How to update bag handles with your own hands - Veseldom (2025)

Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye to a favorite thing, especially when it goes well with most other items of the wardrobe.For example, a favorite bag that has retained its excellent appearance.But there is one “but”: the handles were worn out.how to beThrow away an almost new bag or put up with the fact that its handles betray the age of your favorite thing?Not everything is so bad: the handles can be reanimated, and the bag will last for several more years.Let’s consider ways to update the handles of bags with your own hands.

Stage one: preparation of the product

Before starting to do anything with the product, it must be cleaned of dirt.

• It is best to wipe the leather and imitation leather with soapy water with the addition of ammonia, after which the moisture should be soaked several times with a dry cloth.
• Grease stains are removed with crushed chalk, leaving it for several hours, and then completely removed.
• Suede is cleaned with a brush dipped in a solution of soap and water, and then dried.
• After cleaning, the leather substitute is lubricated with glycerin to update the appearance of the product and make it more attractive.

After that, you can proceed to the next stage.

Stage two: resuscitation of the handles

There are several ways here, the main thing is to choose the one that is suitable in a particular case.You can use leather, imitation leather, materials for decoration, here it already depends on the material of the bag and on how well it will be combined with the replacement in terms of structure and style.

Pen cover

If the bag is made of leather or imitation leather, the easiest thing to do is to protect it from scratches with leather covers.

Take a suitable piece of leather and gradually make covers:

1. Cut out two identical rectangles, larger in size than the handles themselves.The main thing here is to close all the frayed places plus allowances for sewing.
2. After sewing, the covers are freely put on the old handles, but they should not hang down either.So that they do not come off, their ends need to be sewn to the product from the inside.

If you want to be a little creative, you can take material contrasting in color, but then it will be better to cut similar squares and sew them randomly, in several places to the bag for decoration.

Replacement

Sometimes it happens that the handles wear out, but the waist belt remains unused and new.In this case, it can be adapted for new handles.

1. The first thing to do is to remove the old parts.
2. The second is to cut the belt in half, choosing the appropriate length plus seam allowances.
3. The third is to sew new handles on the sewing machine, bending the edges, from the inside of the bag.

Leather handles and chain

1. Long strips of the same width are cut from the leather and sewn into one long piece.
2. This workpiece is smeared with Moment glue and joined lengthwise.
3. A dry strip is wrapped around the chain on both sides, or evenly pushed through its links.
4. The same is done with the second detail.
5. Large rings are attached to the bag.Belts with chains are firmly fixed with threads.

Necklaces, decor

If the handles are slightly cracked, and the material allows, small defects can be decorated with beads.They are simply sewn one at a time, or with a pattern in the order you like.Jeans or canvas in combination with colored beads and a set of colored applications will look ideal.

Neckerchief

This method is an emergency method, designed for spontaneity, but it can also be used for the long term.

They take a beautiful neckerchief and wrap it around the handles, overlapping the previous skein.This should be done as tightly as possible so that nothing slips.The ends are tied beautifully with a bow.If the scarf still slips, you can feed it inconspicuously with a needle from the inside.The same can be done using colored ribbon or satin ribbon.

Binding

The next option is for needlewomen.They take beautiful threads, preferably linen, and crochet the handles.Alternatively, you can use a beautiful silk ribbon.

Beads made of wood or plastic

The handles are partially cut off and beads threaded through the rope are inserted.All fragments are carefully stitched together.If necessary, the entire handle is removed completely and replaced with a necklace.This option is suitable for the summer cottage, beach and summer vacation.

Chain

The handles are removed and replaced with a thin chain sewn from the wrong side in place of the old fragments.

Fur

Sometimes fur remains from the hoods of jackets and down jackets, often new and unused.It can be divided into two equal parts and sewn in place of the old handles, having previously removed the outdated fragments.

Alternatively, sew the fur to the handles without removing them.This option is suitable for winter with a coat, down jacket or fur coat.

Fragmentary masking

It is made using glue and strips of leather, which are combined with the design of the bag in terms of color and texture.Cracks and small flaws are masked with the help of new leather fragments glued to them with glue.

A radical method of repairing handles

The next method is radical, calculated “for centuries”.It will take a lot of effort, but the result is worth it.

You will need:

• 4 metal rings;
• tape for skin;
• skin 15 cm larger than the handle;
• canvas;
• strong thread to match.

Procedure:

1. The skin is cut into two identical strips.They are folded in width in a joint to a joint.Everything is glued with tape for the skin so that it does not spread.The edges are leveled with scissors and scribbled on the typewriter from the front side of the product at a distance of 3 cm. The rounded ends are bent and glued with tape.
2. Rings are put on the resulting blank from four sides, after which the ends are bent inside out.Mark where the edge ends with a felt-tip pen.Adhesive tape is glued to the mark, right in the center.
3. The tarpaulin is placed on the tape and pressed well against the skin.It is necessary to prevent the sticky layer from bulging onto the material.A drop of glue is dripped onto the other side of the fabric.
4. The leather blank is folded in the middle and glued.They start, as a rule, from the middle, squeezing the product well on both sides.The fabric should be glued evenly over the surface, releasing all the air.
5. With the help of a sewing machine, a seam is made, leaving at least 1.5 cm along the end inserted inside.The same should be done at the other end.
6. The last touch is the attachment of hand-made handles to the bag.If everything is done as carefully as possible, the new handles will not differ from the factory ones, and the updated bag will last for more than one year.

Ways to mask the problem

• Slightly scratched handles can be renewed with a can of black paint, it is enough to spray it evenly at a distance of 30 cm. Let it dry – and voila!To fix the effect, it is best to process it twice, having previously let the paint dry the first time.
• Glycerin is ideal for old, tarnished skin, making it new and attractive.It is enough to lubricate cotton wool with glycerin and wipe the rubbed places.
• Barely noticeable scratches can be masked with an ordinary stationery marker, matching it to the tone of the material.Perfectly disguises black.
• Scratches on a white bag are masked pointwise with the help of a stationery stroke.For stability, the procedure is carried out twice and dried for several minutes.

So, there are at least a few good ways to update bag handles, the main thing here is to choose the one that suits you best.Using the tips above, it’s easy to save money and keep your favorite thing in order.

How to update bag handles with your own hands