https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/felt-handbagpurse-mirror-pouch • Posted by Ria S.
This is a cute little project using up felt and creating pretty little extras for my girlfrinds for Christmas. I have called it a mirror pouch, but as you can see I have also filled one with a lip-gloss! I bought a few small mirrors for 99p each from ebay and a do-nut lip-gloss from Peacocks for £2.00 - ooh splashing out there for my neice !
This is a cute little project using up felt and creating pretty little extras for my girlfrinds for Christmas. I have called it a mirror pouch, but as you can see I have also filled one with a lip-gloss! I bought a few small mirrors for 99p each from ebay and a do-nut lip-gloss from Peacocks for £2.00 - ooh splashing out there for my neice !
You will need 2 contrasting colours of felt, a small vanity mirror or lip-gloss, ribbon, charm, needle and embroidery thread (floss) in matching colours, button or embelishment, pop-button (snap fastener), fabric glue (I used Copydex) scissors, pencil and a ruler. I show a butterfly embelishment here, but I changed my mind half way through - contrary creature that I am!)
Begin by measuring and cutting a strip of felt about 2 and a half times the length and about a cm wider than your mirror/lip-gloss.
Fold and crease the felt so you can see how the shape will be an 'envelope' to fit the item.
Cut 3 pieces of contrasting felt that fit inside the 3 shapes of your folds making sure you make them about 0.5cm narrower and 0.5cm shorter than the shape. (see pic!) Stick these equally onto the strip with fabric glue - don't use too much as it soaks through the felt. This helps to stiffen and strengthen the shape.
Before sewing up the sides of the envelope, sew on your pop-button to the upper an lower flap using contrasting embroidery thread as this is stronger (I split my thread into 3 strands to make it easier to thread onto a smaller needle) Use neat, chunky stitches to hold the buttong securely and don't worry about stitching showing through the upper flap as these will be covered by an embelishment on the outside!
Before sewing up your sides, attach your charm to some fine ribbon and pin inside the seam you will sew up. I used some cute handbag charms that I rescued from a broken bracelet (I throw nothing away - you never know what its incarnation in its next craft-life might be!)
Now sew neatly up each side of the bottom sections of the envelope to create the pouch - you can use matching or contrasting embroidery thread and plain or blanket stitch look well! I always start at the bottom fold and work upwards so that I can over stitch at the top of the opening join, as this makes it stronger when your mirror is taken in and out of the pouch. As you can see, the stiching for the pop-button is visible on the outside flap, so covering this up is the next step...
Now cut some flower shapes (or hearts, crcles etc!)to embelish your pouch. To cover the stiching from the pop-button on the outside flap, I cut a flower shape from the same colour felt as the inside of my pouch and sewed on a little yellow button as the centre before sticking it neatly over the pop-button stiches. Cut some more flower shapes (full, half or corner shapes work well) to glue on the front and don't forget the back of the pouch too!
Once your glue is dry, you can add your mirror...
...and then you will need to make another because you will want to keep it for yourself!
This one I gave a scalloped edge and a flower button. I sewed the scalloped edge in the same stiching to give it continuity ...
3 finished pouches. The red and black one is my favourite so that might be my gift to me!!
Contents of the open pouches!