Tutorial: Owl Crossbody Purse - Fabricated Closet

This tutorial will walk you through how to create a super cute owl purse. The flap is the forhead and beak, and it uses a magnet closure. This is great for using up some larger remnants and scraps of fabric that you have left over from other projects.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. That being said, I encourage you to use your local sewing shop whenever possible, or to look for supplies second hand.

Supplies Needed:

1/2 yard of fabric
small scraps of black, white, and orange fabric (for the owl eyes and beak)
larger remnants of contrast fabric (for the flap and owl belly)
Heavy weight interfacing
Magnet closure
1″ single fold bias tape

sewing Pattern pDF

(all of my patterns include 1/2″ seam allowance)

Step 1

Apply interfacing to the front and back pieces

Using an awl (or sharp, pointy tool) poke a hole in the belt about 1.5 inches in from the end (or at the edge of the belting inside so that the hole does NOT go through the belting). Make sure it is centered along the width belt.

Step 2

Finish the edges of the pupils

Finish the pupils with an overcast stitch to prevent fraying. You can also choose to use felt or a non-fraying stable knit fabric for the pupils instead, if you want to skip this step.

Step 3

sew the pupils to the center of the eyes

Step 4

sew the eyes

sandwich the pupil between a second eye piece and sew around the perimeter. leave a gap so you can turn in to the right side. Repeat for the second eye.

Step 5

turn the eyes to the right side

clip the curve and turn the eyes right-side out. Sew the gap closed and topstitch it you want to.

Step 6

sew the eyes to the front of the bag

using the front pattern as a guide, sew the eyes in place around the perimeter.

Step 7

fold over the straight edges of the owl chest

fold over the seam allowance (1/2″) of the two straight edges and baste them in place.

Step 8

sew the chest to the owl

Position the chest along the bottom of the bag, overlapping the eyes, then sew it in place.

Step 9

apply interfacing to the side bag

Step 10

sew the side bag to the front

with right sides together, sew the side bag to the front bag.

Step 11

sew the back bag to the side bag

Sew the back bag to the other side of the side bag.

Step 12

turn the bag to the right side.

Step 13

apply interfacing to one strap piece

Step 14

sew the two strap pieces together along the length

with right sides together, sew the strap pieces on the long sides.

Step 15

turn the strap to the right side

trim the seams and turn the strap to the right side.

Step 16

baste the strap to the sides of the owl bag

Step 17

Apply interfacing to one side of the flap

Step 18

add the magnet closure to the tip of the flap

following the instructions with your magnet closure, add it to the flap with the interfacing.

Step 19

fold over the curved edge of the beak

Fold the upper edge of the beak and baste it in place.

Step 20

sew beak to tip of flap without the magnet

sew the beak to the flap

Sew the beak to the tip of the flap that does not have the interfacing.

Step 21

sew the flap together

with right sides together, sew the flap.

Step 22

turn the flap to the right side

clip the corner and turn the flap to the right side. Topstitch if necessary to get a crisp edge. The beak should be on one side, with the magnet clasp on the other.