handmade gifts – watercolor clutch DIY

by mari

DIY watercolor clutch bag craft - great kids gift for mothers and grandmothers

When you can’t find it, make it. That’s got to be the credo of every creative crafty arty type out there, am I right? I should probably make that into a printable piece of art! See, there, I just did it again – turning things into art projects.

I’m always looking for ways to help Birdie make things that have real value to her and to others when she’s done. Though I made this particular clutch, this is a project that kids could take on and make their own – the messier, more scribbly, the better. Take a peek at these layered stencil paintings for more ideas! The idea began after I saw a couple of things online that I was really drawn to – but unfortunately they were both out of stock. So, one more reason to make it myself. Take a peek at this leather pouch and this painterly clutch for more inspiration.

watercolorclutch-supplies

What you’ll need:

watercolorclutch-process2

What you’ll do:

  • The first thing I did was play with the paints and sharpies on paper , just to get a sense of my options. Kids may want to do this too, to help them visualize what they want where.
  • Then start painting! The watercolors will dry much lighter than you expect, though I did water mine down a bit. You might not need any water at all if you want a really vibrant effect.
  • Let the clutch dry – I pressed mine underneath a heavy book to keep it from warping.
  • Now it’s time for Sharpies. Use a light pencil to mark where you want your lines to go. Or, if it’s younger kids involved – let them scribble away, the grafitti look is super cool.
  • That’s it. Kind of a silly tutorial, I think you can find your way through without my help!

watercolorclutch-process4watercolorclutch2

{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Elizabeth March 10, 2014 at 4:55 pm

Did you change the lining of the clutch?

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2 Miz Big March 12, 2014 at 9:29 am

Nope, I left it as is – my sewing skills weren’t up for that challenge!

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3 Bar March 10, 2014 at 6:29 pm

soooooo beautiful!!! i love this idea so much. very creative and so pretty. and you can never have too many clutches!

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4 Miz Big March 12, 2014 at 9:30 am

Thank you dear! This was the that liquid watercolor project I mentioned, so glad it worked.

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5 Geraldine March 11, 2014 at 3:18 pm

I love the idea ! I think it will become a pencil case for my students ;)

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6 Miz Big March 12, 2014 at 9:30 am

Thanks – that sounds perfect!

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7 Noa March 18, 2014 at 9:30 am

How beautiful! I love the idea of taking something plain and making it your own, especially when using lots of color! You can create different designs for different uses (day clutch, night clutch, pencil case, glasses case…).

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8 Charlotte April 6, 2014 at 4:59 am

I absolutely love this idea – the end result looks so good. Is the end result waterproof, or would I have to use dye if I wanted a waterproof result?

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9 Cassi May 5, 2014 at 2:24 pm

So beautiful! I will be featuring this as a Mother’s Day gift kids can make on The Crafty Crow :)

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10 Destiny December 12, 2018 at 8:56 pm

So pretty. I loved it. Thinking to make for my friend as a xmas present? Do u know if i want to make it washable how do i do it?
Thank u

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