Old specs case to clutch

I saw some really cool upcycling of spec cases. They were mostly turned into neat clutches. This one from Honestly WTF is very stylish but you need a drill, and I don't have one. Then I saw this one from Unextraordineary who lined her old specs case and made a beautiful knob to go with it out of clay! 

I asked my FB followers on what to do with mine, and Refashion Co-op suggested adding a chain to make it into a little bag, and Nueyer even said it could be used to contain a kid's knick knacks.  Hmm.... maybe to hold the earphones which we carry in our bags?  Here's my upcycled version of my specs case.

I used the same minty acrylic paint that I applied on my shoes refashion.  Remember to clean the surface before applying the paint - I applied about 4 layers, waiting for each one to dry before applying the next.

I glued on some nice lace from my fabric stash.  I wanted to make it waterproof but the craft stores were selling the water repellant spray for over SG$15 and I didn't think it was worth the investment.  I've read you can use ModgePodge, but not sure whether it would work well in Singapore's hot & humid weather. Anyway, I'll only use it on sunny days!

I added lining from an old satin dress to the insides of the case. This was the most difficult stage for me, and then I realised that I should have used interfacing with the fabric for the base. I'm not sure how Unextraordineary made it look so nice. I had so many problems trying to tuck everything in and make sure it didn't look too creased and "heavy".  I added an elastic band to keep credit cards and tickets in place!

Tadah!

Of course, these cases don't have to be turned into clutches. They can be used anywhere in the house. Here are a few ideas:

a) General container or travel container for your kids small toys (eHow)

b) Storing crochet hooks is my fave (thriftyfun)

c) Manicure set in case of emergencies!

:-)

http://www.to-sew-with-love.com