Okay, so, I’ve been obsessed with this Prada Galleria Saffiano Special Edition Bag, the small one. You know, the classic style? I decided I had to make one myself. I mean, why not, right?
First, I spent hours, like, literally hours, staring at pictures of this bag online. I was looking at all the different angles and really trying to get a feel for the size and the details, especially those cool, colorful patterns. There are so many colors, shapes, and styles. Oh, my goodness, I almost got lost in the middle. But I still chose the classic one. I printed out a bunch of them, enough to cover my entire work table, honestly. It looked like a Prada shrine in there!
Next, I started sketching. I am not a professional, far from it, so my drawings were, let’s say, “unique”. But they helped me figure out the dimensions and how the pieces would fit together. The bag is pretty structured, so I knew I needed something stiff for the main body. That classic bag was made by Saffiano leather. The real ones are made of leather, but I thought, “Hmm, maybe some thick cardboard will do the trick?”
After that, it was time to gather my materials. I went through all my old craft supplies. It was really good that I didn’t throw those away before. And I found some colorful fabrics. And I used those cardboard pieces I mentioned earlier. Cutting them out was a bit of a struggle because the cardboard was pretty thick, but I managed. I wanted those geometric patterns, just like the real deal, so I cut out different shapes from the fabrics and started sticking them onto the cardboard. It was like a puzzle, a really fun puzzle!
Then came the sewing part. My sewing machine is ancient, but it still works. I had to sew the fabric-covered cardboard pieces together, which was tricky. It is quite thick to sew. I broke a few needles, to be honest. But hey, I kept going. Slowly but surely, the bag started to take shape. I even managed to add a little inside pocket, just like the real ones. I thought maybe I could buy a metal logo, but oh, I forgot that.
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Finding Pictures
Spent hours looking at pictures online.
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Sketching
Drew rough sketches to understand the design.
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Gathering Materials
Used old craft supplies, fabrics, and cardboard.
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Cutting and Pasting
Cut cardboard and fabric, then glued fabric onto cardboard.
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Sewing
Sewed the pieces together, added an inside pocket.
Finally, after many hours of work, lots of trial and error, and maybe a few minor injuries (hot glue is no joke!), my homemade Prada Galleria was finished. It’s definitely not perfect, not as delicate as the real ones, but I’m so proud of it! It’s unique, it’s colorful, and it’s mine. Now, I can carry my little homemade masterpiece around. I can’t stop myself from showing it to my friends. Maybe I’ll make another one someday, a bigger one. What do you guys think?
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