Customise any handbag with beads and buttons

If you have an old handbag that’s starting to look a little worn, or one that was bought as a present that you’ve never really been that keen on, you can easily give your bag a whole new look with buttons and beads.

If your handbag is made of a cotton or canvas type material, you can sew almost any type of button or bead on without too much difficulty. If it is leather, faux leather or plastic, it is a little more tricky – but certainly not impossible.

Pearl beads or glass beads look particularly striking on a natural material handbag, like cotton or jute. You can sew beads onto the handbag in any design, or just randomly space them out.

If you wanted a particular pattern or design with smaller beads, it’s a good idea to sew them on in sets of three or four, rather than individually, to save time.

Alternatively, buttons are becoming very fashionable on clothes and accessories, and you can sew buttons all over a bag, so they go around the outside, over the handle or – again – be randomly spaced.

You’d be surprised at how different a handbag can look with a few buttons here and there, or a beaded flower on the side. Give it a go: recycle an old one, or just re-invent an ugly one!