How to make Ankara bags - 5 step tutorial

Did you know you can make your own Ankara bags and get as many as you like? Get the tutorial. It's quick and cheap.

Girls just love bags and shoes. They can have dozens of them and still look for more. Discovering how to make Ankara bags will help you keep away from being broke. These bags can be pricey to purchase. So, why not make them in DIY fashion instead? There are two methods to pick. One is revamping an old bag. You just take it and refashion it covering with Ankara fabric. The other way is crafting a new bag from the scratch.


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Let us take a glance at both of those and follow the easy 5 step process, use fancy African prints to shape your own smart and hip outfits and accessories. Now sewing skills needed.



Method #1 – how to revamp Ankara bags

Materials and supplies: An old bag, Ankara fabric, Glue, Knife and Scissors.


1. 
Prepare the bag

Ankara fashion styles can be used for diverse types of bags and purses. However, the easiest one is revamping a clutch. You can use any old or worn out purse. It does not matter, as it will all get wrapped up with textile. First you remove all the clamps from it. You may use a knife to do it. Make sure not to break them, you will need them later on.

Then if the handbag is shabby and the material cracks and peels at places, all those peeled parts need to be detached. This way the fabric will nicely be glued to the surface without any air bubbles and pimples created on it. You may use some sandpaper to even out the outward of your clutch.

Cut loose the clutch lining. Just cut the seams open, so you would be able to clip the drapery over the edge and glue it inside in between the insert and the purse material. This way your fancy-bag refashioning would look very professional with no fabric edges seen.



2. Measure the fabric

Pick your Ankara fabric and measure it against the bag. You need to figure out the size of drapery piece and how the print would go. So, sort of wrap the clutch in the material and see, where the prints should go and mark the size of the portion you need to cut.

Since it’s a clutch, you should open it and clip the fabric over the upper part and go all the way around the purse to the other side. And do not forget to leave the over-measure (around 5 cm on each side). Now you may cut out the textile.




3. Start gluing

You may use your hot glue gun or any transparent all-purpose glue suitable for fabric. Do not use instant adhesive. It would not allow you to make any cloth adjustments in the process. Ajar the bag and start gluing the cloth from the lower edge (the one you cut loose). Leave the over-measure to clip over the edge.

Smear the gum onto the face part of the bag, stick the textile. Clip the over-measure and glue it in between the clutch textile and lining. Make a nice, crisp bend, apply some more adhesive and pull the fabric so there would be no wrinkles. It has to sit nice and tight.

You would also need to cut the over-measure strips off on the sides of the fancy-bag, so that the topmost edge would nicely fit inside the purse. Now smear the adhesive to the rest of the exterior of the purse and glue the Ankara fabric.




Remember, you have cut lose all the lining of the bag. Now you roll the over-measure over the folding part of the clutch (its part with the holds fixes). Apply some glue inside and hide that over-measure edge in between the lining and the bag material.

Finally we have to attach the sides (the over-measure fabric) of the bag. You may fold or cut the lowermost portion of the over-measure, apply the gum to the clutch side and glue the fabric in.


4. Put the clamps back on

All the clamp openings are glued over with the fabric. So, you need to find them and cut open. Then you insert the clamps and fix them there.



5. Glue back the lining

The parts you have cut open can be glued back only after you insert the clamps. Apply some gum inside the bag and fasten the lining. This way all the edges of fabric would be hidden inside. The bag looks as good as new with no signs of being refurbished