Boho Wedding Minaudiere Clutches: inspiration and easy tutorials.

MAKE THE MOST AMAZING MATCHING ACCESSORY TO YOUR WEDDING GOWN / GUEST OUTFIT / DREAM DATE DRESS, IN A MERE HOUR OR TWO, TOPS!

You want a gorgeous box clutch made from the same dress fabric? Yes please!!!  Minaudière clutches (AKA box clutches/clamshells) ooooze glamour, yet they are incredibly easy to make. Welcome to the second in our series of tutorials, this time on the theme of BOHO, which show you how to make your minaudière clutch LOOK A MILLION DOLLARS!! Our boho-styled clutches make a nod to Frida Kahlo's distinctive and delicious style, weddings and holidays in exotic, far-flung locations and vibrant Indian wedding themes.

Materials you'll need (minus the fabrics and embellishments):
* To get your minaudière box clutch and all the glues you need click here to see our collection and order - WE DELIVER WORLDWIDE.
* To see how to cover your minaudiere, or add a partition, gusset or cover to it check out my free tutorials here
* Read on for how to add boho personality to your clutch, see our other tutorials on the themes of vintage and contemporary
* If you prefer to see a how-to film on putting together a minaudière click here to check out my Craftsy Class.

Boho style explores fun and creative ideas and allows you to show the colourful side of your personality.  It can be unconventional, exuberant or whimsical and is very versatile.  Mix a riot of bright colours, fabrics, ribbons and charms to create a unique bag for your perfect day.

(all images collected from Pinterest)

TRIMS
Be inspired by bright colours and patterns, Indian textiles (like beautiful sari fabric) or embroidery fragments and trims. We found some embroidered ribbon samples that were the perfect size to lay across this Sparkle minaudière frame.  Add these when your clamshell is completely covered with your choice of fabric inside and out, but before you glue it into the frame, so that any ragged ends are neatly hidden away behind the frame when the purse is finished.

Decide where your trims are going to go and paste down a thin layer of tacky glue over the purse. Leave to dry for a few minutes then gently press on the trims.



POMPOMS
Massive advances in pompom-making technology mean there’s no longer any need for the old two circles-cut-of-a-cereal-packet-wrapped-with-wool!  You can whip up a pro pompom in a matter of minutes with a pompom maker – we used the smallest one of this set.

These look fun, cute and quirky glued onto the body of the clutch and it's dead easy to do.  Five small pompoms fit nicely across our Cocktail minaudière clutch.

Decide on your pompom layout and exactly where on the purse they're going to sit (tip: not too near the bottom, or you won't be able to hold your clutch properly!) then mark the centre point with a pencil so you can get your pompoms absolutely symmetrical. Squeeze a thin line of strong fabric glue along the purse, then press on the central pompom.  Continue to lay the pompoms on either side until the line is complete.

You can also sew or tie the pompoms to the chain. For hanging pompoms, thread with fine ribbon or braid, then knot onto the chain as for the tassels in the Vintage section.  You can also plait a length of the matching wool as we did.   Take three lengths of wool (longer than the length of your required ‘dangle’, as the plaiting eats up the wool’s length), and knot firmly several times at one end, then start plaiting.  To make it easier to get a nice, even plait, pin the knot onto a firm surface like a pinboard or drawing board, so you can get a good tension on the thread as you work. Thread the finished plait through the pompom with a thick needle.

 

Who knew that making a knockout customised clutch was this fun and easy? (not to mention a fraction of the price of a ready-made clutch).

If you try out any of these projects, we'd love to see what you come up with! Tag us @uhandbag on Instagram, share on our Facebook page or email us at the U-Handbag office :)