How to: Make a Wooden Box Clutch Bag

A few months ago, I found a really lovely wooden clutch bag on one of my lazy internet surfing sessions. I liked the simplicity and cleanness of the bag, and felt that it could go with pretty much any outfit, casual or smart. It was rather expensive though (I forget how much and where it was from - any ideas?), especially because I looked at it, and it felt like something that I could potentially DIY. Once a DIY idea gets lodged in my brain, it won't leave, so I knew I had to try this. Here's how I did it...

I picked up this box for £1.99 from The Works, as it seemed ideal for this project. Check out the hexagonal wooden trinket box they also have - I think this would look particularly amazing. Of course, if you found any gorgeous vintage wooden trinket boxes, they would look lovely too.

Make sure the wooden box you choose has some kind of fastener to keep it closed - otherwise all your stuff will fall out of your clutch bag.

First up - varnishing your box. If your trinket box is already varnished, then you will not need to do this step. Mine needed a couple of coats, just to give it a nice shine and to protect it from wear.

When your varnish has dried, screw in two jump screws into the top of your box, on the face that has the fastener on it. Try to place them as centrally as you can, otherwise your box will hang unevenly.

Then, use a pair of pliers and some jump rings to attach a strap to your jump screws - I'm using a really long necklace, but you could also use a belt, or the strap from an already existing handbag. If you don't want your wooden box clutch to have a strap, simply skip these last two steps.

And, you're done! A really simple tutorial, non? Even though this is a really easy tutorial, I think the end result is actually rather expensive and chic. You could take this idea further, and add a cute fabric lining to your box clutch, or you could even embellish the outside of your trinket box.

Have you ever made a bag from an unusual object? I'd love to hear your ideas!