Okay, so I wanted to try and remake this PRADA bag, the Small Prada Galleria Saffiano Special Edition one. It looked pretty cool, and I figured, why not give it a shot?
First, I looked up a bunch of pictures of the bag online. I needed to see it from all angles to get a good idea of what I was dealing with. The Saffiano leather, that’s the fancy textured stuff, seemed like it would be the hardest part to get right.
Then, I started gathering my materials. I found some leather that looked kind of like Saffiano, but it wasn’t perfect. I also needed some sturdy fabric for the lining, metal pieces for the hardware, and some strong thread. I mostly shopped around at local craft stores and online to get all this stuff together. It is not easy to get everything, and I didn’t.
Cutting out the leather was a bit of a pain. I carefully measured everything twice (or maybe more like five times) to make sure I didn’t mess up. I used a pattern I sketched out based on the pictures I found. There were quite a few pieces to cut – the front, back, sides, bottom, and all those little extra bits for pockets and straps.
Next came the sewing. This is where things got tricky. I used my sewing machine for the bigger parts, but some of the smaller details, like attaching the hardware, I had to do by hand. It took forever, and my fingers were pretty sore by the end of it. It was kind of relaxing in a weird way, though. But some parts are very hard to sew.
- First, carefully cut all leather pieces according to the pattern.
- Sew the main body pieces together using a sewing machine.
- Attach the lining to the interior of the bag.
- Hand-sew smaller details and hardware, such as zippers and metal accents.
- Assemble the handles and straps, and attach them securely to the bag.
The lining was easier to sew in. I picked a soft fabric that felt nice and would protect things inside the bag. I added a couple of pockets inside too, because who doesn’t love extra pockets?
Putting all the pieces together was like a big puzzle. I had to make sure everything lined up properly, or the bag would look wonky. I spent hours making small adjustments and re-sewing parts until it started to resemble the real deal. But I still can not find the right metal accessories and those crocheted decorations.
The Result
In the end, it didn’t turn out exactly like the original, but I was still pretty proud of myself. It was a lot of work, and I learned a ton about working with leather and bag construction. It’s definitely a unique piece, and I’m excited to actually use it. Though it is not 100% the same one, I did it!
Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a fun challenge, but also super time-consuming. If I ever decide to tackle another bag project, I’ll definitely apply what I learned from this one. But right now, I am happy that I have tried this.
Click to consult