Getting Started with My Martini Purse Idea
Okay, so I had this funny idea the other night. I thought, wouldn’t it be cool to have a purse that looks like a dirty martini? You know, something quirky for going out. Just a bit of fun. So, I decided to just dive in and try making one myself. Figured I’d share how it went down.
Gathering the Bits and Pieces
First thing, I had to figure out what I needed. I rummaged through my craft stash and made a little shopping list. Here’s roughly what I grabbed:
- Some clear-ish plastic sheeting – kinda stiff, like for tablecloth covers. That was for the main ‘glass’ part.
- Green felt. Had plenty of that. For the olives, obviously.
- A tiny scrap of red felt for the pimento.
- A silver chain I took off an old bag that broke.
- A zipper. Found a grey one that seemed okay.
- Needle, strong thread (like, really strong for the plastic), and my trusty scissors.
- Some stuffing from an old pillow for the olives.
Didn’t need anything too fancy, just basic stuff.
Figuring Out the Shape and Cutting
Next, I kinda sketched out a simple martini glass shape on paper. Nothing too complicated, just the cone top and a bit of a stem base look. Made a template. Then I laid the plastic sheet flat and carefully traced the shapes onto it. Cutting the plastic was a bit tough, had to go slow so I didn’t crack it or cut myself. Ended up with two main ‘glass’ pieces and a bottom strip.
Then I cut out circles from the green felt for the olives. Maybe six circles? And tiny red bits for the pimento.
Putting the ‘Glass’ Together
This was the fiddly part. I decided to hand-sew the plastic pieces. My machine would probably hate me. I punched little holes along the edges first with a thick needle, then used the strong thread to stitch the sides of the ‘glass’ cone together. It was slow going. Then I sewed in the bottom strip. Installing the zipper at the top opening took some patience, let me tell you. Had to fold the plastic edge over it and stitch very carefully. It’s not perfect, but it opens and closes!
Making the Olives Pop
The olives were the fun bit. I took two green felt circles, put a tiny red felt piece near the middle of one, and then sewed them almost all the way around. Turned them right side out, stuffed ’em with a bit of the pillow fluff, and stitched them closed. Made three little puffy olives. They looked pretty cute, actually.
Finishing Touches
I decided the olives should look like they’re floating inside. So, I used some more strong thread and stitched them securely to the inside back panel of the plastic purse before sewing the whole thing up completely. You can see them through the clear plastic. Looks pretty neat.
Finally, I attached the silver chain. Punched a hole on each side near the top zipper, reinforced it a bit with extra stitches, and clipped the chain on. Gave it a little wipe-down to remove fingerprints.
The Final Look
And there it is! My very own dirty martini purse. It’s definitely homemade, you can tell. The stitching isn’t machine-perfect, and the plastic is a bit crinkly. But honestly? I love it. It’s exactly the kind of silly, unique thing I was picturing. Holds my phone, keys, and a lipstick. Perfect for a laugh and a night out. Was a fun little project to occupy an afternoon.