Woven paper purses

It's been quite a while since I did any paper weaving, but these little purses sold quite well at the market last Christmas, so I decided it was high time I made some more! Here's the latest batch I've just finished:

I make these purses out of strips cut from old magazine pages and gift wrap (I guess you could call it 'up-cycling'), coated with my usual combination of PVA glue and spray varnish which makes them surprisingly strong and shower-proof - almost as though they are plasticised. Each purse has expanding 'concertina' sides, magnetic fastening and an integral key ring which is threaded through an eyelet hole. (Please visit my Quilliance Marketplace if you'd like some more descriptive detail - or, of course, to buy one!!)

I really enjoy weaving with magazine pages, because you can have fun matching up a miscellany of patterns and colours - but plain paper weaving can be very effective, too, especially when decorated with a little quilling! Here are some other examples of a decorated clutch bag and folding needle-case which I made some time ago. For the black bag, I was lucky enough to be able to obtain some 'leather-effect' paper which looks quite striking. The needle-case was woven from gold gift wrap which turned out really shiny after putting the varnish on.