Crocheted Fold-Over Clutch

I saw something like this while online shopping, they wanted a lot for it tho and I had an "aha" moment - as in "aha, I can totally make that"!

Not having a pattern I had to wing this - I kept it pretty simple; just did a half double crochet stitch and made it the size I thought a clutch should be. To form the handles, just crochet a chain stitch for the length of the size of the handle opening, skipping over the half double crochet stitches that are underneath the opening - make an equal number of chain stitches to the half double crochet stitches you are skipping over. When the space is long enough to be a handle, join back into making half double crochets on top of the previous row. I'm not sure I'm explaining this very well? Very easy to do - biggest thing is to count how many HDC's (half double crochet's) you make before you start to chain stitch, then rejoin on the other side with the same number - so you have placed the opening in the middle of the purse.

Continue crocheting the HDC's until you think it's long enough to fold over and be clutch size, then make another handle in the other side. What you are making is a rectangle with a slit in each end. This one is about 11" wide by 19" long, you are then going to fold the rectangle in half and sew the sides together forming the clutch (folded it's 11"wide by about 9 1/2" tall).

Once I sewed the sides together I added some fringe along the top few rows. Just 'cuz.

You can carry the clutch by the handles or fold in half and carry it like this.

I sewed a little pouch out of this flowered cotton material
the same size as the inside of the clutch. I attached  a very
simple small rectangle of material to the inside of the pouch
to make a pocket. 

I then free-hand sewed it inside
the clutch to keep it in place. 

one year ago: chicken enchilada suizas - we love these!
two years ago: Sarge on a diet - the dog's on the blog.