Appalled at the world’s most expensive handbag, the Hermes Birkin, Craftster brainybee was inspired to make “a decent copy out of garbage.” She cut up an old catalog, glued squares of it to some newspaper, and then ironed adhesive vinyl on the front. She lined it with scrap satin, and made faux crocodile out of painted duct tape. She also added a trash-picked lock for hardware, and upholstery tacks for “feet.” Save $199,998.00 and make it yourself. [click here for project info]
Here’s a photo of an original crocodile skin Hermes Birkin bag.
Project Estimate:
- Old catalog, on hand
- Clear contact paper, $1
- Interfacing, on hand
- Scrap fabric for lining, on hand
- Duct tape, on hand or $1
- Lock, on hand or $1
- Upholstery tacks, $1
Total: $2 and up
9 Comments
Milora
Wow, that looks really posh! Never saw that coming…it looks so great :D
v cv
I think the handmade one is so much prettier
Bondgirl
I agree with v cv. I would spend for the crafty one first. Just goes to prove designers have nothing on crafters. (Chuckle)
mchard
Really neat! I like yours so much better!
ynaffit
That is so awesome! I am going to try to make some…. But I’m curious, how well does it hold up?
ViscountUsagi
Ya know, I really live DIY, but when you guys become assholes and are jerks to designers, it really pisses me off. You would have never thought to make your knockoff if he didn’t make the bag first. Stop hating on designers. And by the way, the Birkin bag looks classier then yours.
heather
@viscountusagi I feel like you totally missed the point of this post. Nobody’s hating on Hermes. We just wanted to share a clever & cheap DIY alternative for those who don’t have $200K to spend on a bag. Read: just about anyone.
ladyvivace
Great project! Thanks for sharing it with those of us who don’t have the big money, and probably wouldn’t spend it at Hermes even if we did…
No, it does not look as expensive as the designer one, but it is fun. BTW, some people really need to lighten up…
Connie Day
I love it. The creator of this project is a creative artist. I can’t wait to try this technique. I’m thinking of covering a something, like a wooden box or even a sturdy non wooden box. I can think of many creative ways to use this idea!!! cday