Alright, so I had this wild idea a while back – a Chanel handbag costume. Sounds a bit nuts, right? But I love a good project, something to get my hands dirty with, and this just popped into my head. Maybe it was for a costume party, or maybe I just wanted to see if I could pull it off. Either way, I decided to give it a go.
Getting the Basic Shape Down
First things first, I needed a base. I figured cardboard was the way to go. Cheap, easy to find, and sturdy enough if you treat it right. I rummaged through my garage and found some decent-sized boxes. Spent a good afternoon just cutting and taping, trying to get that classic rectangular handbag shape. It’s trickier than it looks, you know? Getting the proportions right, making sure it wouldn’t just collapse on me.
I must have measured and re-measured a dozen times. Used a ton of duct tape, probably more than I should have. My living room looked like a recycling center exploded for a bit. But eventually, I had something that resembled the basic form of a handbag. Big emphasis on ‘basic’ at this stage.
Trying to Make it Look… Chanel-y
Okay, so a cardboard box doesn’t exactly scream “luxury.” The next step was covering it. I thought about what fabric to use. I didn’t want to break the bank, so I went to the local craft store. Found some black felt that I thought might work. It had a bit of texture, and I figured I could try to create that quilted effect somehow.
That quilting part, let me tell you, that was a challenge. I tried scoring the felt, tried stitching, but it wasn’t quite giving me the look. What a headache that was. In the end, I settled for drawing lines with a silver marker very carefully. Not perfect, but from a distance, it kinda worked. Then came the logo. The iconic double ‘C’. I printed out a template, traced it onto some gold-ish card I had lying around, and carefully cut it out. Gluing that on felt like a major milestone, believe me.
Adding the Bling and Bits
A Chanel bag needs its chain, right? That’s like, half the look. I hunted around for something suitable. Found a cheap plastic chain at a hardware store, actually. Sprayed it gold. It looked surprisingly decent once the paint dried. Attaching it securely to the cardboard and felt contraption was another story. Involved a bit of hope, prayer, and more glue. Lots of glue.
Then the flap. Every handbag needs a flap. More cardboard, more felt. I tried to make it so it could actually open and close, sort of. Didn’t need to put anything inside, obviously, it’s a costume, but it felt more complete that way. I even tried to make a little fake clasp out of more gold card.
- Got the main box shape.
- Covered it in black material.
- Drew on the quilted pattern.
- Made a CC logo.
- Attached a gold-painted chain.
- Fashioned a flap.
The Big Reveal (to Myself, Mostly)
So after all that cutting, gluing, and mild frustration, I finally had it. My very own Chanel handbag costume. It was… an experience. Definitely homemade, you wouldn’t mistake it for the real thing, not even in the dark. But it was fun to make! I had to figure out how to wear it, of course. Rigged up some straps on the inside so I could just slip my arms through and have it sit on my back, almost like a little backpack, but looking like a giant handbag from the front.
Did I wear it out? Yeah, to that costume party I mentioned. Got a few laughs, a few people asking how on earth I made it. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing to wear all night, a bit bulky, but totally worth it for the fun of the project. Sometimes it’s just about the process, you know? Taking an idea and making it real, even if it’s something as silly as a giant handbag costume. That’s the good stuff.
