Vintage beaded and sequin purses seem to call my name at every flea market and antique store I visit. I have a few that I use for special occasions, and the rest...apparently I'm just hoarding :). Making a journal out of one of these vintage purses helps to justify my collection.
Here's how: Start with one adorable vintage clutch purse. It's OK if it's damaged, you won't feel too bad about altering it! Mine is quite small-the finished pages are 3"x5"!
Use a seam ripper to open the side seams. The bottom of the purse will now be the spine of your journal.
Cut watercolor paper to fit the measurements of your purse. I used 4- 6"x5" pieces of watercolor paper which I folded in half to make 3"x5" finished pages. 4 sheets of paper= a journal with 16 pages (front and back), and that was all my little purse could hold, and still be able to close. Play around with the size and number of pages, and find what fits your purse best. I like watercolor paper because it is nice and thick, and you can sew and paint on it with ease. I embellished the right side of the pages, and kept the left side of the pages blank for journaling, sketching and collage. Here are the "right" side pages...
I punched two holes in the fold of the pages, that I will later use for binding.
You can see that the "left side" pages are blank {for now!}.
When I stacked all 4 sets of embellished pages inside each other to make one signature, my journal was too thick to close. So, I made 2 signatures and tied them into the "spine" of the purse/journal with seam binding.
I threaded the seam binding through the holes in the fold of my pages...
and punched corresponding holes into the "spine" of my purse/journal with a crop-o-dile. I also used scraps of fabric to cover some of the inside of the purse, because it was stained. I was still "in progress" when I took this photo. I just stitched this piece of fabric on 3 sides, so that it formed a secret pocket:)
Here is a side view of the signatures tied into the journal with seam binding.
The edge of the pages...
I tied the ribbons into a bow on the spine, and added a bit of lace and a rhinestone button to the cover.
I think this idea could make a great wedding keepsake or guest book. I am making another one as a scrapbook for my daughter and filling it with the photos I took of them on their anniversary in September. But don't tell. It's a Christmas present!
