Learn to make a DIY coin purse. Last week I went to the local markets and held up lots of traffic at the parking station while digging around for loose change in the bottom of my handbag. The solution? Make a DIY coin purse and attach it to my keyring. Problem solved!
DIY Coin Purse Tutorial
This tutorial will show you how to make a DIY coin purse from leather or vinyl.
DIY Coin Purse - Supplies
- LEATHER - Thin to medium-weight leather or faux leather/vinyl for the outside. Faux leather (vinyl) can be purchased on a roll from your favorite fabric store. I got the brown and pink used in my samples from fabric.com. A cheap way to buy leather for small projects is to get bundles of scrap. There are numerous scrap suppliers on Etsy and Amazon.
- INTERFACING - Double-sided interfacing
- FABRIC - Cotton fabric for the inside
- CLIP - ½ inch (12mm) D-ring or lobster clip. You could even use a 1-inch (235cm) keyring.
- SNAP - KAM snaps. These are plastic snaps that are cheaply purchased online from Amazon and eBay. (Read all about KAM Snaps)
- CRYSTALS to decorate - you can use cheap acrylic ones or even fancy Swarovski crystals.
- NEEDLES - Leather needles. Specialized needles have sharp tips that pierce through the leather and prevent skipped stitches.
- FOOT - Teflon foot. While it is not strictly necessary, a Teflon foot is amazing to sew leather and vinyl with, as the bottom of the foot does not stick, thus eliminating any uneven or skipped stitches.
DIY Coin Purse Video Tutorial
Here is a quick YouTube video I made showing you just how easy it is to make this purse. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly craft and sewing videos.
DIY Coin Purse, Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 - Attach Interfacing
Rough cut your leather, interfacing, and fabric to 4 by 7 inches (10x18cm). We will be cutting this all down to the exact size later, so there is no need to cut it precisely.
On the wrong side of the leather, press the fusible interfacing with the glue side facing down.
Leather is fluffy on the back, and Faux leather normally has a fabric backing, so this should be no problem. Test a scrap first and use a pressing cloth to minimize anything melting or coming off on your iron.
Peel off the paper backing of the interfacing and press it to the wrong side of the fabric. Read more about how to use interfacing.
Step 2 - Cutting
Cut your piece into a rectangle 3.5x6.5 inches (9x16.5cm). Make sure you have nice sharp scissors that will cut clean edges. You could also use a rotary cutter but watch your fingers as leather is harder to cut through than fabric, so there is more chance of it slipping.
Fold the top of the clutch in half lengthwise and round the corners. By cutting the 2 corners together, you will ensure they are symmetrical and even.
Step 3 - Add the D-Ring
Cut a scrap of leather ½ inch (12mm) by 2 inches (5cm) and thread it through your D-ring. Fold it in half and baste or glue the ends together.
Place the D-ring on the side of the main clutch piece and fold the bottom of the clutch up 2 ¼ inches (5.7cm).
You can glue it in place, or wonder clips are handy for holding the sides without making a mark.
Step 4 - Stitching
Stitch the sides and around the top.
Stitching Tips:
- NEEDLE - Make sure you use a leather needle to prevent skipped stitches
- STITCH - Use a medium-length stitch of 2.5
- FOOT - If your leather is sticky or overly textured, a Teflon foot or walking foot can ensure the foot sews smoothly. I always use a Teflon foot as I find it easier to manage than a walking foot. They are also great for sewing Lycra and other tricky fabrics.
Further Reading: How to Sew Leather
Step 5 - Set the Snaps
Now it is time to add your KAM snaps and crystals.
If you haven't used KAM snaps before, here is a tutorial on how to apply KAM snaps. I used a small pad of post-it notes to put inside the clutch so I could make the hole through the flap and body in one go. This results in perfect alignment of the snaps.
Step 6 - Decorate
For the crystals, you can use a hot glue gun, E6000 or Gemtac.
Watch your fingers if you use the hot glue gun! I got a blister from it as I was filming a video and didn't want to flinch. Silly me! Next time I'll try E6000.
DIY Coin Purse - In Conclusion
All finished and ready to add to your keyring or handbag. Thanks as always for reading. Happy Sewing!
More Bag-Making Articles
- How to Sew a Zipper Pocket
- How to Cover Zipper Ends
- How to Insert Magnetic Snaps
- How to Make a Tassel
More Styles of DIY Coin Purses
Here are some more styles of DIY coin purses that you can find on the Treasurie blog.
Treasurie
Hi Diane, thanks so much for reading. I never liked the roller foot I had previously as it was really bulky. Maybe I should look for a smaller one to try 🙂 Have a great week.
Diane S
what a fun project, using leather makes the project more special, while I have a teflon foot and walking foot, I prefer a roller foot on leather and vinyl
Treasurie
Thanks so much 🙂 I've sewn a lot of leather over the years! The trick to neat sewing is simply that white Teflon foot and leather needles.
Melody
So cute and you did such a great job of sewing