Business Woman Turns Recycled Items into Brand New Bags

It started 11 years ago in the living room of her Tinley Park home. But the real story of Bagitude! Handbags With Attitude goes back to owner Karla Staley’s childhood. 

“I’ve always loved arts and crafts,” she said. “As a kid, I would make dollhouses with cereal boxes.” 

Now, as an adult, Staley put the cereal boxes away and began making purses out of cigar boxes. “I thought one day, I could turn this into a purse,” and it literally went from there.

In the beginning, she kept her job as an insurance agent while attending as many art shows and fairs as possible. The cigar boxes have since been replaced with recyclable material ranging from magazines to VHS cases. 

“They were cute but not practical because you couldn’t adjust the bottom," Staley said. “And some parents had an issue with their children having a cigar box as a purse.”

But most parents didn’t have any problem with their children carrying purses made from a Harry Potter book.

The Process

• Staley pulls out the pages of the book with a heat gun to keep them intact. (The uncovered book is then donated to schools and homeless shelters.)
• The book’s cover is cut and attached to an art board.
• What will be the bottom and front of the purse is added out of cardstock purchased from a fabric store.
• It is then laminated at .
• The edges are folded and heat sealed making sure everything is secure.
• Staley’s mother is in charge of sewing the fabric at the bottom and in the inside of the purse. 
• A twist lock or magnetic catch is added for closing and the purse is finished with a strap that can be beads or a seatbelt strap ordered on-line. 
• The process usually takes two hours. 

Not only has Staley’s Harry Potter purses been sold at the gift shop at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry but her work can be found in gift shops of museums, art galleries, theaters and boutiques around the world. 

Staley was able to quit her insurance job seven years ago, and today, she makes handbags with recycled items, such as books, magazines, photos, playbills, board games, crossword puzzles, bingo playing cards and Hanna Montana pictures.  She’s even made a commemorate history handbag from a recycled Marshall Field’s bag.

Staley’s big break came when the American University Museum in Washington, D.C., ordered some purses from a wholesale show she attended. The owner had a friend who saw the purses, and she ordered some for her art gallery.

“I’ve gotten business strictly through word of mouth. I meet people, and it literally goes from there,” Staley said.  And word has traveled fast. 

When the traveling production of Billy Elliot came to Houston, local ballerinas caught a glimpse of Staley's work. 

“The girls flipped out because they saw one of my Billy Elliott purses in the gift shop,” Staley said. “They called me, and I made purses for the whole ballerina staff.”

After attending an art show in Minnesota, Staley was approached by a local actor who wanted to give his play's cast purses as gifts for opening night.  Staley used the play bill to make the purses, and “they were a hit,” she said.  The actor is currently working on a Broadway play, and Staley was asked to make 40 gifts for opening night.

Staley’s customers range from eight to 80 years old and older. 

“The older generation likes old record labels,” Staley said, adding that younger customers lean toward pictures.

Going forward, Staley said the future of Bagitude! Handbags with Attitude is man bags, jewelry boxes and file folders.  She’s also starting to make handbags out of wedding invitations.

Have a recycled item that you’d like turned into a purse? Contact Karla Staley at 708-533-8001.