Have you ever fallen in love with a seasonal or trendy bag or other fashion accessory that you just couldn’t bring yourself to buy? Trendy and style-specific bags are great. They can make such a statement but often look or feel outdated after the season is over.
Have you noticed all the cute straw / woven bags out there right now? I stumbled on these adorable bags from JCrew and was super tempted given the current sale but decided to try to try a DIY copycat version instead.
I hopped onto Amazon and did a search for straw bags and after finding several that I loved, I couldn’t resist another round one. While there, I also found some colorful string. That’s all I needed for this super simple and fun project.


- Your Choice of Bag (Mine is purchased from Amazon and you can find it here. A few others that I like are here, here and here.)
- Various colors of string or yard. (I used this heavy string / twine here.)
- Scissors
- Optional: Hot glue gun and glue sticks.
- Time: 30-60 Minutes
Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1:
Choose the colors you want to use. I love the idea of black and white but since it’s summer, I went for fun and colorful instead.

Step 2:
Start at the base of one of the handles and tie one end in a knot.
(Note: I am using knots in case I wish to change or remove the colorfun handles down the road. If you wish for a more permanent look, hot glue would work great for this project. Simple dab a small dot of glue at the base of one handle attaching the end of the string and then begin wrapping. Dabbing more glue as you change each color to end and start one color to the next.)

Step 3:
Begin wrapping the string around the handle using just the right amount of tension. Don’t pull it too tight but don’t leave it too loose either.
Note: As you begin wrapping the string, hold down the end of the string from the tie so that you are able to wrap it under as you wrap.

Step 4:
Wrap your first color roughly 1” – 1.5” and then tie in a knot like you did to start leaving a small tail to wrap under the next color.
Note: The width of each color block may vary depending on the number of colors you want to use, the length of your handles, etc. You don’t even need to have the same size blocks. Have fun and do what you like!

Step 5:
Repeat with each remaining color until you have reached the other end of the handle.
Use the end of your scissors, or some other sharp object to tuck the remaining tail under the last color so that nothing hangs out.
Step 6:
Step 6: Repeat the same pattern on the second handle.
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