DIY: Studded H&M Handbag

Before

I've had this H&M bag for quite some time now, definitely more than a year perhaps even two. This is where my love for satchels stemmed from. It came with a long strap so I wore it like a cross-body bag. I found it annoying and removed the strap. That's where I found a little slice of heaven. I've been in love with satchels ever since.

Supplies

The bag itself has held up amazingly well for some $20 H&M bag. I've shoved books and food in it for plane rides. After awhile my only complaint about it was how plain looking it is. I added the skull from a necklace I've had since my teens. It was my first skull purchase but the chain was rusted. I wanted to keep it so I thought adding it to the bag would add some flare. It held me over for a little while but I still wanted something more. STUDS! I'm a huge fan of studs and have seen some pretty awesome studded handbags. I've seen some bloggers say you could DIY but I didn't know how. Finally my friends encouraged me and I set out to M&J Trimmings. For $40 I purchased 4 bags with 12 studs in each one (they are more like spikes).

They are screw in studs so I had to make a hole in the leather (it's faux!) then push the nail through and screw the stud on. At first it was a lot of working figuring out the best method but when I got into a good routine, it was done in less than an hour! I had this tool that I've had since a sewing class at FIDM (and I still can't sew lol!) that cuts string to take out hems. It was a good stabbing tool to make a hole in the leather. Then I used scissors from the inside to open up the hole.

Can you see the nail through the hole?

As for placement, I was going to make marks at even increments because I'm that obsessive but I finally decided that trying to scatter them would look best. Just go with it and have fun!

After

Close up

I'm quite pleased with the results. For just 40 something dollars I was able to personalize my handbag and give it an upgrade. What do you think?