Silhouette Tutorial: Barrel Purse

So this week in the Silhouette digital cutting file store, you might notice that I'm a little bit on a purse kick. Like shoes...a girl can never have enough purses. Right? So I'm introducing 3 new purse-inspired cutting files that have been super fun (and challenging) to design. If you missed the other purses, you can see the circle purse, and the 2 strap purse here.

If you like them...I'll likely design some more. If you have a favorite purse, let me know about it by leaving a comment on my blog. While I won't replicate your favorite purse, I may use it for inspiration for additional paper purses. 

Today's tutorial is for my barrel purse. It will not be available in the Silhouette store until Monday (or later depending on how fast the queue is moving.) I'll post a link here when it is available. 

Just a word of warning...with all the little details in these purses, they are also a little trickier to make than most boxes. However, don't fret, you can do this! I have put together a step by step tutorial to help you have success with this file. This barrel purse is the most challenging of the three purses, so I'm posting it first.  

To make this box, you will need this file: 
Silhouette store Barrel Purse design ID #55520

Paper: 
I used the plaid paper from my Giddy Up! Boy line for Carta Bella. I also used solid double sided card stock from Carta Bella in colors Frozen Beige/Rouge.

Other Supplies:
Brushed Nickel Brads
screw head brad (for latch)
Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue
wonder clips

Equipment:
You will also need a Silhouette Cameo or Portrait machine to cut this box. This is designed for a 12X12 mat, so you will need to follow the instructions below if you have the portrait machine.

Portrait machine adaptations: 
Select all the cut lines do not ungroup before this step. Choose Object from the top menu. Choose transform. Choose scale options. A window will now appear on the right side of your screen giving you scaling options. While everything is still selected, look for the box below the word "custom" in the new side panel menu, and put 90% there, then click apply. Now in the Studio software, ungroup and rearrange the parts to fit on the live cutting area that you will want to use in your first pass, and move the parts off the cutting area that you won't need. Keep in mind which parts you want to cut in which color card stock, and arrange accordingly.

Studio Software set up:
If you are using a Silhouette Cameo, when you open the file, it will look like this on the screen:

Notice how the pieces are arranged. Do not ungroup the parts if you plan on following where I chose to make contrasting parts. We will use the "shift over" method. For the first cutting pass, make sure that the parts on your live cutting area appear like the screen shot above. Go ahead and cut your card stock.

Now in the studio software, select everything on your screen, and shift it over so that these pieces are now in the live cutting area. No need to ungroup...as seen in the screen shot below, I arranged the parts together that would cut in the same color. Now put your contrasting card stock on your mat and send it through to cut.

Please note the two sets of squished ovals and half ovals. I have marked them in the file as either the inside pieces or the outside pieces. The inside pieces are slightly smaller. So make sure to keep those pieces separate so that you don't mix them up in the steps below.

Assembly:

Photo 1: Find the two rectangle pieces with the "teeth." Fold the flap back on the dotted line as shown in step one above. Put a good paper adhesive on the tab and glue it to the other rectangle piece. Make sure the "brad holes" are not at the glued edge. (if necessary, flip it around if it is oriented that way.) Fold all the teeth down as shown in the photo.

No Photo: Find the two squished oval pieces that were marked "outside oval pieces" in the file. The wider flatter part of the oval will be the part that ends up on the bottom of the barrel purse. Position this piece on a ruler and find the center of the oval. Then mark at the bottom of both of the ovals lightly with a pencil where you found the center point.

Photos 2-4: Now we will attach one of the barrel sides to these squished oval pieces. Put glue on each of the "teeth." Now, starting at the marked center point, start attaching the teeth to the oval. You may need to "train" your paper by working a curve into it first with your hands. Also, it may be helpful to use a wonder clip to hold the first tooth in place as you are working around the oval with the other teeth. Only HALF of this oval will be covered by the teeth.  Now, take the other oval, and repeat this step on the other end of the same barrel side.

Photos 5-9: Now we will attach the half oval pieces to the other barrel side. First, curl up the other barrel side so that it follows the curve around the squished oval. We won't be attaching this side to that oval, but rather using it's shape to help us as we attach the half oval piece. Put glue on each of these teeth. Now attach the half oval by making sure that you are lining it up with the squished oval. (Make sure that you are attaching the correct side, and that the wider part of the half oval ends up at the bottom.) Repeat this step on the opposite end of the barrel side. Clips will be handy in holding the first and last teeth for this step too.

Now that you have completed the most complicated steps of this purse...we will move onto the easy stuff.

Photos 10 & 11: Find the reinforcing interior hinge. Fold it in half. Glue it to the fold on the inside of the purse. This will help give the purse strength at that fold line. If you would prefer even more strength, you can attach a piece of fabric or "gaffers book tape" instead.

Photos 12 & 13: Now for those interior squished ovals. Put glue on the entire surface of them, then smooth them onto the inside of each of the ends so that they cover the teeth and give the ends more strength. (You may want to do this step right after attaching the outside squished ovals.)

Photos 14-16: We will now work on the straps. Find one of the longer straps, and attach it to the wide end of the triangular piece with a brad. Take one of the shorter straps and attach it to the narrow end of the triangular piece with a brad. Find the barrel side of the purse that has the three holes in a row at the top. Now find the corresponding brad holes on that side of the purse and attach the triangle piece with the straps by pushing the brads through the holes and extending the "wings" on the brad.

Photo 17: Curve the top strap around and attach it to another triangle piece with a brad and attach this to the same side of the purse in the other corresponding brad holes.

Photo 18: Now this step can be done after completing the assembly of the straps...but I am adding it now so you can see the difference in the sides. Find the purse flap piece and the locking mechanism oval part. Glue that to the purse flap.

Photos 19 & 20: Start attaching the purse flap to the purse with brads by inserting the brads through the corresponding holes on the flap and the purse.

Photos 21-23: Okay...now we will finish attaching the straps. Find the other short strap, and push a brad through the narrow end of this triangle piece, attaching the strap and the purse. Bring the short straps around the bottom of the purse and attach them to the opposite side of the purse with the triangle pieces and brads. Create the other handle on this side in the same way as instructed above.

One thing to note about the straps. You should not glue these to the purse. You will want them to be "free moving" as to not interfere with the hinge motion when opening and closing the purse.

Photo 23: Attach the rounded latch piece to the opposite of the flap side of the purse through the corresponding brad hole. I used a brad that looks like the top of a screw head.

Photo 24: This photo shows a close up of the latch. Insert the latch through the oval on the purse flap, then turn the latch 90 degrees to lock. You may have to fold the latch slightly when putting it through the oval hole on the purse flap, then fold it back down after you get it through.

Hints with closing the purse, you can put the half squished ovals on the outside or the inside of the purse when you close it. There is an "underlap" tab on the top of the purse that goes under the flap side of the purse when you close it. This ensures a neat edge when closing the purse.

I hope you have fun with this file! It would be a great one for treats!