DIY straw handbags are a fantastic and fun way to add a touch of boho chic to your style while also being eco-friendly! Crafting your own straw handbag allows you to showcase your creativity and unique personality. You can personalize it with different colors, patterns, and embellishments to make it truly one-of-a-kind. Not only are these handbags trendy and stylish, but they also make for a great conversation starter when you proudly say, "I made it myself!" So, grab some straw, get crafty, and start turning heads with your fabulous DIY creation!

Supplies Needed For Your DIY Straw Handbag:
- Wal-Mart fringed jute placemat– (1) for fringe detail
- Wal-Mart jute placemat (no fringe) (2) for clutch body
- Yarn darner (or another heavy-duty hand-sewing needle)
- Heavy-duty or upholstery thread
- 1/2 yard lining fabric of choice
- pocket detail fabric of choice or upcycled denim pocket
- magnetic snap
How to Assemble DIY Straw Handbags:
Sew anchor seam above fringe, then remove fringe edging off of placemat.
If you have a sewing machine, sew a horizontal zig-zag stitch above the fringe detail on both sides of the placemat we are using for the fringe detail. This will help prevent unraveling. If you don’t have a machine, simply hand stitch a line about 1/2″ or so above the fringe.

Cut (above your seam) the fringe off of both ends of the placemat. We will be using those pieces next

Attach fringe to end of seagrass placemat.
Pin in place, then run a seam or two across with your machine, or alternatively, hand stitch in place.

Overlap placemats and stitch.
The body of our purse will be made by stitching two overlapped placemats together. On one side, the overlap will create a pocket in the rear of our clutch. I chose to overlap my placemats by approximately 1/3 the length.
My placemats were 22″ in length. I used an overlap of 7″. This will make the clutch 7″ in height when complete

Once you are happy with the overlap you’ve made, pin it in place. You will now stitch the placemats together along the sides of the overlapped areas and along the length of the placemats (only near the end of the placemat on top of the stack (see below).
You will leave the overlap on the other side unsewn, creating our back pocket, as seen below…

Create Lining.
I used some white denim fabric I had on hand to create the lining for my straw clutch. I chose it mostly because it was here laying around, but also because it’s pretty durable. The dimensions of your liner fabric should be roughly the same overall length and width as your overlapped placemats now sewn together.
You will sew an approximately 1/4″ – 1/2″ hem around to finish the edges. There should be a small reveal of the straw placemat around all sides of the placemat when the liner is in place
Create a pocket and sew onto the liner.
If you want an inside pocket for your bag, now is the time to make one. You can either use a scrap piece of fabric (I like to make mine a contrasting color or pattern to the liner), or in this case, I decided to upcycle a pocket from an old pair of blue jeans.
If using fabric, you’ll simple hem around all four sides of your fabric to finish the edges. Then pin your pocket onto the liner in the appropriate spot. Make sure that it’s located where you want it to be by folding the placemat as it will be once completed. Once you’re happy with the location of the pocket, sew into place on the sides and bottom.

Attach the male end of the magnetic snap onto the liner.
I made the mistake of attaching this side of the snap AFTER I stitched the liner in place. The snaps I used simply poke through the fabric, place the metal backer over the prongs. With a metal backer in place, fold the prong arms like a brad to secure the snap.
If you are not using heavy material for your liner, you may want to place a small piece of cardboard behind the liner so that the snap prongs can have something a bit sturdier to grip.

Attach the female side of the snap.
Place the female side of the snap on the front, inside section of the clutch. You’ll want to make sure that when the flap closes, the male side of the snap will contact this side perfectly before attaching.
Once happy with the placement, push prongs through the straw, and place metal backer over prongs

as seen in the picture below. Once the metal backer is in place, simply open prong arms to secure snap

Sew in your liner.
Get out your big darning needle, through something on Netflix, and stitch away! You’ll need to stitch all four sides of your liner in place.

All done!
