Straps for Wristlet Bags
- 2 styles / 3 options
Option 1 - ready-made real leather wristlet strap
The real leather wristlet strap (the one in the middle in the cover photo) is the easiest option - it looks good and last a long time. If you can find one that matches the colour of your bag, go for it!
Option 2 - fabric wristlet strap: style #1
This strap uses one fabric, ideally the main fabric you use for the bag or one that matches the bag. In this tutorial, we used a lobster clasp (inner width around 1.2cm) with a D ring, and a rivet (optional).
Cut the fabric into a long strip measuring 4.5cm (slightly less than 4 times the width of the clasp) in width and around 35~40cm in length (or any length you like. The length of the strip/2 - seam allowance = the finished strap length).
Fold in half lengthwise with the wrong sides touching and iron. Open the fabric, fold in both long sides towards the wrong side to meet in the centre fold. Fold along the centre fold again and iron.
Insert the folded strip through the clasp, fold it in half with the two ends together. Open the folds at both ends and place them with their right sides touching and the raw edges lining up. (Make sure the strip can form a loop without any twist in the middle.) Sew along using the presser foot’s edge as the guide for seam allowance. Open the seam.
Fold the strip back as before. Topstitch along both edges with 0.1~0.2cm seam allowance. (No need to back stitch at the beginning and end, as the stitches will overlap around this area.) Hign-low presser foot is recommended for this step.
Once done, arrange the loop so that the seam is close to the clasp.
If you do not have rivet and tools, sew a line over the seam to secure the loop and you are done.
To install rivet (6~8mm for strap of around 1cm), punch a hole of around 2mm where you want the rivet to be (around 0.5~1cm below the clasp). Put on the rivet and press it with the tool. The desktop pliers I use (see the second photo below) is universal and can be used for punching holes, installing eyelets, rivets of different sizes - a very useful tool for bag making!
