Strawberry Purse

Level: Sticky (beginner)

*Purchase Strawberry Duct Tape Purse $6.95*

This purse is my duct tape wallet alternative! I love it. I get a ton of compliments on it everywhere I go, and the best part? SUPER EASY to make, or if you don’t want to bother or don’t have all the tools, SUPER CHEAP to buy!

First, the Supplies:

Okay, so normally I would post a picture of all the things you need, but I just didn’t get it done this time. SO, I guess you’ll have to deal with a list this time!

1-Strawberry Purse Template (Confession: I am terribly terrible at computers these days. I have yet to figure out how to put the template on the blog to make it available to you. Oh, well. Check back and I’ll have it when I have it. :S)

2-Red Duct Tape, regular

3-Dark Green 3M (Scotch) Brand Duct Tape (The reason I recommend 3M in this case is because it is a thinner tape and makes the leaves lay a lot better. Any brand will work; I just like the thinner for this application if you have it)

3-Rivets (25 plus a few extra in case you drop or mess one up or want to practice) and Rivet Pliers (available at many discount and craft stores–if you don’t know what I’m talking about, scroll down…there’s a picture or two with me using them)

4-Wet Erase Marker

5-The “Regular” Cutting supplies (Scissors, Xacto Knife, Cutting mat–although, a cutting board will work fine for this project if you don’t have a mat)

Step 1: Prepare Template

First, Download Strawberry Template for $1.49 (Check back later. It’s not up yet. Sorry!)

Copy and paste the image into your word processing program and resize it to 6.5″ wide. Print.

Lay template upside down and cover back with tape.

Cut out Strawberry image using a regular old pair of scissors.

Use Rivet Pliers to punch out holes where the seeds will go.

Step 2: Lay Tape, Trace Berry

Lay out 5 strips of red duct tape, about 13″ long. Be sure to overlap each strip so you can peel it up in the next step.

Trace Template onto Red Tape using a wet erase marker. Mark each hole with a black dot. Then, differentiate your normal dots, stars, and squares by “X”ing the star dots and circling the squares. Make two! (Front and back)

Step 3: Peel, Back, and Cut

Carefully peel up tape layers. Cover back with red tape, sticky sides together, to make it red on both sides. Cut out strawberries with regular scissors.

Step 4: Punch and Rivet Seeds

**I would practice riveting on a “scrap” piece of duct tape to save having to re-do a whole berry!**

Punch each “Seed” with Rivet Pliers. You have to sort of scrunch the duct tape to get to the dots, but if you work quickly it smooths out pretty well afterwards.

For One Handle: Punch out all the regular dots, and on ONE of the berries the circled dots as well.

For Two Handles: Punch out ONLY regular dots on BOTH berries.

Then, starting in the center, poke a rivet through one of your holes. Place rivet pliers on top of rivets and squeeze. Repeat for all your seeds. (Make sure you do them all the same way!)

Step 5: Cut Leaves

I just free handed my six leaves by drawing with a wet erase marker, but you could easily print a second Strawberry Template and make a pattern the same way you did the berry. (if it was available, which, sadly, it is currently not.) Cut each of the leaves with an Xacto knife, six total (3 for each side) individually so they are easier to line up with the purse top. Trim any excess green from the top.

Step 6: Make Handle(s)

Pull a 12″ ish piece of red tape, and rip or cut into a half-strip. If you are doing 2 handles, set one half aside.

Fold in half, width wise, sticky sides together, to make a red strip about 1/2″ wide.

Pull a 12″ ish piece of green tape, and rip or cut into a half-strip.

Lay out on board, sticky side up. Carefully position red tape down the center. Fold green sides down to make a green handle with a red stripe.

Trim each end of handle with scissors. Punch hole in each end, about 1/2″ away from end.

Repeat if doing 2 handles.

Step 7: Attach Handle(s)

Punch out the two center dots that you circled back in step 2.

Push rivet through FRONT of berry, and then push through the STRIPED SIDE of handle so that you can see the backs of your original seeds as you push the rivet through.

It is important to push the rivet all the way through the handle so that it stays on securely.

Rivet handle.

Repeat for other side of handle to make a loop at the top.

Repeat for second handle (if doing two).

Step 8: Join Front and Back

Line up purse, wrong sides together. Don’t worry if it doesn’t line up perfectly, although it should be pretty close. While holding both layers of tape, punch the “X” marking at the bottom of the berry.

Push rivet up through FRONT of berry, and rivet the two layers together.

Continue for the other 4 “X” markings around berry, lining up sides as you go. Be sure to push rivet from the back every time!

Step 9: Tape around Berry

Take about 8″ or so of red duct tape and trim ends. Cut lengthwise into thirds, then cut in about 3/4-”1″ individual pieces of tape. Starting at the top rivet, fold narrow strips from front to back to finish the edges. The shorter your pieces, the neater it will be.

Add your scraps to your duck-o ball and you are done!