How to Make a Wrist Purse for a Child
- 1). Measure and cut two rectangles each from the purse fabric and the lining fabric, 8 inches wide by 10 inches long.
- 2). Lay one purse fabric rectangle on your sewing area with the right side up. Place the other purse fabric rectangle on top, with the right side down and matching the edges. Pin the long side edges and one short edge together. The short end will be the bottom of the wrist purse. Sew the pinned edges using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. This will create the body of the purse. Repeat with the two lining rectangles, leaving a 3-inch opening in one long side seam.
- 3). Create a boxed bottom on the purse body. With the fabric still inside out, iron the seams open. Line up the bottom seam over one long side seam and pin. This will form a triangle point on the bottom corner of the purse. Measure 1 1/2 inches in from the triangle point and pin at the matching seams. Sew across the pinned triangle bottom. Cut off the triangle 1/4-inch from the triangle bottom seam. Repeat the boxed corner on the other bottom corner of the bag and the lining bag.
- 4). Turn the purse body right side out and insert it into the wrong side out lining bag so that the right sides are together. Match the side seams and the top edge of the bags and pin. Sew around the pinned top edge. Turn the purse right side out through the opening in the lining. Hand sew the opening closed. Insert the lining into the bag body. Iron the purse.
- 5). Cut a 14-inch length of 1-inch-wide bias tape. Measure 1 inch down from the top edge, on one side seam, and mark with a straight pin. Fold the bias tape in half, matching the two short ends. Mark the folded end with a pin and open the bias tape. Match the marked fold with the pin on the side seam and pin, with the ends of the tape running horizontally below the purse's top edge.
- 6). Measure and pin the bias tape around the purse, 1 inch below the edge. Note: The ends of the bias tape will not meet. There will be a gap. Topstitch both long edges of the bias tape as close to the tape edges as possible. Do not sew across the ends of the bias tape. The tape has created a casing for the drawstring handle.
- 7). Cut a 20-inch length of satin cording. Tie a knot in each end of the cording. Insert a safety pin into one knot to use as a guide. Thread the safety pin guide through one open end of the casing. Guide the cord through the casing and come out the other open end. Hold the cording ends together and tie an overhand knot 2 inches from the cording ends. Pull the cording to close the wrist purse. The cording is the purse handle, which can be placed around the child's wrist.
