When your favourite handbag strap breaks.
“Can you hold this for me? It doesn’t fit into my pocket.” This is probably one of the sentences that guys have heard the most from the opposite sex, and it's probably one of the sentences that all women have said on multiple occasions to their utmost frustration. That’s why I am sure all women can attest to the fact that they own a favourite handbag, and when they can’t use it, they're kind of miffed.
I know I have a bag for every occasion. My holiday handbag, my church handbag, my university handbag, and my big handbag for when I’m going to a fair and I know there will be a bunch of free-bees. But the most critical bag is probably my go-to handbag—the one I use every day. The one I know has everything I might need. The one that I can use without any irritation or problems.
It was an early morning and I was going out for the day. My laptop bag would be my priority bag for the day so I unclipped the straps of my go-to handbag and threw it into my laptop bag. My go-to handbag has a built-in wallet section so I couldn’t just leave it behind. Unfortunately, when I got back home the strap had disappeared. My go-to handbag was no longer my go-to because I couldn’t use it as a stand-alone bag anymore. Instead, it had become an oversized wallet.
This was not the first time that I had lost a strap for a handbag but because it was my favourite handbag, I had to make a plan. What if I could make a new one? With this idea in mind, I let my brain start playing with ideas. How can I make a strap that will be practical but still stylish and fit with my handbag?
Cappuccino rating
I rate this project a one-cup cappuccino project. (Find out more)
The DIY
Today's DIY project came about because of my carelessness and love for my go-to handbag. The DIY project I will be sharing today shows how you could create a new braided strap for your handbag. You can either make one to replace a lost strap like me, or you could make one to up-style your handbag a bit. Since my handbag is small, brown, and gives a rustic vibe I decided to go for a delicate braided strap made with macrame rope. But as fate would have it, I couldn’t find any. I needed my handbag ready for my upcoming road trip, so, I opted for hessian rope instead. There isn’t that big a difference between the two except for the texture, but I’ll explain more about that later.
What you need
· 2 small Clips (To clip onto the bag)
· 3-5 meters of hessian/macrame rope
· Glue gun
· 1 glue gun stick
· Scissors
Choosing the braid
The options are endless when it comes to choosing your strap design. I will be sharing the monkey braid design with you today. Feel free to go and search for other good designs on the internet. Some of my favourite ones I found while searching were the standard 3-piece braid and the snake weave four-strand paracord braid. (Links available below)
The monkey braid
The monkey braid is very straightforward but simple. There is about 1 main step in doing the braid.
Make a loop, twist the rope, and then pull the long end of the rope through the loop to create a new loop.
The Assembly
1. Connect the clip to the rope.
Connect the rope to the clip by doing a simple slip knot.
2. Braiding the rope
The monkey braid consists of repeating the same step over and over until your desired length is reached. You basically make a slip knot. And then repeat it over and over again.
3. Continuing the braid.
While continuing the braid make sure you stay consistent with the way you pull the loop in. Always do it in the same direction to keep a neat clean look.
4. Adding the clip to the other side.
You will add the clip to the other side in the same manner that you added the first one.
The only difference is that you will have to thread the whole strap through and not just the rope.
5. Finishing off
Plug in your glue gun and remember to be careful with the glue. It is hot and can burn.
Once you have reached the desired length for your strap, you can cut off the excess rope.
Glue the ends of the string to the rope. Place the glue in between the gaps of the rope so that it will blend in as much as possible.
What to look out for
Sensitivity – If you are sensitive to scratchy labels or semi-scratchy textures, I will advise you to get macrame rope and not hessian. Although hessian rope is cheaper, the irritation it might cause will not be worth the money you saved.
Securing the rope at the end – Make sure that you secure the string properly with enough glue, otherwise, it will come undone as you start to use it, and I can promise you it will happen at the most inconvenient time possible.
Length – Do not cut the rope before you have confirmed the length of your strap. Connecting the rope halfway through is not easy and ruins the aesthetics of the strap.
The end product
Thank you very much for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed this DIY with Cappuccino&DIY. I am looking forward to having you join me on my next journey. Please feel free to share your experience or any tips you might have regarding this project below in the comment section. Do not hesitate to share this with your friends and family. Now go and finish that last sip of cold coffee because you got caught up in the DIY.
- Martenique Torlage
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