DIY: How to Make a Retro Clutch Out of an Old Video Tape Box

I recently dug up this old Paula Abdul cardio dance video with the intention of burning some calories when I realized that A. I’m allergic to exercise and B. I no longer own a VCR. Downtrodden but not completely hopeless, I inspected the relic like an archaeologist and was impressed with both its uber-simplistic 90s colorblock design and the sturdiness of the box’s closing mechanism when it came to me – this could make a really unique DIY clutch. After all, the dimensions are pretty much spot-on and it’s just so wonderfully kitsch/nostalgic/ironic. And the beauty of it is that you can pretty much use any video box that you want for your own clutch (I highly doubt anyone else owns this Paula Abdul workout video or will admit to it?). Technically, you could even use the box as a clutch unmodified but I wanted to add a few touches to make it more obvious that it was an actual purse and not just a video that you’re carrying around.

Another really cool thing about this DIY is that if your video case is the kind with a transparent sleeve and piece of paper that slides in and out, you can swap out the graphic with whatever you want to make this a really versatile clutch. For example, if you have a piece of paper from another video – say The Breakfast Club – you can just remove Paula Abdul and slip that in instead. Or you can even leave the clear sleeve empty and use it as a white clutch. The possibilities are endless!

For the full DIY tutorial, scroll down and click page 2.