Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Ethical, DIY and Just Plain Fun Bags and Purses

Guest post by Donna on behalf of TestFreaks website

Something that always makes my palms sweat, my heart beat faster and my gets me breathing heavy is…. accessories! Now if you thought I was going somewhere else – shame on you.

Which got me to thinking: Why do we gals love shoes and handbags so much? At one time it was a statement of a lady’s status in society. For example, one might conclude the character of a woman from the type of purse or handbag she carries.

There may still be some truth to this today. But maybe it’s about more than that. Today’s environmentally-minded woman thinks about the planet and those she loves more than she does her image. Now, don’t get me wrong – there’s a lot to be said for presenting a positive image. But when it comes to accessories, a lady can look sharp and be eco-friendly.

To help with making some great ethical handbag choices, we have rounded up some of our favorites. Some of these you can go out and buy, and some you can make yourself.

Candy Wrapper Handbags

Nahui Ollin offers a very stylish line of handbags that are made from candy wrappers. A Mayan technique of paper folding (not unlike those gum wrapper chains we made as a child) gives a strong and colorful end result. The bags offered vary from the shoulder bags and totes to our favorite, the handbag. The style is sure to get some attention, and the brightly decorated accessory will accent any outfit you decide to pair it with. The lighthearted video below shows the process of making a very nice looking handbag.

And if you are feeling brave with a do it yourself desire, Mylinda shows us how to make a candy wrapper purse with step by step directions. While many websites state that making a candy bar bag is not a complicated process, I would suggest that you at least look over the process that Mylinda has provided carefully before committing. You may find it easy if you have the skills, and daunting otherwise. But whether you buy it or make it, the candy bar wrapper purse is a great way to accent your looks while being eco minded.

Duct Tape Purse

Duct Tape – real do-it-yourselfers absolutely love the stuff, and you can find it used in any number of situations. However, did you know that duct tape can make a great handbag? MonkeySee.com has a great tutorial on making just such a purse, shown in the video below.

The end result is a fun accessory item that could fit anywhere. But the best news is that the end design is limited only by your imagination and the color of duct tape, which has apparently expanded well past the old standard of gray.

Recycled Leather Jacket Bag

If you like leather, then there is no better feeling that a well worn leather jacket that has gotten soft and comfortable. Taking this concept to heart, Remade USA offers a wonderful selection of bags (as the example above shows) made from recycled leather jackets. By doing this they end up with a quality soft leather accessory item that feels great and is earth friendly by upcycling the leather.
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Brown Paper Bags Gone Wild, Or How I Learned to Creatively Recycle my Brown Paper Bags

Joyce Robinson is an artist who has worn many hats (or, actually, purses).  A former opera singer and music teacher, she now brings her soaring voice and strength of character to create the vibrant and fanciful handbags of Brown Paper Bags Gone Wild!

Robinson’s raw medium is the drab brown paper bag and with it she has wrought exuberant and, certainly wild, transformations.  Always anything but plain, her bags are ornamented with beading, feathers, natural fabrics (including linen, cotton, and mud cloth), and paint.  The sturdy bags have been used by her clients as functional handbags, table centerpieces, and artworks for home display.  

Robinson recounts an early memory of her mother curling her hair using torn strips of paper bags.  She has certainly proven that out of an everyday bag one can not only coif a child’s tender curls, but also ignite a Pygmalion-esque spark of the spirit.

Independent Handbag Design Awards

Scarola’s bag of bags

I was so excited to see a sustainable bag win the Audience Fan Favorite prize at theIndependent Handbag Design Awards. Suzanne Scarola of Bellabags made her bag (above) by knitting plastic bags by hand.

This candy-wrapper bag by Ecoist won “Best Green Handbag”

Helen Marcoschamer of Ecoist detailed her bag’s winning eco-cred:

q: What is your bag made out of?
a: Recycled and Repurposed Candy Wrappers

q: What made you decide to create a “Green Bag”?
a: To merge design with social and environmental consciousness to provide stylish, functional, and durable products that people will love to own. All our products are made from recycled, organic, or earth-friendly materials, and are manufactured through our network of fair trade partnerships around the world. We wanted to reduce landfill waste and with every bag sold, we plant a tree.

q: Where are you bags made? Are they made by hand or manufactured?
a: They are made in Mexico and Peru. Once we get the discarded wrappers from factories, the wrappers are then cut, folded into straps, weaved, and sewn by skilled artisans. Each one is 100 % handmade. Ecoist is proud of its fair trade practices and contributions to social causes.

q: Where are bags sold?
a: Throughout the US, UK, Japan, Latin America, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Europe.

Check out the finalists to see other great bags that didn’t win, but came close.

Etsy's handmade goodies

A few weeks ago, while strolling through a farmer’s market in Amsterdam, I came upon a stall selling these purses …

I chatted with the seller for a bit and he explained the process his partner went through making these. The idea was simple, really … recycled munitions pouches from the army surplus store were made to look pretty with ’60s and ’70s era material leftover from Scandinavian home goods stores.

I bought one, he handed me his card, and lo and behold – my unique Amsterdam find is also available online at Etsy. At first, I was sad to know that I’m probably not the only one carrying a Katrina Kaye handbag. But then I checked out the Etsy shop and discovered it’s filled with handmade goodies!

Basically, Etsy’s a creative community. Artists from 84 different countries use this platform to sell all sorts of clothing and housewares and just about anything else that can be hand made, including baby clothes, bathing goodies, journals, furniture, and Ts.

In addition to all the unique creations on sale, they’ve also got a group of sellers who call themselves Etsy for Animals and donate part of their profits to various animal rescue charities. It’s all so inspiring. I think I’ve found my ideal place for serious internet shopping.

Bizarre Bazaar in LA

While I can’t really conceive of being somewhere sunny and warm (not that the Northeast has been exactly frigid lately) for the holidays, I guess people on the West Coast DO still celebrate the Christmas Holidays. If you’re down for some eco-friendly shopping (think recycled candy wrapper purses, hand-knitted goods and silkscreened t’s) all in one place, head to the Bizarre Bazaar on Saturday, December 16th.

Two bucks gets you into the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center where the Bazaar is being held.

Where: 700 West 32nd Street, Los Angeles 90007
When: 11am-7pm