Aunt Keira

My Aunt Keira is one of the most innovative and creative people I know, taking everyday items and envisioning them in a new light. Whether it is a glass bangle as a handle (like in the first purse), a horse show ribbon as the frame of a portrait (like in the second bag), or a beads from a broken necklace (like in the first purse). She has an entire room filled with bits and bobs like buttons, tassels, and fabrics. Her motto is if you don’t love it the way it is, dye it, cut it, embroider it. She will buy vintage purses and add miscellaneous things that people wouldn’t normally think twice about and make something beautiful. She creates purses out of miscellaneous sundries that are so unique and embody her personality and style. Here are a few of her beautiful pieces:

She was kind enough to let me snoop through her room of goodies and find different adornments to create purses of my own. I started by pulling things that caught my eye with no theme in mind and played around with the arrangement.

These beautiful strips of fabric above are actually from Indian sarees which she ordered from Ebay. Many of her goodies are sourced from local thrift shops, damaged clothes or toys, and Ebay. My Aunt Keira has shown me how to look at something in a different light and not restrict yourself when it comes to materials. She has done everything from creating a purse out of a pillow case to using pieces that have broken off of her son’s old toys as decor.

I was really inspired by the purse with the long red tassel up above and wanted to play around with adorning my bags with a few. This type of thing can easily be found in lots (big bunches of similar items) on Ebay, at thrift stores, and craft stores. She has a variation of every size and color that you could possibly imagine. This table filled with buttons, beads, and pins is my favorite. She has collected these for as long as I can remember. She and I began pulling fun beads and pins that caught our eye and laid them all out on a plain board and then got to work assembling them like puzzle pieces on my naked bags.

Here I am decorating my bag with the tassels that I love so much and creating a tiered effect with the metal butterflies.

I ordered some vintage purses off of Depop that were plain but had a nice shape and used them as my canvases. The striped bag below was a gift from the lady herself. It is made from an old kilim and she got it from Ebay. I loved its bright colors and boho feel and I just couldn’t wait to decorate it!

This bag has become my everyday. I think it is the perfect blend of casual and unique. I used tassels, bronze ornaments, and old horse show ribbons to decorate.

I had ordered this gold bag and was immediately drawn to creating an Egyptian vibe. The gold ring around the scarab is actually from an old toy which goes to show that anything can be used. I also adorned my bag with a piece from a horse ribbon (the green ring), some trim, and of course I had to include a tassel to finish it off. I am so grateful to have such an innovative family that inspires me endlessly to embrace my creativity. A big thank you to Aunt Keira for letting me showcase her beautiful work and dig through her precious materials. Hopefully this will inspire you to think outside the box.