Crochet Bags, Totes and Coin Purses!

I have been so busy lately designing and making some very practical items!  I love making toys, but every now and then I just like to make something different.  And when I deviate from my norm, I like to make something useful as well as attractive.

It all started with this scandinavian style bag.  I saw bags of this style on Pinterest, but did not find a pattern.  So, I set out to make a pattern myself.  It turned out pretty good and I was pleased with the result.

But I couldn't make just one!  These were so much fun to make and worked up so quickly that I had to make some more!   (Any other crochet artists out there like me?)

 Next it occurred to me that some cute charms dangling from the purse would look nice, so voila!

 Well, just as I was about finished with my bag frenzy, my daughter suggested that I should design a nice beach tote.  I don't get to the beach often, but I can always use a nice roomy tote bag!   I wanted something a little more elegant than a plain bag, so I decided on a nice diamond pattern.

 I liked the teal tote, but not the handles, so I decided to continue to try to improve the tote bag.  I think the tan color and the brown leather handles look great!  The leather handles were another technique that I had to learn, but found it was not as difficult as it seemed.    So glad I learned this as I can now use it on other projects such as baskets!  So fun!  And, I used a recycled leather belt for the handles.  Doing my part to save the Earth!

So, looking at the bag, and glancing over at the remaining leather belt buckle, I realized that I could also utilize that on my project!  The buckle gives the tote a more dressy look, making it suitable for use in almost any setting.

 So there you are.  I thought I would be finished with bags for awhile.  But then, I kept seeing these little coin purses popping up all over the place.  I was intrigued on how these were done and how the clasp would be attached.  Well, guess what?  They are not hard to make at all!  And the combos of color and patterns are endless!  More fun!  I love these little coin purses and look forward to making them in a variety of styles!

So, that's what's been going on at Reny's Place during the past couple of months. 
Comment and tell me what you think and if there are any projects you would like to see me try.   I love a good challenge!

You can find some of these bag patterns HERE

Happy Crocheting!
Reny