Caution: Purse

July 23, 2006 6:42 PM

CraftFilter! I need some tips on how to make an awesome purse out of a safety sign.

More specifically, a wet floor sign identical to this (the sign is actually yellow). My sister ganked it from god-knows-where, and i feel the shape and size are begging for pursedom. I generally prefer purses with shoulder-type straps, but short handles would be fine if it works best. Crafty mefites, help me approach this project!

posted by luftmensch to clothing, beauty, & fashion (5 comments total)

This tutorial on license plate purses might give you some ideas.
posted by TedW at 7:28 PM on July 23, 2006

Making a purse of the same proportions but somewhat larger out of some strong fabric, attaching a clear plastic pocket, and inserting the sign into the pocket? (I'm thinking sort of like these or these, but more purse-shaped.)

It does look like it will make an amazing purse, though.
posted by posadnitsa at 7:44 PM on July 23, 2006

If you knit or crochet you could punch holes in the bottom and side perimeters of the sign, and then create a bottom, sides and back for the purse. Handles would be whatever would attach easily. I would imagine you could use most any kind, though.
posted by Meep! Eek! at 7:45 PM on July 23, 2006

O'Reilly's "MAKE" website has featured a number of projects like this. Check out their archive under "Wearables" and there might be something there.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 9:16 PM on July 23, 2006

I'm not entirely clear from the picture, but it looks like the thing has four legs so that it can stand up on its own, despite the fact that it appears to be leaning against a wall in the pic. I'd be inclined to make extremely minimal changes to the structure of the stand. I'd create a fabric liner/purse out of heavy canvas in roughly the same shape as the pieces of the sign with seamed sides that would expand with contents. I'd put a zipper in the top of this purse element.

I'd cut the legs off at the bottom of the signs themselves, so they still provided structural support, and replace them with handles, possible made out of something industrial like chain of whatever length you desired.

Then I'd glue (with something like contact cement) the fabric purse in between the two halves of the sign. It would open and close on the existing hinge, and be limited in its expansion by the shaping of the internal purse.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:28 AM on July 24, 2006