Alright, so picture this: I’m strolling through the mall, just minding my own business, when BAM! I see it. The PRADA Symbole Tote Bag. It’s sitting there in the official flagship store, looking all sleek and gorgeous, and I’m instantly smitten. But then I see the price tag, and my heart sinks. I mean, I love a good designer bag, but my wallet? Not so much.
But then a lightbulb goes off. I’m a crafty guy. Why not try to make my own? I mean, how hard could it be, right? It’s just a tote bag with some triangles on it. (Famous last words, I know.) So, I went home, and the mission started.
First things first, I needed to get a good look at this bag. I hopped online, and I start studying pictures of the Symbole Tote like it was my job. I’m talking about close-ups, different angles, and even some blurry, zoomed-in shots that people took in the store. I needed to figure out this pattern.
After a lot of searching, I found what I needed: “the Prada Symbole handbag is inspired by Prada’s iconic Triangle. Precise, direct, meaningful,” and “Geometric, modern, multi-faceted, it is a wordless assertion of Prada’s unmistakable persona. The Symbole couples this to a versatile tote.” Wow, that’s some deep stuff for a bag, but hey, it gave me an idea of what I was dealing with. It’s all about those triangles, baby.
Next, I had to figure out the materials. I didn’t want to use anything fancy, so I went to my local fabric store. I found this pretty good quality canvas for the body of the bag, it’s solid and should hold up well. Then I got some faux leather for the handles and the little triangle details. I decided to go with black on black, cause that’s how the original bag looked like and I feel like it’s a classic and matches everything.
Now for the fun part – putting it all together. I’m not gonna lie, this was the trickiest part. I started by cutting out the canvas for the bag. I’m no sewing expert, but I managed to sew the sides and bottom together. Not my finest work, but it’s holding.
Then came the triangles. Oh, the triangles. I cut out a bunch of little triangles from the faux leather and start sticking them onto the canvas. I tried to follow the pattern I saw online, but let’s just say it wasn’t as easy as it looked. After a few tries and a lot of re-sticking, I finally got something that resembled the original design.
- Cut out canvas for the bag body.
- Sew the sides and bottom of the bag together.
- Cut out triangles from faux leather.
- Attach triangles to the bag in the Symbole pattern.
- Sew on the faux leather handles.
The Final Result
After a few days of work, my homemade Prada Symbole Tote Bag was finally done! It’s definitely not perfect. The triangles aren’t perfectly aligned, and the stitching is a bit wonky in places. But you know what? I’m pretty darn proud of it. It’s got that same geometric vibe as the original, and it’s definitely a conversation starter. Plus, I saved myself a ton of money! It’s not an exact replica, but it’s my own unique take on it. And honestly, I think I like it even better that way.
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