Custom Purses - Tween Style

It's that time of year - Handmade Holidays!  And you know I'm making up loads of handmade gifts and since we have already celebrated Christmas with my in-laws, I can go ahead and share some of the handmade goodness.  First up...purses for my nieces.

 I added their names and kept them so similar that you have to look pretty close to see the minor details that I changed from bag to bag.

I started with a fantastic fabric and planned a tween-sized, slouchy hobo purse but quickly figured out that I needed to make some alterations. I needed to make a flat bottomed bag so that they would easily stand up on their own. I needed a mid-weight interfacing so it would be stiff but still keep the softness and gather easily. My sister-in-law told me the girls love to keep their Nintendo DS with them, so I made sure to make a pocket just the right size.