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[meloyellowd.livejournal.com]

ok i know someone posted just recently about how to make cigar box purses but i know some people had questions about customization with how to cover them with fabrics and such...so here goes

first I'd reccomend going to your local cigar store and just telling them what you plan to use them for...usually if they see you're not trying to charge a ridiculous amount for them they'll even give them to you for free.

If you plan to decoupage artwork, photos, or other items that will need a clear coat of polyurethane over them i suggest you hold off on drilling your holes until after all coats of poly urethane are done, otherwise you risk filling the holes with polyurethane or glue.

Handles

1) Measure out and even distance between where you would like the wholes for your handles to go. mark them with a very fine marker.

2)Drill the holes

3) for the actual handle you can use ready made cigar box handles (you can get them from www.umei.com or ebay) or you can make your own with strong wire strung with the beads of your choice.

• once you have strung the beads to the length you desire for the handle...you can create a loop on each end with the wire...then wrap about 1-1/2 inch of wire around the bottom of the loop. 
• You can attach your hand made wire handles using eye hooks (screw eyes)...you can buy eye hooks at any hardware store...i even find them in 99 cent stores sometimes.
• screw the screw eyes onto the inside of the cigar box a half inch away from the hole (make sure the loop you pull through has enough length to reach the screw eye, you can do it on either side of the hole)
• pull the loops of the beaded handle through the holes. then hook them onto the screw eye...you may have to open the screw eye slightly to do this...then close the screw eye tightly.

Covering the bag in fabric

There are several ways to do this...you can either

1. staple the fabric to a thinly padded piece of cardboard or thin wood and then attach that to the front or both sides of the cigar box by either hot glueing it or stapling it in a discrete way using a staple gun.
2. or you can stretch the fabric out...and attach it to the corners of the cigar box with hot glue (only use hot glue around the edges or you may ruin the fabric)

• use a pleating technique on the corners and fasten using cigar box decorative corner or you can just hammer in studs around the whole edge of the bag to keep it in place like i do.

Lining the inside

you can sew in a pocket to a piece of fabric measured to the same size as the interior of the box or just have the fabric without a pocket...and hot glue that into the bag (don't use too much glue or it will seep through the fabric.

Decoupage

• Place a layer of decoupage medium (i prefer watered down elmers glue) down on the area you plan to place the art or paper.
• brush that same medium over the art or decorative paper in a thin layer but be sure to cover it well enough that it does not begin to curl on the edges...let it dry completely.
• spray or brush on a coat of polyurethane protective coating , let dry. (repeat if desired)

Other Ideas

You can also glue items right onto the box itself...like keys, or other odd items...although i reccomend giving it a coat of polyurethane before doing so to protect the wood itself and make it shiny.

also try playing around with gold foil for an antique look.

one thing i've done was take a cigar box with a clear lid...added a jade beaded handle...took decorative paper and cut a square in the center of it using just a drop or two of hot glue in each corner to hold the paper in place...then i took a dragonfly specimen that had already been batted and preserved with cardboard backing under the batting and hot glued that onto the glass making sure it fit into the precut box of the decorative paper that i fastened to the inside of the glass. check out the bag named tess on meloyellow.com to see the result of that.

I also made one that i glued a bunch of fake plastic grass strips to and glued flowers into the grass as well...and i plan to add a small trim of white fence material around the edges to make it look like a mini garden...

Get Creative!

finishing touches

I reccomend signing and dating...possibly even naming your pieces since they are original pieces of art since nobody will have one that is the same. Also...if you find your bag to be a little plain why not add a beaded tassle to the handle. or hang a faux flower from the handle.

good luck on your bags!