DIY: Book Clutch

I’ve loved the idea of a book clutch since the first Charlotte Olympia and Kate Spade versions were spotted on the arms of celebrities. It’s the perfect combination of my love of books and my love of fashion. But most DIYs call for cutting up a real book, and I could never bring myself to do that. Fortunately I found an alternate route when I spotted this book box at Goodwill.

Book boxes like this are often sold at stores like HomeGoods or Hallmark to store knick knacks. They also come with sets of cards and envelopes inside.

I started by drilling two holes in the top of the book and two in the bottom. Or rather, by having my dad drill them. This manicure is not made for power tools. (Thanks, dad!)

Then we took a gold ring and bent it slightly, slipped it through the holes in the book, and closed it up. This ring later served to clip a strap onto in case I wanted to use it as a purse not a clutch. I like my bags to be as multi-functional as possible.

I had an extra strap from an old bag and it easily clips onto the rings we installed on both sides of the book.

My next step was to put on a clasp. This particular clasp I removed from an old trinket box and reused for this purpose.

Finally, I hot glue gunned a strip of felt on the inside of each end of the book. This way it won’t come flying open and spill all my stuff when I try and use it.

My end result is an adorable and functional book purse that can be worn as a clutch or with a strap.

What do you think? Would you incorporate a book clutch into your wardrobe?

Photos are mine.