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Vintage books with interesting covers make unique book purses.
If you have old hardcover books that are just collecting dust, turn them into something creative and new. Altered book purses have a vintage look to them, and each one is original. Choose from hundreds of fabrics to line your purse with; both solid and patterned fabrics work. You can find a variety of purse handles at your local fabric or craft store.
Instructions
1. Cut out the pages of the book with the X-Acto knife. Be careful with the knife as it is very sharp.
2. Lay the book out flat on a piece of paper, cover side down. Trace the outline of the book and cut it out. Use this as a template to cut a piece of fabric the same size as the book. Fold the edges in 1/2 inch and iron them down.
3. Cut four strips of fabric, approximately 5 inches long. The width of the straps will depend on the purse handles you chose. Sew each strip with the right sides facing each other. Turn them inside out, slide them through the slits in the purse handles and sew the strips of fabric closed.
4. Glue the fabric strips to the inside of the book's cover with E6000 or another craft glue. With the book cover open, cover side down, you should now have a handle on the left and right edges of the cover. Glue the fabric piece you cut out in step 2 to the inside of the book. Set aside to dry.
5. Take the paper template you made in step 2 and lay it over the inside of your book. With the pencil, mark both ends of the spine onto the template. Trace this paper template onto a larger piece of paper, at least twice the size of this template.
6. Measure the width of one side of the book. Drawing a line that is the same length from where you marked the beginning of the spine at about a 75 degree angle. This angle controls how wide your purse will open. Cut out the line and fold the paper width-wise, and trace the line on the other side of the paper. Cut out this line as well. Unfold the paper and then fold it length-wise, tracing both lines on the other side of the paper. The template should now be a rectangle with two triangles, one on each side. This will be used to create the purse lining.
7. Cut out two pieces of fabric according to the template you just made. Take one of the pieces of the fabric and sew the edges of the triangles to the edges of the square, with the right sides of the fabric facing each other. Repeat this for the other piece of fabric. Turn one of these pieces of fabric inside out.
8. Place the right side out piece of fabric inside the fabric that is inside out. Sew around the top edge, leaving a hole big enough to put your hand through. Put your hand through the hole you left, and turn the entire lining inside out. Stitch down the hole, then top stitch around the top edge.
9. Sew the velcro strips to the inside edges of both sides of the purse lining. This will keep your purse closed. Glue the purse lining to the inside of the book frame and set aside to dry.
