1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Lately several black-and-white geometric prints have caught my eye, so I decided to make a simple clutch version of my own. For this project I actually used my own tutorial, the one for the leather foldover clutch. I modified it by using duck canvas, instead of leather, and cutting out 10 by 12 inch pieces for the body of the pouch, rather than the 12 by 12 that I used for that tutorial. You could either follow that tutorial and make your own, or buy one pre-made. This would also be a great way to dress up a plain laptop cover.

Materials:

• White canvas zippered pouch/clutch
• Black acrylic craft paint (Mine is by Martha Stewart, and says that it is suitable for fabric, but if you want the paint to be softer or you’re using a different kind of paint you may need to add textile medium.)
• Paint brush(es)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Iron

Methods:

1. This DIY is fairly simple, but a couple of pointers will make it easier. Don’t make the mistake I did and try to use a super cheap paint brush. A good one makes all the difference. If you have a nice artist friend (thanks, Karla!) borrow one from her. If your pouch isn’t made of thick canvas and/or lined, make sure to put a piece of cardboard between the two sides so the paint doesn’t bleed through. Finally, I recommend sketching and measuring your design on paper before you start on the canvas. There’s no eraser for acrylic paint!

2. Carefully sketch your design out in pencil. Stray pencil lines may not fully erase, so make sure you don’t get pencil anywhere you don’t plan to paint over.

3. Fill in your design with the black paint.

4. Let dry at least one hour. If you want the design on both sides, repeat on the other side. Heat-set by ironing.

All done! I think I’m going to add a colorful tassel to mine, like the clutch above from Anthropologie.