Alright, let me tell you about this little project I got into the other day. So, I’ve been eyeing this Fendi Mon Tresor Mini bucket bag for a while, you know, the one in brown leather with that cool FF pattern all over it. It’s a real beauty, but the price tag? Ouch. Not exactly something I could just casually drop money on. So, I figured, why not try to make my own version? I mean, how hard could it be, right?
First things first, I needed to get my hands on some materials. I found some decent brown leather scraps at a local shop – not exactly Fendi quality, but hey, it’s a start. I also needed something for that mesh part. After rummaging through my craft supplies, I found an old mesh laundry bag that I figured I could repurpose. It wasn’t the perfect match, but it had a similar vibe.
Next up, the FF pattern. Now, this was tricky. I’m no artist, but I decided to give it a go. I printed out a picture of the bag as a reference and started tracing the pattern onto the leather with a pencil. Then, using a leather embossing tool I borrowed from a friend, I carefully went over the lines, trying to make them as neat as possible. It was a pain, I’m not gonna lie, and my hands were cramping up, but I was determined to get it right.
Once the embossing was done, I tried hand-painting the FF’s with some black leather paint I picked up online. This part was even more nerve-wracking. I tried to be as precise as possible, but it was tough. Let’s just say it turned out more “rustic” than “refined.”
- Cut out the leather: I used a basic bucket bag pattern I found online as a template and cut out the leather pieces accordingly.
- Sew the pieces: This was a whole other challenge. I don’t have a fancy sewing machine, so I had to hand-sew everything. Let me tell you, my fingers were sore after that!
- Add the mesh: I cut out pieces from the old laundry bag and sewed them onto the leather where the mesh panels were supposed to be. This was probably the easiest part, surprisingly.
- Attach the straps: I couldn’t find any gold-finish hardware that looked right, so I just used some simple metal rings I had lying around. I made two straps – a shorter one and a longer one – from some leftover leather strips.
After a few (okay, maybe more than a few) hours of work, my DIY Fendi Mon Tresor Mini was finally done. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. Did it look exactly like the real thing? Definitely not. There were a few wonky stitches, the FF pattern was a bit uneven, and the overall finish was, well, let’s just say it had character.
The Result
But you know what? I was actually pretty proud of myself. I took a bunch of scraps and turned them into something resembling a designer bag. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine. And it was a heck of a lot cheaper than buying the real thing. Plus, I had a fun story to tell. Would I carry it out in public? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on how brave I’m feeling that day. But hey, at least I can say I tried, right?
Click to consult