Camp Shine: Get crafty idea #2 -- DIY purse (with some parental help)

photo credit: charlene prince birkeland/crazedparent.orgLittle girls love toting around purses. It always helps when that purse is just the right size for tiny hands.

Skip to My Lou recently highlighted a DIY purse for little girls -- the tutorial was created by the bloggy gal at The Object Project.

Here's what's awesome about this project: your daughter can pick out her own fabric (and perhaps repurpose a cute pillow case or other piece of clothes at home), help you measure and cut the fabric, and even participate in the actual sewing of the bag. Also, I dig that the handles are small bracelets that canbe used later on when the purse is no longer being used.

That said, a parent will have to be involved to supervise the cutting of the fabric and the sewing, unless you have an older daughter that has some sewing experience.

I made the above purse for my 4-year-old niece using 1/4" yard of Tinker Bell fabric (US$3), cute buttons (US$2) and rubber bracelets I found on sale for two bucks at Anchor Blue. The bracelets are sold in packs of five, so I dropped one of the extras in the purse for my niece to wear. Total cost of the project was US$7, and I still have fabric, buttons and bracelets to make another bag. (Brother sent me a loaner sewing machine to test out and I am obsessed with using it as much as possible!)

More Camp Shine ideas:
Cooking with kids idea #1 -- DIY strawberry fruit leather
Camp Shine: Get outside idea #1 - Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles