DIY: Charlie Brown Purse

What is it with me and purses lately? I’m not sure but I found several purses at thrift stores all in the same week that I thought would make cool DIY projects and I have been getting after them recently. This next one I like even better than the neon purse. Can you guess why? Because it contains chevron stripes and you all know I love anything with stripes!!

Here is the before picture. I found this purse for $1 and I just knew it would be perfect for what I had in mind:

It’s really not bad as it is, but I knew it could be better :)

For the DIY portion, I’m sure you could paint it freehand but I chose to use painter’s tape for crisp lines. First, I simply masked it off in a chevron pattern. I did one side at a time so I wouldn’t have wet paint on both sides simultaneously.

The tape didn’t stick that well to it so I basically just used it as a guide when I painted. Also, I didn’t tape the sides because they are folded and the material is stiff and I knew the tape wouldn’t stick to the folds anyway. So, I painted the front first and let it dry. Next I taped the back and painted it and let it dry. I actually just used the same tape that I used for the front and just repositioned it. It’s best to use a stencil brush and stipple it (applying paint in a pounding motion) so the paint doesn’t go under the tape (here is a good tutorial if you have never stenciled). After the back dried, I started working on the sides. I knew the tape wouldn’t stick to it so I just connected the zigs and the zags freehand. The paint I used is basic acrylic craft paint in gold.

Here is the finished product. And me modeling my new bag :)

I really like how it turned out and it was pretty simple to make. It took me between 1-2 hours to complete, drying time included. Jason calls it my Charlie Brown purse. And when my Dad saw it yesterday and he said the same thing :) I guess that’s what I will call it too!

Any questions? Let me know in the comment section and I will be happy to answer them!