More than just a Purse!

I came across a stash of vintage black purses while doing a little pikin' awhile back.  You know the kind....some 60's patent leather, gold accents, Lucite handles, dressy fabric.....something your grandma might have owned.  After some thinking, I decided they were too cool to just use as a purse and maybe a bit too shabby too (and not in a good way :)).  So I decided to play around with something I had seen on Pinterest awhile back......using them to display vintage photos!  Just a really cool piece of wall art that would be gorgeous with a shabby chic, Paris apartment or French country kind of décor.  Very glammy.  But guess what, I actually did what I always forget to do when I'm in a creative frenzy........I made a tutorial for it!  Now mine turned out a little different than the ones I saw on Pinterest, but pretty cool just the same! 


Cut some floral foam to fit inside the purse.

Glue foam into the purse using Beacon 3-in-1 glue.  In this case I glued it into the pocket

You may need to cut away some of the liner to get to the sturdier hard part of the purse. In this case I glued foam to each side of the purse and then to each other.  You want your purse to remain open about 2 inches so you can put the flowers in, but no more open than that.

Now you're ready to work with the frame.  I used a small vintage gold metal frame.

Take the frame apart and clean it up real nice.  Save all the pieces.

Take off the easel part on the back by pulling up the staple.  

Put the frame back together with a photo of your choice and glue it to the purse.  I just love that 3-in-1 glue man, it works on everything!

Select your flowers.  I personally love the look of roses and peonies in shades of cream & pink but go with whatever makes you happy!

If your flowers are part of one large stem, cut them apart so you can insert them individually into the floral foam. You'll want them long enough to fit to nearly the bottom of the purse when inserted.  Use care not to cut yourself in the process!

 

This part, glittering up the flowers is optional.  I have friends who are very squeamish about glitter, but I'm a huge fan!  Everything looks better with a little sparkle, I say :))!  I used the clear, chunky kind for a subtle, fairy-dust kind of look.

This is basically a 2 step process. 

Dip the flower into some Mod Podge.

Then dip it into the glitter.  That's it!!!  Add more or less as desired.

After the glitter has dried, gently brush off any excess with a brush.

And voila!!!!  Who wouldn't love this?  It looks even better in person!

More glittery gorgeousness!

We're almost to the finish line.  Just insert your flowers into the foam, carefully placing them to cover up the foam.  You can also use a straight pin to add a hankie or a glove for a very vintage sweet touch!

And there you have it!  A gorgeous Vintage Purse Art piece to hang on the wall or set on a shelf. 

Another piece of pretty Purse Art!  Wow! Say that 3 times fast! :)  I love the sentiment on this one.

Who wouldn't love Audrey a la Breakfast at Tiffanys hanging on their powder room wall?!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!  All 3 of these cuties are for sale in my Etsy shop btw.  These are so fun to make, I'm planning more with some new tricks up my sleeve.  My daughter's been giving me suggestions :)  Till next time................Sandy