peel & Stick Sheets to back of felt and cut eye and eyebrow feet patterns.
     
11. Remove release paper and press felt shapes in place on top front flap.
     
12. Apply Peel & Stick Tape to back of button eyes (two layers) and press eyes in place.
     
13. For the beak, adhere two layers of felt together. Apply Peel & Stick Sheet to back top 1/2 of beak. Apply piece of Velcro to bottom back side of beak.Adhere beak to flap, pressing Velcro in place below flap. This will allow you to open and close the flap.
     
14. For feet, adhere two layers of brown felt together. Cut patterns. Using photo as guide, apply piece of Peel & Stick Tape to front top of feet and glue in place on bottom back of purse. (The feet are hanging down along bottom edge)
     
15. Apply Peel & Stick Sheets to back of feathers fabric. Cut feather patterns. Remove release paper and glue feathers in place.
     
16. For the handle, hand stitch the beads along the fold on the inside flap. The stitching can be covered by the brow. Simply lift each brow slightly, stitch and place brow down over stitches.