DIY: Victorian Puzzle Purses

Have you ever heard of these cute crafts from Victorian history? I made a lot of these puzzle purses & it was so much fun decorating and folding these little paper time pieces. I started off with just some watercolor & pencil in the video, but during the week, my creativity started flowing and I started to use different fonts and my printer to make the purses even more magical. As described in the video, I made a downloadable link with 3 different fonts for the pinwheels the inside of the purse. Download them for free here: Use your imagination to decorate your purse completely the way you want to, ofcourse you can just use pencils instead of watercolor, or Victorian Scraps or other decorations. Once you get past the hardest part, which is the folding, the decorating can begin! Some suggestions for decorating the purse: - flowers (bouquets or roses) - birds (love doves) - hearts (big or small, as trims) - little stripes (to give a cute “stitched“ look) - bows If you are having a hard time with the folding, I can highly recomment watching the instructional video by Kitchen Counter Crafts here: Please use scrap paper to start off with and not your tea dyed or expensive paper to practice. In my video I used tea dye paper because I loved the look of it. You can dye your paper by using a wet tea bag & running strokes with it over your regular printer paper. Dye both sides and place on some baking sheet or paper towels. Let it dry for 24 hours and use it in your crafts! As you can see in the video, you need a rectangle to fold the puzzle purse. Which ofcourse means, that you can also use a sheet of scrapbook paper (12x12)! I also wrote a piece of history about these Victorian Puzzle Purses, for you to know the historical significance. Hidden within the folds of time, Victorian Puzzle Purses were elegant enigmas crafted with ingenuity and artistry. In the mid-19th century, the ingenious minds of Victorian artisans birthed the concept of Puzzle Purses. Their inception is credited to women’s ingenuity & creativity, as these purses were not just practical accessories but also captivating entertainment pieces. Victorian Puzzle Purses were designed to fascinate and engage with their intricate construction & hidden compartments. The puzzle-solving aspect of these purses added an element of amusement to social gatherings, where guests would try to unlock their secrets. The purses could be used to contain a lock of hair, some small coins or other small tokens of love. Imagine two secret lovers, exchanging these little gifts, only to open them later in solace & be infatuated by eachother. By the late 19th century, changes in fashion and lifestyle led to the decline of Puzzle Purses, as they gave way to more modern handbags and accessories. Yet, their legacy lives on in museums and private collections, preserving the ingenuity of a bygone era. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in Victorian crafts, and Puzzle Purses are enjoying a revival among crafting enthusiasts. Crafters are drawn to their unique design and challenge, making them sought-after projects for those with a passion for historical crafts. Victorian Puzzle Purses remain as enduring testaments to the creativity and artistry of the past, inspiring a new generation to unlock the secrets of the bygone era. P.S. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on all my new videos!