Book Purses

I'm happy to report that my dad's skin cancer surgery went perfectly. They didn't have to cut into any muscle, which is huge. My dad's head is covered in gauze, but he is cheerfully driving my mother insane. So, all is normal in the Evans' front. His prostate surgery is on the 26th, so if you could remember him (and my mom!) in your prayers around that time, we'd all appreciate it.



I've found an excellent distraction from what I should be doing. I should be writing my new screenplay. I am . . . just not as faithfully as I should. I'm reluctant because once I'm in, I can't get out. It kind of consumes me and I'm not ready to be consumed quite yet!

Enter book purses. (chorus of angels) I LOVE THESE THINGS!

I found an article in "Country Living" about how to make a purse out of a book. I literally ran upstairs and started tearing through all my books (I've got tons!) to see which one would make the cutest purse. I made a great choice, don't you think?


Here's the inside:



This craft is addictive, man. I love making stuff (as you know from all the project pictures that I post all the time) but at the same time, I don't like clutter. I don't like crafting just to craft. It has to have some purpose. This project combines two of my favorite things AND it's very cute. Every single purse is unique. Older books make the best covers. I love that these old books that, let's face it, no one is going to read, get new life as an adorable purse. And finally, believe it or not, these things are cheap to make. Really cheap. The materials required are things that pretty much everyone has around the house (with the exception of purse handles). Even if you had to start from scratch, it would cost around $15 to make, probably even cheaper.

I'm addicted to making these things. If I don't get too burned out on making them, I'm planning to sell them at Hodgepodge (a huge craft fair on Signal) in October. I think people will buy them. John has even talked about making me a website. I always get too carried away with stuff, but who knows? I'm just having fun making them. I've made 6 so far and I think I'm getting better the more I make. I've got tons of pictures, so I think I'll just start posting a few at a time. By the way, the "Tom Sawyer" one at the top was for my 10 year old niece's birthday.

If you're interested in making your own book purse, here's the "Country Living" article. If you really are interested in making one, let me know and I can give you some tips. I do it a little differently just so they're more sturdy. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty rough on purses, so I had to make mine pretty strong. They are really sturdy purses, believe it or not. When you think about it, a dictionary or big text book is heavier than a purse. A book is designed to hold more weight than a purse does. Anyway, happy crafting!