11 Creative Ways To Repurpose Old Purses And Handbags In Your Home And Garden

If you're a diehard handbag lover like us, chances are you've managed to collect quite the stash — from designer totes to vintage clutches. Whether out of style or worn out, tossing out your old bags is wasteful, especially since they hold so much upcycling potential. Instead of letting these once-loved bags sit on a shelf collecting dust or end up in a landfill, give them new meaning. Those purses that fell out of rotation years ago are perfect candidates for upcycling into functional household items. It's an eco-friendly and creative way to enhance the look of your home and bring back fond memories.

With a little imagination, your handbags can be reinvented for other useful purposes long after their days as a fashion statement have passed. An oversized tote can be repurposed into a cozy pet bed for your fluffy friend. A clutch you carried at prom can be displayed in a shadow box, preserving your high school memories while dressing up your walls. Even designer scraps from a worn-out bag can be turned into a very cool serving tray for your stemware. There are oodles of possibilities for elevating your decor and organizing your home. Even if you discovered the best ways to keep handbags organized in your closet, you likely have at least a couple you don't carry anymore. So, if you're ready to upgrade your home decor, take out those old handbags and stretch their life well beyond their original purpose.

When your designer handbag is past its prime, then take it apart and create new covetable items that'll surely be the envy of everyone, like a designer tote for your tumbler or water bottle. Keep the purse strap — or design a new one from the extra scraps — to be able to carry it along with you. This DIY will take a little more effort than other projects, but we're sure it'll be worth it in the end. 

No one would ever guess your boho wall decor was actually a statement-making handbag in a former life. Round rattan purses can be taken apart, and the lid can hang on the wall while the bottom side becomes a nifty basket for holding anything from fruit in the kitchen to fresh washcloths in the bathroom. You can also put it on a floating shelf as a decorative accent for adding texture to your space. This way, if you ever decide to carry it again, it's still useable.

When you have a leather (or faux leather) embossed handbag that has outlived its purpose, you can turn it into a pretty journal cover. Incorporate the zipper into your design as either the front or the back part of the journal for extra storage. Cut off any buckles from the purse to construct a nifty closure. Make sure to attach something with a bit of weight to the inside of the covers, like synthetic leather fabric sheets, to make it sturdier.

There's nothing swankier than transforming an old purse into a flourishing potted plant or a fashionable hanging planter. You can add artificial or real plants inside. When opting for fresh flowers or plants, keep them in pots or include a plastic liner for filling with dirt, and then watch them grow. Consider adding holes in the bottom of the bag to allow the soil to drain. For artificial plants, either let them spread out loosely or insert a vase first for a more structured arrangement.

When you're head over heels for a handbag's design even though other parts are trashed, here's an excellent way to hold onto the good parts and let go of the bad. Cut out the print you want to save and adhere it to the base of a pretty serving tray or put it in an ornate frame for the wall. Either way, you can gaze upon the bag's design while having a cute setup for champagne flutes or wine glasses. 

Whether it's a canvas beach bag, a plush faux-fur tote, or a leather satchel, an oversized tote makes a soft bed for your pets to curl up in. For extra comfort, add a blanket for small dogs who love to burrow or a fluffy pillow for cats who love to cuddle. Keep the handles intact so the tote can be used to move a sleeping fur baby from one room to another. We wouldn't recommend using an open bag as an outside pet carrier unless you make alterations to secure your pet safely inside.

Bring a unique vertical garden to your walls with succulents and a hanging beaded handbag. It makes the perfect contrasting container to the earthy look of the plants inside. Whether real or not, these tiny succulents bring a decorative accent to boho, vintage, or glam-inspired homes. There are plenty of colorful succulents that will thrive indoors and don't require a lot of water. Keep them in small planters that can fit snugly inside the purse.

There's no other way we want to hold our place in our favorite novel than with a designer bag logo bookmark. After you've cut out a rectangle (or other shape) from your old handbag, just add a hole on top and thread a ribbon or string through it. The key is to make the bookmark from a stiff material, like leather or faux leather, or add Mod Podge Stiffy to its back to stiffen it up. This cool DIY also makes a great gift for your favorite book lover.

For handbags that hold special memories or were handed down by someone important in your life, mounting a bag in a shadow box keeps it preserved for years. Turn it into a decorative piece of your home decor and hang it on your wall where you can see it every day. Pick a pretty fabric, scrapbook paper, or painted background that complements the purse, and add other mementos inside, too, for a super luxe presentation. 

Even if you have a small designer bag to work with, incorporating pieces of its fabric into a pickleball paddle cover will offer an instant lift. Mixing high-end monogram fabric with sporty equipment makes for a unique and luxury-inspired DIY project and turns a plain pickleball (or tennis) cover into a statement piece. This repurposed sports accessory might even elevate your game and become the envy of all your opponents.

For a bright pop of color, transform an old handbag (especially one with stains) into home decor or a unique centerpiece using lemons, strawberries, or any other colorful plastic fruit. Attach a pretty napkin, like one with a lemon-print design, on all sides of the bag with fabric Mod Podge. Then, stuff a floral foam block in the bottom with complementary plastic fruit with some extra greenery. It's a super simple DIY that lets you get as creative as you want — and no sewing or cutting is required.