Minaudière Clutch DIY

This minaudière clutch bag is made with gussets and is roomy enough for all of the essentials: keys, cell phone, makeup and credit cards, and yet it is still convenient for you to take it anywhere and everywhere!

Minaudiere is French for “LITTLE CASE”. The best part of this project is that the actual crafting time is quick and easy, but produces a professional looking DIY box clutch!

Now, we will show you how to make a fabric covered DIY Box clutch.

Materials

• Clamshell / minaudière clutch frame (You can buy them from our stores)
• Exterior and Interior Fabrics
• UHU Glue, Craft Glue (optional)

Tools : 

• Scissors and Brush
• Iron/Screw Driver (optional)

Step 1.  Making the Box Clutch Exterior

Decide how you want the pattern of the exterior fabric to look on the finished clutch, you'll need a good quality cotton fabric, or a home decor fabric, or even a beautiful embroidered silk or satin would look stunning.

Tips: Before we begin, pls check the plastic covers surface. Is it smooth inside and out? If not, use sandpaper to smooth down any rough edges.

Cut out two pieces of fabric, they should be large enough to cover the box, and allow for about 1 - 2 inch on each of the 4 edges.  Iron the fabrics to erase any wrinkles if needed. 

Spread the glue all over the surface of the plastic covers, be sure to cover all parts of the plastic covers, especially the four corners and edges.

Tips:

• You can use the same glue to glue the fabric to the plastic covers and to glue the covers to the frame.
• But given the choice, I would use craft glue and spread it out with a brush, then glue the fabric to the covers.
• To glue the plastic covers to the frame, I would use the UHU super glue.
• Make sure to protect your work surface from any drips of glue

Let the glue dry for a while. You are aiming for the glue to be a big dry so it won’t seep through the fabric, but still wet enough so the fabric will bond well to the plastic cover, place the plastic cover on the centre of the fabric, carefully smooth out any air pockets.

Tips: the plastic cover have a top and bottom, the top of one has an indent for the locking mechanism, make sure you take this into account for the next step!

If you find the fabric doesn’t bond well, apply the glue around the edge of the plastic cover again.

Tips: the most difficult part is taking care of the uneven surface at the rounded corners when you have the plastic case covered with the outer fabric, do pull hard with the fabric edge before the glue dry.

Now be patient, leave it to dry.  Once it's fully dry, trim off the excessive exterior fabric.

Tips: Be careful when cutting the excessive exterior fabric, and be noted that one of the two plastic covers has a small indent near the top. Trim carefully around the indent. 

Step 2.  Making the Box Clutch Interior

Cut out two pieces of lining fabric, they should be big enough to cover the inner parts of the plastic covers.

Spread the glue all over the surface of the plastic covers.

Gently press the lining fabrics, especially at each corner, ensure the fabric stick well and smoothly onto the covers.

Trim off the excess lining fabric all around the frame.

Tips: Apply glue all around the edge of the shell, and make sure the interior and lining fabric bonding well around the edge.

Step 3. Making the Gussets

Cut two pieces of trapezoid size fabric to make the gussets for both sides, stitch the top lines.

Working with one side of the frame at a time, apply glue to the inner side of the channels, then let the glue dry for about 3 - 5 minutes, this is VERY IMPORTANT, only when you find that the glue is sticky should you glue the gussets onto the frame channel.

Tips: Toothpick is very helpful to spread the glue in the frame channel.

Put one side of each gusset pieces into the frame channel, make sure to press firmly against the inner channel to make enough room for the plastic covers to fit in later.

Cut one piece of rectangle shape fabric for the clutch bottom. Glue long sides of the fabric onto the bottom channels of the frames, press firmly against the inner channel to make enough room for the plastic covers to fit in later.

Again, apply glue inside the frame channel, be careful not to drip any glue onto the gusset fabrics and bottom piece.

Tips: Do not put glue into any area where it might seep thru, such as the hinged areas. Also, do not put any glue near the locking mechanism.

Put the covers into the metal frame, be noted that the indented cover goes into the side with the locking mechanism. Once the covers are put into the frame, weigh the whole clutch down with a book or other object to ensure that the covers are fully immersed in the glue filled channel.

Tips: A final touch, you may use a screw driver to gently squeeze each corner into the frame and ease out any wrinkles.

Congratulation, now the clutch is finished !!

However, pls put the clutch in an airy place for at least one day before rushing into putting any heavy items into the clutch, even it is for testing purpose.