In December, Cyndee, a Flattering50 reader from Virginia, emailed me about a faux fur tote she was making. I love faux fur accessories—hats, handbags, gloves, shoes and so on! I wrote back, asking her to send me a photo of the finished tote. Not only did she send me a photo (above), but she said I could share it with you. Isn’t it fabulous? Cyndee used faux snow leopard fur fabric and faux suede for the straps. “I am having fun wearing my snow leopard faux fur bag,” Cyndee writes. “It’s a casual bag, but I could see using this type of fabric for a smaller, evening purse.”
FAUX-BULOUS FUR
I love the “maker movement” . Today, millions of people are embracing their inner DIY (do it yourself) and creating fabulous things. Some people have reinvented themselves as entrepreneurs, selling their creations on e-marketplaces (such as Etsy). Others have started websites with step-by-step directions and videos for their DIY projects. And still others, like Cyndee, have hopped on the DIY wagon to create something lovely for themselves, or, like me, welcome the chance to purchase the unique, home-crafted products of other DIY artisans. A recent Forbes magazine article suggests that the maker movement is reinventing today’s retail industry.
For her faux fur tote, Cyndee found directions at Sew4Home. According to Cyndee, sewing faux fur was a bit of a challenge. "It was my first adventure in sewing this type of fabric. But Sew4Home had complete instructions as they do with all their great projects."
Meanwhile, I poked around the Internet and found directions for another basic fur tote.
For those of you with some DIY handbag experience, you might want to check out How Did You Make. The site has two fur bags: a fur purse and a fur and petal handbag. The latter purse would be perfect for a special evening on Valentine’s Day, don’t you think?
Or perhaps, like me, you’ve never made your own handbag. I was thinking I might test the waters, so to speak, with something much less complicated. Here’s a faux fur wine sack that I’m ga-ga about. Talk about making a statement a hostess gift!
Already have a gorgeous faux fur bag? Looking for a DIY handbag in a different texture? Take a peek at the DIY handbags created from re-purposed household items (ie, placemats, shirts, floppy disk, book cover, and calendar dish cloth) on this Pinterest page. Some people are so creative!
WHAT'S YOUR LATEST DIY FASHION STATEMENT?
Have you created a DIY garment or accessory for yourself? I would love to know about it. Send me a photo of your creation and the DIY website that inspired you. I'd love to share both with Flattering50 readers.
Thanks!
