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Turn a Clutch into a Crossbody
I’m not a major clutch fan because I am forever afraid I’ll put it down somewhere and forget it since it’s not attached to me. I still am drawn to cute clutches however, so I decided to create a DIY to add straps to clutches so I won't lose them.

Posted by Meesh N. • Published 6th November 2014 • See Meesh N.'s 7 projects »

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Heather G. favorited Turn A Clutch Into A Crossbody 10 Apr 22:29
Xfluffy_unitatoX favorited Turn A Clutch Into A Crossbody 18 Nov 00:23
Lara L. favorited Turn A Clutch Into A Crossbody 27 Feb 19:42
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Meesh N. published their project Turn A Clutch Into A Crossbody 04 Aug 22:53

Step 1
Grab your materials.

Grommets 3/8″ – Antique Brass- I couldn’t find ring sizes I wanted, so I used grommets. If you find rings that work for you, I would suggest using those. I just happened to have a grommet tools and know I’ll use the rest in another project.

2mm Leather Cord- Black, Natural- Make sure it is at least 3 yards long and 2mm thickness. You can choose to use just one color instead of two also.

2 Large Lobster Clasps- I couldn’t find the exact ones I used, but these are close. I used jewelry clasps because the purse clasps selection didn’t have anything small enough. They would have been comically large in comparison to the size of my purse. I found these in the jewelry aisle of my local craft store.

Kreinik Braid Metallic Thread (Gold)- I suggest using any thread that is fray resistant and you know won’t unravel easily. I’ve used this thread in other projects and found that it’s a very strong thread that can withstand a lot of wear and tear.
Step 2
Unravel the two leather cords and fold in half. Thread them through one lobster clasp ring.
Step 3
I used small black elastic hair ties to keep the cords in place. Later we’ll go back and replace them with a nicer finish.
Step 4
I googled bread braiding instructions to help me figure out how to do a four strand braid.

I used all three yards of the leather cords. Once I was done braiding my strap was about 46 inches long. If you don’t want a crossbody length strap, just a shoulder strap or a wristlet I suggest measuring the strap of your favorite bag to figure out how long you want the braid to be.
Step 5
Leave the last few inches of the cord un-braided to thread the end of the braid through the second lobster clasp. Fold over the un-braided ends and secure with a cobra knot using the metallic thread.
Step 6
Attach the grommets or rings to the clutch. The grommets aren’t very obvious, so I can switch back and forth between a crossbody bag or a clutch with the detachable strap.
Step 7
All finished!