Tribal Print Envelope Clutch

 

I've had about a yard and a half of leftover suede fabric sitting around for years now and haven't done anything with it.  I decided to make a tribal inspired clutch.  It came out really cute, but I still have a ton of fabric leftover so if anyone has any suggestions of what I should make with it I'd love to hear them.  If you want to make your own here are the instructions - You can use any fabric you want - 1/4 of a yard is more than enough!

Materials

 

- 1/4 yard of your outer fabric (I used faux suede)

-1/4 yard liner fabric (I used lacey fabric, but you can use anything)

-a piece of cardboard a little smaller than you want the clutch to be

Instructions

Start by making the pattern.  This one is really simple - it's basically a house shape.  Make sure the triangle part is half the height of the rectangle part and that the point of the triangle is centered and you're good.  You can make it any size you want.  You will use this pattern to cut out your outer fabric and the liner fabric. Cut out your cardboard a little smaller than half of the rectangle part.  (I cut mine about 10.5 x 4.5)

  

Next, we're going to sew the liner to the outer fabric.  Pin the liner and the outer fabric together right sides together and sew around the perimeter leaving the bottom open. Turn it right side out and insert your cardboard into the bottom opening and push it up to the top half of the rectangle part.

Now you need to sew the bottom shut.  I just folded the raw edges under and top-stitched it.

This is the final sewing step - you're almost done! Fold the rectangle part in half with the lining on the outside.  Sew up the sides and turn it right side out.  You can stop here, but if you want to decorate it with a tribal print keep reading. 

 

I used acrylic paint to paint on this and it worked great. I used a brown color and it looks nice but subtle.  I would have liked to experiment with more colors but I was afraid it would come out weird.  I would definitely suggest using more color though - google tribal colors and use colors you find online!

I freehanded this but I uploaded a pattern you can print out if you want to make a stencil! You can also look up your own pattern, or paint anything you want on it.  I know the acrylic works on suede, but if you're using another fabric test it out on a scrap piece first to make sure it doesn't bleed too much.

Your clutch is complete!  I think it's perfect for a night out! I can't wait to use mine!