Project - Embellish a Small Paper Tag Purse

You can do more with tag punches and tag dies than stop after making a paper tag. You can take it a step further by folding those tags into cute little paper purses for use as 3D embellishments. This project makes a finished paper purse that measures about 2 inches by 3 inches, without the handle.


Paper Tag Purse (click to enlarge)

Materials & Tools
• Thickly textured decorative paper or wallpaper scrap in Turquoise
• Sizzix System - Die Cutting Machine
• Sizzix Large Scalloped Tag Die
• Wide gold opaque ribbon, torn at an angle (purse edges)
• Turquoise blue feathers (small broken pieces to stick here and there)
• Silver-colored metal initial charm (attach to purse flap with a brad)
• Glass beads (add with wire woven through the tag holes)
• Blue scrapbooking brad (to affix the letter charm)
• Dark blue wire, wrapped around a bamboo stick to make it "spring"
• Short metal bead (or ball) keychain in blue (to create a purse handle)
• Bead chain connectors (to connect the purse handle to the tag top)
• Purse-shaped plastic button in gold
• Glue or Tacky tape (to seal the purse edges and attach the wide ribbon)
• Gold glitter glue (to decorate the outside edge)
• Tiny hole paper punch (to create extra holes for securing charms, beads or chains)
• Pop-dots or foam adhesive squares (to attach the purse button)

The Steps
1. Cut a large tag from thickly textured decorative paper. My sample uses blue paper made from Tyvek material, but you can use any thick paper of your choice. The thicker and more textured, the better. In fact, if you have any wallpaper scraps laying around, these are a great substitute.
2. Fold the tag in uneven threes, using the top of the tag as the opening flap for the paper purse. Essentially, you fold the bottom of the tag up, crease the bottom, then fold the tag top down.
3. Secure edges of the purse with glue or tacky tape on the inside edges. For a different look, consider stitching the edges instead.
4. Embellish the front of the purse as you wish. My embellishments are noted in the materials list above. You can apply glitter, beads or anything else you like.
5. When applying the wire, beads and letter charm to the top of the tag, I punched a small hole near the big tag hole for stringing and added stability.
6. Punch holes on each side of the top flap for your purse handle. I used a short metal bead chain from a discarded keychain. Check your local plumbing or hardware store for the chains. You can cut a chain that's too long, if you can't find a short chain. You can also spray paint a nickel chain to match your paper. Alternately, fashion a handle out of ribbon, fiber or rope.
7. Keep the chain from falling out of the purse flap holes by adding the clasps or connectors that come with bead chain. If you use ribbon, fiber or rope, knot the ends to hold it in place.
8. Using pop-dots or adhesive squares, add the finished paper purse to the front of a handmade greeting card, the top of a cardboard box or an altered book page. Or give it to your favorite little girl for use in her doll collection.

---

Product Resource Guide
· Project photo taken with a 5.0 MP resolution KODAK EASYSHARE DX4530 Zoom Digital Camera
· Decorative Paper at Amazon.com
· Sizzix System - Die Cutting Machine at Amazon.com
· Browse for Paper Crafts Books at Amazon.com

Article Description: You can do more with tag punches and tag dies than just make a paper tag.