64 Days to Go: Anthropologie Copycat

Aug 17, 2012 | 39 Comments
New Dress A Day - DIY - Anthropologie Copycat - Flocked Gold Clutch

Anthropologie Copycat!

I had a little joint crafting day with my gal Sonya Nimri and we created some fun projects inspired by a few things we became obsessed with from Anthropologie.  This $128 clutch was one obsession and we were determined to DIY it with things we already had in our clothing and craft closets!

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Anthro Catalog

We started with this vibrant bag from Thailand because we wanted something bold and with a detailed pattern to mimic the beaded diamond shapes at the bottom of Anthro’s clutch.

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Bag – Before

This piece will make a perfect clutch base!  We went to some gold leather scraps next…

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Gold Leathah!!

…to mimic the gold leather “flakes” (that’s what Anthro calls it!) from the inspiration clutch.  We used a Cuttlebug die cut machine along with a leaf print cutting die to make our gold leather bits.  We cranked about 35 through the machine…

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Pressed Leaf!

…and got a pile of these guys!!

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Pretty golden leaf!!

I love how pretty they look!  We trimmed slits through the lavender sides of the bag to open the piece up and make it flat.  This is just going to make it much easier to sew these leaves in place.

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Trim that patch of lavender!

We tested out location for the shapes before we began to stitch.  We decided to have three rows of the leaves, so we started with the bottom row first and stitched the leaves in place.

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Place and stitch!

We put the next row down, stitched it in place, and then did the same thing for the final row.

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Place and stitch!

With the leaves stitched in place, we folded the clutch in half, wrong side out, to stitch the sides together and then added a zipper at the top.

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Stitching back together!!

We took a rectangular leather section about a foot long, and folded and stitched it to create our wrist strap!!

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Stitched an arm strap!

The elbow grease was in full effect as we hand stitched the strap to the clutch with a ridiculously large/thick needle.

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Look at that needle!

I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.  It’s done, it’s done!!  I love that it really embodies the essence of our inspiration clutch!

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Anthropologie Copycat Complete!

I’m obsessed with it.  So obsessed that I wore it out immediately for a movie night with my pal RM.

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I heart this clutch!

We were starving and running late so we grabbed paninis at the Barnes & Noble Café.  PS, I was completely unaware that they served anything other than coffee and muffins/cheesecake slices!!  I wish I took a better pic, but on the table that we sat, someone left their reading materials which included a Running a Food Truck For Dummies book.

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Our patio dinner table at Barnes & Noble!

You can see a smidge of the yellow and black striping on the cover!!  I mean, they have a Dummies book for everything!

We scooted next door into a screening of For A Good Time, Call and got a super fun parting gift…a phone!

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Who needs a blue-tooth when you gots a retro phone?

Well…a phone handset in pink that matched the ones used in the movie.  Guess who’s got two thumbs, wearing a blue shirt, and already on the party line?

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“I’m at a payphone trying to call home, all of my change I spent on you” is totally stuck in my head!

You guessed it!!  Oh, and don’t think Call Me Maybe jokes/YouTube reenactments didn’t start flowing immediately…

Happy Friday friends!!

  • Peggy

    I love it! It’s even better than the original. You go, girl!

  • zah

    i would buy yours in a hear beat! love love love it!

    • newdressaday

      I love it! Thanks Z.

  • Kate

    Ummmmm, that is Gorgeous with a capital “G”!!! I would actually pick yours over the Anthro bag. Just FYI, I’m going to be taking a sewing class soon because I’ve been really inspired by the fantastic stuff you make. I’m also a Charlotte native! :-) Thanks for rocking!

    • newdressaday

      Capital anything is amazing! So excited about your sewing class – keep me posted Ms. Charlotte :)

  • kissem37

    I like yours WAY more than the original! Those little gold leaves are awesome- I’d want to stitch them onto everything! And they’d make a great statement necklace- cheap and lightweight!

    • newdressaday

      Yes! The best statement necklace!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mary-Garrett/1163771137 Mary Garrett

    Gorgeous! You are so very clever!

  • ally

    yes to the Call me maybe jokes!!!! hahahaha and such a cute bag- perfect for toting to the movies! aside from an awesome parting gift how was the actual movie?

    • newdressaday

      Right?! It was big enough to carry all the essentials too – phone, camera, wallet, gloss. My prob is that all my clutches are too tiny! Movie is super cute – the girls are awesome :)

  • Laura Whitman

    Oh my word! That bag is so super cute! Great remake. Glad you had a fun night out. = )

    xoxo,
    Laura

  • Judy B

    That turned out GREAT! I love it, and I want it!

  • Jennifer

    Yours is definitely cuter!

  • Allison

    OMG, I totally love it!! I wasn’t sure how you were going to do it with the bag, but it turned out SOOOOO cute!

  • Keenzi

    Yep, agree with the others that yours is better than the original–Love!

    • Lovestosew

      Totally agreed!

  • Braxlee from Syosset

    OMG — obsessed! I LOVE it. SO much better than the original!

  • Allison Woods

    I’m normally not a fan of the copycat things, but this one’s kickass!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/hidesama Ren Akuma

    Oh my! It looks just like the Anthropologie one <3

  • Sarah_H.

    Yep, better. I agree. You are getting so crafty. I love to see your projects detailed out like you do.

  • http://twitter.com/RachaelAlsbury FrugalFaye

    Love it! The clutch turned out great!

  • laura_r_78

    Soooooooooo super cute!!!!! I am lovin’ yours more than the original!! Way to go!!!!

  • Lovestosew

    Your bag RULES. Designers Beware. DIY fashion is taking over. The revolution has begun…..

  • Beth

    I love your clutch Marisa!! You are so creative and resourceful…you are such an inspiration to all of us. I can’t wait for your book to come out! Reading your blog definitely brings a smile to my face each and every day. :)

  • Loyal Reader

    Marisa,
    Another amazing piece! Did you use special machine needles or a special kind of thread to get your machine to sew the gold pieces on the purse part?
    P.S. I am big fan of everything you do!

  • Christie

    oh my goodness, I saw that purse in Anthropology last week and boy did I want! love the Copycat. Well done!

  • http://twitter.com/jodywallace Jody Wallace

    I haven’t seen a dummies book for recyling and upcycling used clothing…. :)

    • Cicely Simone

      Their is one out there. I checked it out from the library and it was not very good. It may have been a little outdated. Maybe we need an updated version…

  • Lauraly

    Super cute!

  • http://www.facebook.com/sally.pelikan Sally Pelikan

    Love it! I must go right now and take my “after” picture to show you my fab makeover! Thanks for all your inspirations!

  • laura

    wow it turned out gorgeous

  • diane2809

    Adorable and I also like it better than the original! Way to go!

  • Kathleen Po

    Love it!!! I want one!!!

  • twentypaperlinks

    Awesome sauce, Marisa. Anthropologie is a DIY goldmine! :)

  • curlyjess

    Wow really love it!

  • http://www.facebook.com/tollyfaye Tolly Bockbrader

    absolutely adorable!

  • Sarah

    Gorgeous! I need leather exactly like this for a costume I’m making! Did you get it downtown?

  • Katharina

    AMAZING! As usual…

  • Tasmanian Minimalist

    I am so damn impressed- please come be my teacher !