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p1 1 of 24 Overview p1You can upcycle an old thrift store blanket into a beautiful clutch in under an hour. This project is a perfect DIY holiday gift that is both affordable and practical. Your friends and family will appreciate the fact that you spent the time to make them a unique, earth-friendly gift this season. Even beginning sewists will be able to create this fun clutch.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 2 of 24 Materials and Tools p1To create your own upcycled clutch, you will need an old sarape type blanket, a coordinating old sheet or piece of cotton fabric, a 4" x 3" piece of black leather, all purpose contact adhesive for leather, a 10 inch metal zipper, heavy fusible interfacing, scissors, sewing machine, zipper foot, iron, thread, pins, and a measuring tape. Optional tools: A rotary cutter and mat.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 3 of 24 Cut Outer Fabric p1Cut two 11" squares from the blanket for the outer portion of the clutch. Use a rotary cutter to cut perfect squares. If you don't have a rotary cutter, you can use scissors, a fabric marker and a measuring tape.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 4 of 24 Cut Lining Fabric p1Cut two 11" squares from the coordinating bed sheet or fabric for the lining of the clutch.p2 Image Credit: b p1 5 of 24 Cut Interfacing p1Cut two 11" squares of the heavy fusible interfacing.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 6 of 24 Attach Interfacing p1Use a hot iron to attach the fusible interfacing onto the wrong side of each outer fabric square. Before you start to iron the interfacing, make sure the side with the adhesive is facing down. The adhesive side has a shiny look to it.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 7 of 24 Pin Zipper p1Place the zipper face down on the right side of the outer fabric. Place the lining fabric on top so the right sides are together. (The lining fabric in the photo is folded over just to show you that the right sides are together. Your lining fabric will lay flat on top of the zipper.) Pin the three layers together.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 8 of 24 Sew One Side of the Zipper p1Use a zipper foot and sew through all three layers down one side of the zipper.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 9 of 24 Flip Lining Over p1Fold the lining piece over to the other side.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 10 of 24 Flip Lining Under p1Fold the lining piece under the outer piece so wrong sides are together now.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 11 of 24 Pin and Sew Zipper p1Repeat the process on the other side of the zipper. Place the zipper face down on the outer fabric. Then place the lining fabric on top of the zipper so the right sides are together. Pin in place, use a zipper foot and stitch down the other side of the zipper.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 12 of 24 Press Flat p1Flip pieces over so the outer fabric is on top and the lining fabric is on the bottom. Wrong sides of the fabric will be facing each other now. Use a hot iron to press the seams flat. Be careful not to melt the zipper if the zipper is nylon or plastic.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 13 of 24 Pin Outside Edges p1Now flip the pieces so the right sides of the lining are together and the right sides of the outer fabric are together. It is very important to make sure the zipper is open at this point. Pin around all the edges.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 14 of 24 Sew Outside Edges p1Sew a 1/2" seam around all the outside edges, leaving a 5" opening in the lining fabric. Slow the machine down when sewing over each end of the zipper. Be sure to back stitch at each end of your stitching so the seam will stay put when you pull the clutch through the opening. You will pull the entire clutch through the opening to turn it right side out.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 15 of 24 Clip Corners p1Before you pull the clutch through the lining opening, clip each corner.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 16 of 24 Turn Right Side Out p1Pull the clutch through the opening in the lining to turn it right side out. Press all the edges with a hot iron.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 17 of 24 Press and Top Stitch p1Press, pin and top stitch the opening in the lining to close it. Put the lining back into the clutch and push out all of the corners with your finger or a chopstick.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 18 of 24 Leather Fringe p1If you'd like to add a fringe zipper pull, start with a 3"x4" piece of leather. Start at the bottom of the long edge and use scissors to cut 1/4" strips. Stop cutting each strip 1" from the top.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 19 of 24 Get Ready to Attach Fringe p1Thread a thin scrap of leather through the zipper pull and fold over in half.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 20 of 24 Adhesive p1Place a line of leather contact adhesive down the wrong side of the leather without the fringe.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 21 of 24 Attach Fringe Zipper Pull p1Place both sides of the folded thin scrap that you threaded through the zipper pull earlier on the edge of the fringe piece with the adhesive. Roll the fringe piece around the scrap. Secure the edge with more adhesive if needed.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 22 of 24 Set Clutch Fold p1Determine where you would like the fold of the clutch, fold it down and use a hot steam iron to set the fold. You can use a pressing cloth if you have concerns that your iron might stain the fabric.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 23 of 24 Finished Clutch p1Now you have a beautiful clutch, made in under an hour for a very reasonable price. Perfect for a handmade gift or you might even fall in love with it and keep it for yourself to take to those special holiday parties.p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington p1 24 of 24 Happy Holidays! p1Happy holiday sewing from Beth, The Renegade Seamstress!p2 Image Credit: Beth Huntington