Leather purse with fringe 
Leather purse with rivets 
Leather purse with a concho
Making your own leather purse is one of the funnest projects. All you really need is leather, scissors, and some way to sew. You can sew it with a leather sewing machine if available or even just with a needle and thread. Tandy Leather has a few great sewing leather videos that are definitely worth checking out. Everything else besides those basic elements are purely based on style and how you want to embellish it.
Leather types & Cutting
You are going to start out with a more flexible leather like a suede. Suede is the easiest to move in the way you want it, but other leather work as well. The color is up to you, your imagination is basically the limit have fun with different colors and textures. Once you have the leather picked out you just cut it based on the size and style of the bag. To keep it simple cut out two rectangles one longer than the other so you can have a flap to open and close your purse. Lay your pieces on top of each other with the ugly side out, and the nice sides together. The bottoms of the leather should line up on one side.
Adding a handle
I hope you have been thinking of what kind of handle you would like. I love long handles that I can cross over my body. There are endless ways to make a handle but the easiest for me is to use the same leather or one complementary and cut out a strip the length I would like. If you want to be a little more fancy cutting out three pieces and braiding them creates a nice look. You want to lay the ends of you handles on your leather to sew them all together. Keep them close to the top/ opening of your purse.
Sewing it together
Once you have them cut out and laid together then it is time to sew. The goal is to sew as straight as possible close to the edge. You will go all the way around leaving one side unsewn. This side will be the opening of your purse. If you want to add fringe you would line it up and sew it in when you sew the bag together.
Stylize your leather purse
Turn it right side out, all that is left is to personalize and decorate it more based on your style. You can add a snap to the flap if you want to close it that way. One way I like to add a little something is by adding a concho. Conchos are added by rivets, so it is easy to attach them to your purse. They are a great way to add a little pizzazz without overdoing it. I hope you enjoy your new purse.
