Elegant 1920s Hand Warmer Purse

The fashion of the 1920s has always fascinated me—its unparalleled neatness, the sober elegance of its garments, and the timeless sophistication that no other era has quite matched. One accessory that I find particularly versatile and useful, especially for chilly days, is a purse that also functions as a hand warmer. It's a mystery to me how such a brilliant idea faded into history! Imagine staying warm while keeping your outfit elegant and refined.

For this reason, today we are going to create a knitted purse that doubles as a hand warmer. Let’s get started!

Materials

1. One skein of black plush-textured yarn
2. One skein of regular black yarn
3. Two knitting needles, size 7
4. Scissors
5. Stitch markers
6. Yarn needle
7. Crochet needle
8. Button
9. Chain strap

The body of the purse consists of a knitted rectangle measuring 25 stitches in width and 50 rows in length, using the garter stitch.

To begin, cast on 25 stitches onto your knitting needle, as shown in the image.

Once the stitches are cast on, continue knitting 50 rows in garter stitch.

Garter stitch is created by knitting every row with a basic knit stitch, as demonstrated in the image.

Once we have completed the rectangular shape of the purse body, we need to close the stitches by binding off. This secures the stitches and prevents unraveling. Follow the method shown in the video.

The purse features an internal pocket to store essentials like a phone or wallet. This pocket is another knitted rectangle, measuring 33 stitches in width and 24 rows in length, also using the garter stitch.

Repeat the first three steps: casting on, knitting, and binding off. You should have a rectangle similar to the one shown in the image. Use the crochet needle to weave in any loose ends left after binding off.

Now, we will attach the knitted pocket to the inside of the purse. Using the yarn needle, position the pocket at the lower part of the purse body and sew along three sides, leaving the top edge open, as shown in the image and video.

To give the purse its final shape while maintaining the functionality of a hand warmer, fold the lower part of the purse inward and sew the two bottom corners together.

Finally, attach the button to secure the inner pocket and sew the chain strap onto both sides of the purse. This step completes the design while maintaining its vintage charm.

The end result is a faithful representation of the elegance of 1920s fashion—both stylish and practical! I hope you enjoyed this Instructable as much as I did while creating it. Stay warm and stylish!