Handmade Couture: Make This Look - A Designer Clutch Wallet

Love the look of designer bags but not the designer price tag? Do you stare at bags in the store and wonder how you can recreate that look? Then the Handmade Couture series is for you! We show you to recreate designer looks with existing sewing patterns from your favorite bag designers, Emmaline Bags Hardware and materials at a fraction of the cost! Handmade can be couture too! Today, we are going to show you how to recreate this Salvatore Ferragamo Gancini Leather Chain Wallet:

The Leather Chain Wallet is an elegant accessory that functions as both a wallet or as a clutch for your next soirée. It's crafted with a luxurious Italian leather, has a detachable gold tone chain strap, interior card dividers and a zippered pocket. It measures 8.5” W x 4.5” H and can be yours for a mere 760 USD. Don't have almost 800 to spend on a wallet for yourself? Don't fret! We’ve got what you need to make your own!

Like the look of the Salvatore Ferragamo? Let's be our own brand.

Pattern + Hardware + Fabric= Handmade Couture

Pattern:

Look familiar? The Necessary Clutch Wallet by Emmaline Bags is a pattern that many of you probably already own! It is the perfect pattern for us to use to recreate our inspiration bag. Like our inspiration bag, The Necessary Clutch Wallet is a bag that easily transitions from everyday wallet to a clutch for a night out. The NCW is like our inspiration bag but better, with MORE card slots and pockets, but still coming in at approximately the same size at 8” W x 4” we can recreate the posh leather wallet at a fraction of the cost. You can add a strap, by using this tutorial on how to add a removable strap to your Necessary Clutch Wallet.

Hardware:

In order to keep the look in line with the inspiration bag, we will opt to use a magnetic snap instead of a turn lock:

For the exterior of the flap, we can add our own monogram by using the Script Style Metal Bag label:

For the strap, Emmaline Bags has you covered with the Single Link purse chain. Choose your preferred length: pick from 26” or to be in line with the inspiration bag, a 44” length chain:

Fabric:

The Tannery NYC has our match again! Check out this gorgeous Apricot Leather:

(Remember, Emmaline followers get 10% off purchases of 50 USD or more at The Tannery NYC using code: EMMALINEBAGS)

Not comfortable working with real leather, no problem! You can get the same high end look using a faux leather. Like this Sheepskin color faux leather from Sew Sweetness:

Or how about using cork fabric? You can purchase natural cork fabric from Sew Sweetness in the US and MM Cork Supply in Canada. Cork is a very user friendly fabric and you can easily sew it on your domestic machine with no special tools. The natural cork is a perfect color for our bag:

You can choose to do this in whatever fabric you are comfortable working with! A fun cotton print, canvas or even denim!  That's the benefit of creating your own, it's what YOU want it to be. Handmade can be couture too!

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Photos and content provided and written for Emmaline Bags by Cyndi Farfsing, from The Nosy Pepper. Cyndi's blog is chock is full of more bag photos and make making tips. Check out her bag series "It's in the Bag! Better Bag Making Series," to learn a ton of new bag making skills.

Share your projects made from Emmaline patterns and/or with Emmaline hardware in our facebook group Emmaline Sewing Patterns Group, or on instagram with the hashtags #emmalinehardware, #emmalinepatterns, #emmalinebags, or tag us @emmalinebags.