Pin-Up Gal Pals: DIY Cigar Box Purses

On a recent trip to the thrift shop, I found these old cigar box purses--and not your traditional boxes. These are octagonal!!! Of course I bought two, one for myself and one for Christina and it became our girl night project once we had them ready and all the stuff on hand.

The cigar boxes were 3 bucks each. They have one side that flaps open. Naturally I made that the top. Who wants a side-ways-opening purse?

Check out the side! As for dimensions, the large one is 7.5" by 5.5", the short one 5.5" by 5.5" and the height of both is 4.5". The large one is good for a big cell phone. The small one holds a normal cell diagonally.

I went to Joanne for hardware. The little package, which is the side hooks for the purse--my husband had to use little screws and washers and nuts because the snap rivets that came in the package were not thick enough for the wood. The side pieces were 4.99 each. The straps I got for 7. So the total cost of the purses at this point is: 22.98

What it looks like after the strap was installed.

I then grabbed some old crafting foam--very thin, like a liner (can't remember why I had it), and using hot glue sticks, lined the inside because while I love the smell of the wood and the look--I realized it was going to be a noisy purse with our lipsticks and cellphones and stuff jostling around in there!

On Etsy, I found the stuff to decorate them with, in the most charming little scrapbook shop, My Divine Inspiration. Due to my airplane obsession, I chose a travel theme that includes:

10 printed cut outs (largest is 6 x 6")

2 stamped images

1 applique
7 buttons
7 rhinestones
12 cardstock cut outs (largest is 2")
3 mulberry paper flowers
1 ribbon bow
2 12" organza ribbon cuts
1 12" lace cut
1 grosgrain ribbon flower
1 paper doily (6 x 4")

Christina chose a kit from the same shop so we could combine shipping and not go searching for bits and pieces all over the place. She chose a circus/fair theme that includes:

6 double-sided cardstock cut outs (largest is 6 x 6")
12 solid cardstock cut outs (largest is 2")
7 buttons
7 rhinestones
1 paper doily (4.5")
3 mulberry paper flowers
1 ribbon bow
2 12" organza ribbon cuts
1 12" lace cut
1 grosgrain ribbon flower

The total after shipping came to 17.99. Yes, it would have been cheaper to use our own buttons and go buy scrapbook paper but the odds ends...the ribbon...in the end it may not have been cheaper as we would have had to buy a lot of stuff we wouldn't use to make just two purses.

So the total now is 40.97, making them 20.49 each.

Then we had Girl Night!!! And we got busy!!!

Look how Christina's turned out!

Front

Back

Mine (Tara's) I made mine a bit travel, women flying, feminism.

I incorporated this bit about a woman pilot named Blanche Scott. The quote in the corner is from Bessie Coleman, another woman pilot. "I refused to take no for an answer."