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A good handbag can be a thing of beauty - and with proper care, a joy for just about forever.

What I love about these accessories (I've accumulated my share over the years) is that they offer a combination of utility, color, design, and fine materials. No matter what you weigh on any given day, or how fast you had to run out the door, a great handbag is always to be depended on. They can be very expensive, but favorites are worth it when you carry them over and over again.

A muslin or flannel bag keeps a handbag from gathering dust and collecting scratches. Many fine handbag makers provide covers for their creations, but not all. I like to make simple drawstring covers for bags that need them, and I thought I'd share how to do it. 

Here, I'm making a muslin cover for a structured Kenneth Cole bag I bought in the late '90s. I've always liked its vibrant true red hue and the Mondrian-esque quality of the flap with pony skin and lizard-embossed sections. The original cover was the size of a king pillowcase and synthetic, so I decided to make a cover specifically for this bag.

Sarah McFarland, contributor
Posted on Feb 25th, 2010 in tips & tricks, tools & supplies, seam, edge, measuring, marking, storage, organization, accessories, handbags, cutting, trimming, accessory storage, muslin covers

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Comments (12)

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Posted: 2:12 am on February 24th

Dianasmith070 writes: Nice Handbag.......I love to carry designer handbags of Luluguinness.......
Posted: 4:57 am on December 13th

SCsewer writes: I don't use pins to attach the card to my dust covers because I am concerned about them rusting. I put the description on a tag I make from card stock. I punch a hole in the top of the tag and use a small piece of narrow ribbon to attach them to the drawstring of the bag. I have a storage closet that has a very high ceiling. Where the wall joins the ceiling I attached a strip of pegboard so that I can hang the out of season purses by the drawstring so that they are out of the way and do not get crushed.
Posted: 9:37 am on March 9th

smcfarland writes: Hi, I just wanted to respond to artcat's comment about using a serger for this project - artcat, you are absolutely right! I have a confession to make. My first serger machine is still in the box at my new apartment. I have been sewing for years with the most basic mechanical machine. It makes me feel good to be able to produce just about anything with a basic machine, but I am excited about catching up with the times and using more advanced tools. In the future you'll see serger projects from me, and in the meantime I hope any reader feels welcome to adapt my simple project to their equipment!
Posted: 1:39 pm on March 3rd

AMCartolano writes: Hi I would love to print this article but I am experiencing some printing issue when I click on you your print article button. It only allows me to creat a pdf print of the first page. how can this be fixed? can you supply pdf files as well? i am creating a library of articles. many thanks

Anita
Posted: 11:49 am on March 2nd

Zingen writes: How about a handy snapshot of the item, in a plastic sleeve, attached to the outside of the bag? I'm think of this sort of thing for my silverplated items that I want to put in protective bags.
Posted: 10:37 pm on March 1st

artcat writes: Your instructions are great. But I think if you can use a serger you would have finished seams inside the bag cover, and it would make quick work of the silica bag, too
Posted: 8:45 pm on March 1st

artcat writes: I have been putting a half of a dryer sheet inside stored purses to keep them smelling fresh. Do you think this might not be good for leather or fabrics?

I make a similar drawstring bag for storing shoes or as travel covers. The first one wes only suitable for one pair of women's shoes. Now I make them larger so my husband can use them, too.

I made a fancier one with a pocket for a pair of socks out of a golfing print cotton, and padded it with iron-on craft fleece for protection, and lined it, for my sis-in-law to carry her golfing shoes.
Posted: 8:43 pm on March 1st

naughtymonkeys writes: Great article and comments, thanks! I've been toying with the idea of making dust covers for my bags, and now that you've explained how to, there's no reason for not doing it.

And the stuffing and labeling details -- brilliant!
Posted: 7:06 pm on March 1st

Skymom writes: Embarrassingly enough, I recently opened a stored purse that I hadn't used in a long time, and discovered two balls of wonderful mohair yarn that I bought for my sister probably 7 years ago. So I guess a label or two wouldn't hurt me, either!
Posted: 4:49 pm on February 26th

smcfarland writes: Thanks, Skymom, for the stuffing recommendation! I'm not satisfied with the density of tissue paper and I do worry about the acid content. T-shirts are a great alternative, so I appreciate your recommendation.
I'm also an avid knitter and sometimes I store yarn for a future project in a larger handbag - it cuts down on the amount of storage space I need! I have to label everything, though, or else I have trouble finding that project material when I'm ready to use it.
Posted: 11:00 pm on February 25th

Skymom writes: Thanks for this great idea. This would make a nice gift, too, for friends who collect handbags. You just have to keep a tape measure in your pocket and measure their bag when they go to the ladies' room!

Instead of stuffing bags with tissue paper, I often use old t-shirts that have been laundered a lot. No acid (which some tissue paper has), and there are always a bunch in various sizes in my house, waiting for suitable recycling. Then when I take the purse out, I'm reminded of that time I donated blood, or did a 5K walk for charity, or whatever.
Posted: 4:07 pm on February 25th

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