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ADJUSTABLE BAG HANDLE TUTORIAL

We have put together an easy to follow tutorial on making an adjustable handle for your handcrafted handbag. These easy to follow instructions were written and illustrated for our new bag pattern line coming out in 2011 called Henny Penny Patterns – enjoy!

Your first step is making the handle. This needs to be extra long because it will be threaded through a sliding buckle to make it adjustable – my personal preference is approximately 51”, which allows me to wear the bag as a crossbody, hands free handbag. I also like to have some stiffness in my handle so I use a strip of Pellon 987F down the center of the handle that is ½ the width of my handle. For example, if my handle is 4” wide, I cut my Pellon interfacing 2” wide and also leave about 1” at the ends of the handle without interfacing. For hardware, I suggest 2” “O” rings and a 2” slider buckle. Just follow the illustrations below to make your handle: 1. Cut your fabric for the handle 4” wide by 51” long – you will need to add extra material at the end of each handle because fabric is usually only 44” to 45” long. If you don’t want your handbag to be a crossbody bag, 44” will work. 2. Fold under ½” on the long top of your handle (gray shaded area) and press. 3. Fold up the bottom long edge of your handle (It will not completely cover the interfacing). Fold down the edge of your handle that has the folded under ½”, covering the raw edge of the bottom fold and the interfacing – press. 4. Sew parallel lines and equal distance apart along the length of the handle – press.

Copyright©Henrietta’s Handbags 2011

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OPTION: Purchase webbing in the length that you want. This is available in either a nylon blend or a cotton blend. MAKE YOUR BAG LOOPS: You will need to have bag loops if you are making an adjustable strap for your handbag with either “O” rings, “D” rings, or some other similarly shaped object (I have used napkin rings and they worked great!). Cut fabric 3”