Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
How To Turn An Ipsy Bag Into a Purse
If you are like me and have lots of cosmetics bags from gift with purchases or from an ipsy subscription, you may be running out of things to do with them. I use them to organize my purse, for travel organizing and a few years ago, I made an ipsy bag into a purse. It was quite easy and makes a very cute going out bag. I never wrote the project up until now. Read on to learn how to turn an ipsy bag into a purse.
I like the glittery ipsy bags the best
If you are unfamiliar with ipsy, it’s a makeup subscription service. They have different tiers of memberships and I just have a basic subscription. They send you about 5 beauty items every month. The lower tier subscription gives you mostly deluxe samples. I started a subscription years ago and when I moved in 2020, I stopped my subscription. I missed it and recently got a new subscription. Learn more about what I like about ipsy in my article by clicking here.
You can make many ipsy bag purses
This project will work with most cosmetic bags as long as they are easy to cut into. I have seen some girls get Chanel or another high end brand cosmetic bag and turn it into a purse too. It’s an easy way to get a high end brand purse on the cheap!
Ipsy purse supplies
Tools You’ll Need:
Rectangular cosmetic bag
Revolving punch pliers (or something to get a hole started in your bag)
15/32 (12 mm) eyelets (I got mine at Hobby Lobby, but Amazon has a nice set like this one)
Eyelet tool (make sure it’s for the same size eyelet, I got mine at Hobby Lobby, but the Amazon set I listed above comes with one)
Either a key ring or a 1.5 to 2 inch metal lobster claw clasp (also called a trigger snap hook which I got mine at Lowe’s, but you can get them on Amazon as the large ones are mostly used for purse construction)
Small pair of scissors (like nail scissors) or a tool for making a hole in fabric/leather.
Hammer
A piece of wood or a firm surface for hammering
Flat chain strap with buckles (I purchased a 39.4 inch length set from Amazon)
The glittery purses look cute for a night out
See this project in action via my one minute video tutorial below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Directions:
1—Decide where you will put the eyelets. I decided to place mine at one end of the ipsy bag so I could still utilize the zip on the bag.
Start with making two holes
2—Use a small pair of scissors to make two holes about the same size as the eyelet. I got mine started using revolving punch pliers. Make sure to cut through the lining too if your bag has one.
3—Place an eyelet in a hole. Place the eyelet on the base and place the other part (the washer) on eyelet barrel, teeth side down.
The eyelets and eyelet tools
4—Place the anvil (part of the eyelet tool) into the eyelet barrel and hammer. The pieces will connect as you hammer. This YouTube video from Online Fabric Store shows you more about attaching an eyelets if you are in need of a visual.
My ipsy bag purse creations
5—Either attach key rings or the lobster claw/trigger snap hooks to the eyelets.
ipsy bag glitter purse
6—Attach the long chain to the hooks and use as a purse.
Make lots of purses using this tutorial!
7—Optional: Add cute details like a glittery gold claw clamp bow like this one I found on Temu.
I attached a hair bow to my glitter ipsy purse
You can literally place eyelets on any cosmetic bag and turn it into a purse. Just make sure it’s big enough to allow for room for the eyelets and all your stuff. Use a bigger bag if you plan to store your phone in it. Ipsy bag purses are cute for going out or for running errands if you don’t like carrying a bunch of stuff with you.
Wear your ipsy purse dressed up or down
Try to match eyelets, clamps and chains to the cosmetic bag for a unified look. If you tried this craft, let me know in the comments below!
I made several ipsy bag purses
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Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.