How To Sew In a Purse Frame

Adding bits of hardware to handmade bags and purses is a nice way of getting a professional looking finish.

Sometimes a zip or a button is fine, but if you want to use something different, there’s a nice variety of purse frames for making clasp purses.

For the little purse I’d made I chose a simple purse frame. The main reason for this was that I wanted the focus of the purse to be the embroidery, not the frame! However I was very tempted by some of the pretty purse frames I saw!

Purse frames come in different shapes and with different finishes. Some of them have fancy bobbles on the clasp bit and some of them have decoration on the frame. There’s lots to choose from.

Once you’ve decided on a purse frame, knowing where to start to sew it in can be tricky, so I’m going to show you how!

Sewing In a Purse Frame

If you want a tutorial showing how to make a purse with a clasp frame from scratch, including drafting your own pattern, there will be one next week!

This is just going to how you how to attach the frame to a purse that you have already made.

You Will Need

Your purse, a sew in clasp purse frame, strong thread (normal sewing thread folded double will do unless you have something else you want to use), a needle.

Sewing In the Purse Frame

To sew in the purse frame, you will need to identify the centre hole on one side.

You will also need to find the centre of the top edge of your purse. The easiest way to do this is usually by folding it in half.

1. Take your needle and thread and bring the thread through from the inside of the purse to the outside, in the centre of the top edge, about 5 mm down from the edge.

2. Now bring the needle through that hole in the centre of the purse frame, from the inside to the outside. Push the edge of the purse into the purse frame so that it is right inside. Pull the thread taut.

3. Put the needle through the next hole and through the top of the purse. Pull it out through the other side so that it comes out just underneath the frame. You might need to do this at a bit of an angle. We’re aiming for the stitching to be hidden underneath the purse frame.

4. Take the needle back through the purse and the frame to the next hole.

5. Now put the needle through the hole where you ended the first stitch, through to the wrong side.

6. Pull it taut, then sew upwards through the second hole away from where you have just sewn.

Keep checking that the edge of the purse is pushed right inside the purse frame.

You are basically working a backstitch to sew the frame to the purse, with the neat bit of the backstitch visible on the front and the messier side hidden underneath the other side of the frame, on the inside of the purse.

When you get to the hinge, tie the thread off on the wrong side.

Then go back to the centre hole and sew the other half of that side to the purse in the same way.

Repeat for the other side.

Here are some affiliate links for purse frames.

Linking up here.

PS if you like the flower design on the purse I’ve made, you can download it for free here!