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My friend was about to leave on a trip and needed a new handbag. She was so captivated by my unusual one that she immediately wanted to buy it. I had thoroughly enjoyed making my bag and had plenty of time to make another for myself so I welcomed the opportunity to sell it to her. Before long another friend wanted me to make her a bag, then a friend of hers wanted a similar one so almost before I knew what was happening I was launched on another profitable hobby.

My bag making hobby began soon after Christmas two years ago and like many hobbies came about by accident. In most homes a few days before Christmas gaily wrapped packages are much in evidence. That year, as always, my home in Loveland, Colorado, was no exception. I had gone all out for pretty package wrappings that particular year. As I stood admiring the resplendent beauty of the packages heaped beneath the Christmas tree I felt repaid for the money I had recklessly spent for festive wrappings. However, deep-rooted in my being is an abhorrence for wastefulness, so in spite of my appreciation of the beauty of the pretty packages I was uncomfortable in the thought that the usefulness of the wrappings would be so short-lived. In a matter of a few days as I, my family and friends unwrapped the gifts the gay paper, ribbons and other trimmings would be cast aside as useless. There and then I decided not to let the wrappings be a total loss this year. Christmas eve after my guests had left, leaving in their wake a quantity of bright wrappings, I carefully salvaged the best pieces of paper and other decorations, packing them in a box to await the time when I might find some use for them.

JUST AS there is a lull after a storm so is there usually a period of quietness following the business and excitement of the holidays. It was during this breathing spell that my thoughts turned to the idea of utilizing my salvaged package wrappings. I remembered having seen my grandmother make beads from pictures cut from magazines. She had used the odd looking beads for various decorative purposes. With only a vague idea of how the beads were made I set out to make some from scraps of the Christmas wrapping paper. I cut a triangle from the paper and rolled it around a slender wooden stick, securing the point of the triangle with glue before slipping it off the stick. I made several of the beads, varying the size by cutting the triangles in different sizes. The different mottled effects that resulted from the manner in which the paper was rolled were striking and unusual. I found by cutting the triangles with a four-inch base and five inches in length and rolling the triangle around a piece of coat hanger wire instead of the wooden stick I could make slender pencil-like tubes which I believed might prove to have decorative value although at the time I was not sure just how they could be used. It was not long, however, until I discovered they could be used to cover flower pots, tin cans to be used as vases and similar round cans and boxes.

While shopping in a nearby city a few weeks later I chanced to see a rather unusual handbag in a department store window. The bottom part of the bag was covered with a heavy straw-like material while the draw string top was made of cloth. There appeared to be nothing complicated about the construction of the bag so I decided to try making a similar one. I met my first major setback when I was unable to purchase any type of material that even faintly resembled the kind used on the lower part of the bag I had seen in the store window. Without it the bag would be nothing but a plain fabric one, wholly lacking in any semblance of distinction.

With my bag but partially made, I disappointedly put it aside and completely forgot about it until one day I eyed my winter-weary handbag and realized it would soon have to be replaced with one suitable for spring and summer use. Remembering the bag I had started a few weeks earlier, I again tried to get the needed material to complete it, and as before, I met with no success. Suddenly my eye caught sight of the gay colors of a little paper covered vase setting on my kitchen whatnot shelf. Why, I thought, couldn't I cover the lower part of a bag with rolled paper tubes like the vase and complete it by making a fabric draw string top? True, such a covering would be a far cry from the straw-like material on the bag I had set out to copy but I saw no reason why the paper tubes would not be equally as eye-catching and certainly much more original. The idea appealed to me enough that I was soon cutting some of my scrap Christmas wrapping paper into triangles and rolling them into tubes for experimental purposes.

TO SAY that my idea for making such a bag worked without a trial and error period would be an untruth. However, the numerous difficulties encountered and eventually overcome only tended to make me all the more proud of my achievement when I finally completed a bag.

In making my first few bags from Christmas wrapping paper I used odds and ends of paper, all of which were salvaged from the package wrappings mentioned earlier in this article. This naturally resulted in quite a conglomeration of colors. Although the effect was both odd and colorful and was admired by many people, I later changed and now use only one kind of paper in making any one bag, usually selecting wrapping paper having two or three different colors. Since a wide variety of both Christmas and other gift wrapping paper is obtainable at slight cost I have long since discontinued using salvaged wrappings.

Not all kinds of gift wrapping paper are suitable for bag making purposes. An embossed paper is not satisfactory nor is a soft velvet-like paper since the glue which is used in making the tubes often leaves disfiguring spots. Also the shellac when used on this soft paper causes the colors to run. A slick, smooth surface paper of medium weight and having rather small all-over designs is the kind of paper I prefer. While the designs in their entirety will seldom be recognized when the triangles are rolled into tubes, some of the different colors will be in evidence in one tube or another. Color combinations should therefore be chosen with this in mind. Naturally the main or background color of the paper will be that which will show most prominently in the completed tube.

To make the tubes such as I now use for bag making purposes, I first cut a 4½-inch triangle to use as a pattern. I find an equilateral triangle (all sides equal), when rolled, produces a tube which is only slightly thicker through the center than at the ends. Consequently the tubes fit together better than when tubes are made from triangles which have longer sides than the base. Also, equilateral triangles can be cut with less waste of paper.

Different methods may be used for cutting the triangles—by holding the pattern on the paper and cutting around it or by laying the pattern on the paper and marking around it, continuing until the required number of triangles are marked. The triangles may then be cut on the marked lines. I prefer the latter method. If wrapping paper is used which has a plain color on the back, marking should be done on this side. When using paper having a dark background, marking may be done with a white or yellow pencil so marks will show clearly. Two sheets of paper may be cut at the same time by placing one sheet atop the other, holding them together with paper clips which should be placed quite close together to keep paper from slipping. While accuracy in shape of the triangle is not absolutely necessary it is best not to have much variation in their shape.

About seventy triangles are needed to cover the foundation of a round bag 5¼ inches in diameter. The number of triangles needed varies somewhat according to the size wire over which they are rolled. The wire I now use is about the size of a match. A knitting needle of approximately this size may be used if desired.

THIS IS the procedure I follow to turn triangles into tubes: Laying a triangle, design side down, on a worktable, I place the wire along one edge and roll the paper smoothly, yet not too tightly, around the wire. Before reaching the point of the triangle I apply a little glue to the paper and continue rolling until point is reached, making certain the point is secure so the tube will not unwind when I remove it from the wire. After all the triangles are rolled into tubes I then use the side of a pencil or my forefinger to flatten each tube, using pressure enough to make them as flat as possible. If preferred, the tubes may be left round as I did in making my first bags. I have found, however, that the flattened tubes make up into a neater finished product than is possible if they are left round. I also find my customers prefer the flattened tubes. To do this requires a little extra time but this is offset by the need for fewer tubes since a little extra width in the tubes is gained as they are flattened.

I use part of a three-pound cardboard oatmeal box as a foundation for the bag. After removing the lid, I cut a piece four inches in depth from the top of the box, saving the remainder for another foundation. After applying a liberal amount of glue over a small area of the cardboard, I place the flattened tubes side by side in a vertical position on the glue-covered surface. Tubes should fit snuggly against one another but should not overlap. Tubes are slipped under rubber bands at top and bottom of foundation to aid in holding the tubes in place until glue hardens. I add more glue and continue placing the tubes until the foundation is completely covered. Tubes should be pressed firmly against cardboard and any excess glue which may ooze out between them can be wiped off with a damp cloth. However, there is no need for concern if a few glue spots remain, since, if a slick paper is used, they will not be noticeable when shellac or varnish is later applied.

After removing the rubber bands and trimming ends of tubes so they are even with edges of the foundation, I apply a coat of clear shellac to the tubes. Clear varnish may be used if preferred. To produce a durable and glossy finish I apply a second coat after the first has dried thoroughly. Occasionally I apply a third coat if an extra glossy finish is desired. This completes the making of the paper part of the bag. The next step is to put on finishing touches of fabric which may be linen, pique, silk, rayon or similar material.

I MAKE two different styles of bag tops. One I call the "hard top," the other is a simple draw string style. I shall first describe how to make the hard top. Cut a strip of material one inch wide and long enough to encircle the tube-covered foundation and with about one-half inch extra at end for an overlap. Lay strip (wrong side out if material is not the same on both sides) on outside of the foundation, placing so upper edge is even with edge of box. Pin ends tightly together to hold in position. Using a hand stapler, fasten strip to box. The stapler should be held in such a position that staples will be set with prongs to the inside of box and in from edge of box about one-fourth inch. To eliminate any sharp points which may project from the staples, press lightly with pliers so points sink into the cardboard. If a stapler is not available, the strip of material may be attached to the foundation with stitches made with heavy sewing thread. Apply glue lightly to upper inside edge of foundation. Lift strip upward and turn to the inside of box, smoothing it evenly over the edge and press against glue to hold it securely. Use same method to bind other end of foundation.

To make the lid and bottom of the bag place the foundation on a piece of cardboard, of about the same thickness as the oatmeal box, and trace around outside edge with a pencil. Cut cardboard just inside the pencil mark. Cut two additional pieces of cardboard, making them the same size as the first. Cut three pieces of material, making them 1½ inches greater in diameter than the cardboard. Using nylon or other strong sewing-thread, make running stitches all around the edge of one of the circles of material, making stitches in from outside edge about one-fourth inch. Place a circle of cardboard on the material and draw up stitches until material fits smoothly over the one side of the cardboard. Make several over and over stitches to fasten thread securely. Cover another piece of cardboard in the same way. Lay the two cloth-covered cardboards together, with gathers of the material to the inside and, using matching color thread, whip the two pieces together at the outer edge. Sew very narrow trimming braid or cord to edge of cover, ending with a one-inch loop which is to be part of the fastener for the bag. If desired, cord for the edging may be made by crocheting a chain from mercerized crochet cotton. At opposite side of loop, sew the lid to the bag, sewing only to a distance of about an inch. Since this forms the hinge which will be brought into use each time the bag is opened, stitches should be close together and made of heavy thread. Cover the third piece of cardboard in the same manner as the one used for part of the lid, this one to be used for the bottom of bag. Fit, with cloth-covered side out, to the bottom of the foundation and sew securely into position. Cord, matching that used on the lid, may be sewed on to conceal the stitches if desired.

To make a handle for the bag, cut two pieces of material 2½ by 15 inches, cutting so ends are rounded. Cut a piece of heavy material such as canvas or denim slightly smaller than the other pieces; this is to be used for inside lining. Turn edges of material together, with lining between, and baste. Machine stitch all around handle, stitching as close to edge as possible. Remove basting thread and sew handle to outside of bag in such a position that the loop of cord on the lid is half way between. At each round end of handle at the point where it is attached to the bag sew on a medium-size button. Sew a matching button to outside in such a position that loop of cord will fit over it. This completes the fastener for the lid.

The lining of the bag may be made of the same kind of material as is used on the outside, or other suitable material may be used. Cut material into a piece 5 by 17½ inches. Sew ends together. Cut a round piece of material the same size as the bottom of the bag. Sew this to side part of lining. Place lining, with seams next to cardboard, in the bag, adjusting it with the hand until bottom of the lining lies flat on the bottom of the bag. Turn edges of lining and sew neatly to top binding of the bag.

TO MAKE a draw string bag top, bind lower edge of foundation and sew on bottom as directed for making the hard top bag. Cut a piece of material 8½ by 18 inches. Place material around outside foundation and pin ends together. Remove and sew ends together where pinned, except leave about one inch unsewed at one end. At opposite side of this unsewed space and in from edge of material about one-half inch, make a one-half inch eyelet with embroidery thread. With the wrong side of material toward you, fold back the top part of material to a depth of 2½ inches.

Turn edge under and pin or baste before machine stitching in place. Make another row of stitching one-half inch above first stitching. The space between the rows of stitching makes the casing through which the strings will be drawn. The top is now ready to be fastened to the foundation.

Fit top, wrong side out, around outside of foundation, placing the raw or unfinished edge of material even with the top edge of the foundation. Staple or sew to foundation as was done when binding edge of hard top bag. Take hold of the material at the bottom and pull upward until whole top, to the point where it is stapled to the foundation, is right side out. Cut a yard of cord or narrow ribbon into two equal lengths, attach a small safety pin or bodkin to one end of cord and draw through casing. Tie or sew ends together. Beginning at the opposite opening in casing, draw second cord through and finish ends to match the other. When cords are pulled in opposite directions the top will be closed in even gathers. If preferred, small-size bone or metal rings may be sewed to the inside of the bag top, down from upper edge about two inches, using these instead of a casing through which to draw the cord. If this is done, the eyelet and the second row of stitching will not be necessary.

To make the lining for this style bag, cut material 7½ by 17½ inches. Cut a round piece of material the size of the bottom of the bag. Sew lining together and fit to inside of bag. Turn in upper edge of lining and sew to lower row of stitching of the casing.

ONE OF the first things that came to my mind after I completed my first bag and a question which is often asked me by prospective customers is, how well will a bag made largely from paper withstand hard usage? After being caught out in a heavy rain and getting my new bag literally soaked and not having it damaged in any way, I became convinced it was at least rain resistant. Since the top was made of linen it was not damaged either by its drenching. Naturally if the fabric part of the bag is made of silk or other material which will water spot, rain will damage it just as it would any bag made of similar material. The heavy covering of shellac on the paper part of the bag is what makes that part so durable. I have given my own personal bags rather hard usage, yet the paper-covered foundation has never become dull or scuffed. Should this happen I am sure all that would be necessary to restore the good-as-new look would be to apply a fresh coat of shellac. Care would have to be used to avoid brushing on the shellac too close to the cloth part of the bag.

I made several round bags before I discovered that from the same size oatmeal box I could also make oval shaped bag foundations. To do this I cut a piece of cardboard the depth wanted (usually four inches) from the upper part of the round box, then dip the piece in a pan of water, removing it quickly so cardboard becomes only wet—not soaked. If allowed to stand in the water more than a second or so the layers of the cardboard will separate making it unfit for use. While wet the cardboard can be shaped with the hands into an oval. After shaping, bind the narrow part of the oval with strips of cloth to hold it in shape until the cardboard is thoroughly dry.

Another interesting discovery led to further variations. I found Christmas and other gift wrapping paper were not the only kinds of paper that lent themselves well for bag making purposes. Bright pictures, advertisements and illustrations alike, cut from slick paper magazines, when rolled-into tubes turn out the most colorful and unusual patterns imaginable. No two tubes ever turn out alike, which perhaps partially accounts for the irresistible fascination I find in this particular phase of my bag making hobby. Even some kinds of mail order catalogues fit into the scheme of things. I have made and sold quite a number of bags, the foundation part of which was made from pictures of such articles as luggage, shoes, etc. that were illustrated in shades of brown in such catalogues. Until told, no one suspected the humble origin of the rich appearing tubes, the coloring of which was enhanced when brown tan or cream color fabric was used for other parts of the bag.

WHEN I first started selling my handbags I priced them on a "guess" basis. Realizing that any business, large or small, deserves accurate accounting, I made up several bags keeping track of both time spent in making them and of material cost. As is often the case, the material cost of craft items is slight compared to time spent in producing the finished product.

The approximate cost of material for a "hard top" bag is as follows: 1½ sheets gift wrapping paper (twenty-by-thirty-inch size sheet), ten cents; glue, five cents; shellac, five cents; staples and thread, five cents; ¹/3-yard thirty-six inch width silk crepe or faille, fifty-five cents; ¼-yard lining, twenty cents; buttons, ten cents. Total cost of material, $1.10. It takes me six hours to complete a bag. I figure my time at $1 an hour, which brings the total cost of a bag to $7.10. When selling direct to a customer I drop the ten cents, making the price of the bag an even $7.

I have not personally made any great effort to sell my handbags yet in spite of this fact I have found ready sale for all I have time to produce. One of the few means I have used to advertise the bags is to exhibit them at hobby shows and similar public gatherings in the vicinity of my home. And, of course, I carry one of my original handbags whenever I have need for such an accessory during the spring and summer months, which are the seasons most appropriate for their use. More than once I have had a stranger ask me, as did my friend over two years ago when I was carrying one of my bags for the first time, where I had purchased my unusual bag. This naturally gives me an opportunity to publicize the fact that I made it and that I will take orders for making similar ones.

My best advertisers are my satisfied customers who tell their friends and relatives of the work I am doing. Kindly editors of two local newspapers have given my bags favorable publicity through news stories in their respective publications. A friend who operates a hobby shop in a nearby resort town also handles my line of handbags.