Okay, so I saw this Prada Symbole Tote Bag online the other day, and I thought, “I gotta have it!” But then I saw the price, and I was like, “Oof, maybe not.” But I’m a pretty crafty person, so I decided to try and remake it myself.
First, I went online and looked for pictures of the bag from every angle I could find. I needed to see all the details, like the stitching, the hardware, and of course, that iconic triangle pattern. There are some images from some online stores. I also found some details that the bag is a new style and was released in the summer of 2022. And it comes with a clochette.
Then, I started sketching. I’m no artist, but I drew a rough outline of the bag and tried to get the proportions right. I also made notes about the materials I would need. It looked like the bag was made of some kind of textured fabric and had leather accents. I also noticed that the triangle pattern was embroidered, not just printed.
Next, I went to the fabric store. Oh boy, was that an adventure! I spent hours browsing through different fabrics, trying to find something that looked similar to the original. I finally found a nice, thick canvas that had a similar texture. For the leather, I decided to use some faux leather scraps I had left over from another project.
The hardest part was definitely the embroidery. I don’t have an embroidery machine, so I had to do it all by hand. It took forever! I watched some tutorials online and practiced a lot before I started on the actual bag. I used a simple backstitch for the triangles, and it actually turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.
- Cut out the fabric pieces according to my sketch.
- Embroidered the triangle pattern onto the front and back panels.
- Sewed the panels together to form the body of the bag.
- Added the faux leather handles and bottom.
- Made a little clochette out of the leftover faux leather.
It took me a few weeks of working on it here and there, but I finally finished it! It’s not an exact replica, of course, but I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s definitely got that Prada Symbole vibe. I’ve been using it for a while now, and I get compliments on it all the time. People can’t believe I made it myself!
So, yeah, that’s the story of how I remade a designer bag. It was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun. And it saved me a ton of money! If you’re thinking about trying something like this, I say go for it! Just be prepared to put in some time and effort, and don’t be afraid to get creative.
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