I feel better about myself when my handbag is tidy. You know the drill: the old receipts and expired coupons have been dealt with, used tissues and wrappers tossed, bills in order (small to large) with the heads all facing the same direction. Even though I practice periodic handbag organization, there is, apparently, some rules we can apply to the activity.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, our handbags should weigh less than 3 pounds. This means for many of us, we’ll need to purge. Good Housekeeping suggests we start the paring down process by dumping everything out of our handbags and take the opportunity to fix any rips or tears in the lining.
(Mary Kate’s Chanel handbag looks like it weighs more than she does!)
Next we need to lose that extra weight. We’ll start by emptying our coins into a ‘coin jar’ etc. now and then weekly hereafter.
Now we’ll access our makeup take-alongs. Are they the full size stuff? If so, let’s swap them with travel-size. It’ll not only lighten the load, but it’ll make tons of room in our bags.
Handbag Heaven suggests we carry an envelope to stash those receipts until we can find a home for them outside our handbags. (I keep mine in a basket in my office, which I then go through when the Visa bill comes. I tick them off the bill and then shred them.)
If our handbags lack pockets and such, a zipper pouch or two will do the trick. Especially for those makeup products mentioned above. The internet is loaded with tutorials for cute little zippered pouches. (Here’s a darling one from Skip to My Lou.)
For maximum organization, a purse organizer is the way to go. Here’s a great pattern to make your own from Fresh Crush. (Via.) What’s fabulous about this kind of item is it makes switching handbags a snap.
If sewing isn’t your thing, here’s something called the Purseket ($19-$23). Available in various sizes, the pouches drop into your handbag and line the interior. Again, completely DIYable. Here’s a tute to prove it. (Via.)
For more handbag organization tips, head on over to Good Housekeeping.
(The makeover below was achieved with the help of a Joey Junior Purse Organizer.)
