If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...

Then.. it's a customized Mandarina Duck handbag :)

It belonged to my Mom and it's quite old and a bit worn out at the angles. But I loved it the minute I found it at the bottom of her wardrobe. Didn't like the handles, though. It had one long adjustable handle that made the design a bit old fashioned and it was quite shabby. So.. what else could I do, but start another DIY project?

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Firstly, I removed the handle. It actually turned into a nice clutch that way..but that wasn't the point :)

Then I made four big holes next to each other on the two sides of the top of the bag's flap. Most of the chain handbags have the holes perpendicular to the flap, but in my case the material and the bag's shape were such, that the holes had to be positioned parallel on it.The flap was very thick, which is why I needed my Dad's help a little bit there :)

I cut the original handle in two halves as one to be thin enough to go through the chain.

I bought the biggest possible ring studs(dunno what exactly are they called in English) and nailed them around the holes. Then I layed the chain through each one of the four holes, glued together the leather bands of the handle, clipped together the two chain links as for the handle to become unbroken..and voila! 

The bag can be worn with one long strap when the outer chains are pulled up so the inner go down and elongate the outer ones. Or, as in the picture below, it can be worn with two shorter straps.

The whole thing is no big deal actually, but I loved the result and I think the bag would go perfectly together with my beige trenchcoat!
However...I don't have shoes to match it with....:) :) :)



XoXo, 
L