Turn a Vera Bradley Crossbody Bag into a Shoulder Bag in Less Than 5 Minutes { No-Sew Project }

A few months ago, I was at the mall with my family because my oldest was taking a coding class at the Microsoft store.  The class was an hour long, so I went across the way to browse at the Vera Bradley store.  It had been awhile since I had been in there.  I asked my daughter to join me.

Big surprise!  My browsing turned into buying.  My daughter and I both loved the Lilac Tapestry print and I couldn't pass up a chance to have another set of mother-daughter coordinating handbags.  I went pretty, but practical, and picked out the Small Trimmed Vera Tote.  My daughter had a little more trouble though.  She used to be all about crossbody bags, but now that she is a little older, she really wanted a shoulder bag, like a mini hobo or something with a shorter strap.  The problem was that Vera Bradley didn't carry any smaller bags that weren't a crossbody style at the moment.  We looked at the Vera Bradley Little Crossbody bag, and I decided I could probably do a little altering and shorten the strap on that bag for her.

When I got home, I had a feeling of doubt.  What if I shortened the strap on that bag and my daughter changes her mind?

How I shortened the strap on our Vera Bradley crossbody bag with no sewing . . . 

Step 1.  Adjust the 56" strap to the desired length, even though you will have a tail of excess fabric.  (I would say that ours was adjusted to have a 6" or 7" drop.)

Step 2.  Tie a knot at the base of the strap to keep the strap from being lengthened or shortened any further.

Step 3.  Tuck the tail of excess fabric into the exterior pocket on the backside of the bag.  Secure it inside the pocket with a small safety pin to make sure it stays put and does not interfere with the functionality of the pocket.

That's it!  The tail blends in well whether you have a print or solid fabric bag.  Because the tail is tucked into the pocket on the backside of the bag, it really isn't noticeable at all.  My daughter was very pleased with the result, and I feel good that I can easily turn this bag back into a crossbody bag if she so desires.

Although I haven't tried this with other styles of Very Bradley crossbody bags, it should work if you have the following:

• An adjustable strap
• A strap that is not too wide to tie in a knot neatly
• A pocket on the backside of the bag that runs the nearly the full width of the bag.

What easy no-sew projects have you tried?  Share them with us in a comment here.

Review: Treat Mom (or Yourself) to a Gift From Vera Bradley

Having received my very first Vera Bradley bag four years ago for Mother's Day, I have always felt there was a special connection between the Vera Bradley brand and that special holiday.  Since then, because I enjoy receiving these beautiful handbags and accessories so much, I have made it a habit of giving Vera Bradley gifts for Mother's Day, birthdays, and Christmas.

Whether you are a casual or serious Vera Bradley collector, you probably try to stay on top of which prints are new for the season and which are being retired.  One of my favorite prints for Summer 2011 is Vera Bradley's Watercolor.  Right in tune with the trends this season of feminine florals and soft washed out colors, this print is one of the prettiest ever offered by Vera Bradley.

If you are trying to come up with the perfect Mother's Day gift this year, Vera Bradley offers great gift ideas to fit any budget.  One year, I picked up a Porcelain Mug with Cover for my children to give to their grandmother for just $12.00 and my mother was delighted.

Here are some more great gift ideas for mom . . .

The Get Carried Away Tote makes the perfect overnight bag or a diaper bag for families with multiple little ones.  A generous 18-1/4" x 15-1/2" x 7-1/2", this bag has four exterior pockets . . . one on each side and one on each end.  The interior walls each have 3 pockets plus two water-resistant vinyl lined pockets on each end.  Like a jacket, the top zipper can be left open or zipped up to protect the bag's contents.  This bag is roomy enough to fit everything you need to get away for a night or two and then some.  If mom is planning a vacation later this year or simply loves to travel in general, then this would be a thoughtful and functional gift.  This bag retails for $88 in the current prints and is available for 25% off in the retired prints.

The Travel Wallet by Vera Bradley is not just for travelling.  It is only about an inch in thickness, but has enough organizational pockets inside to hold your cash, cards, tickets, passport, driver's license, and more.

I love that this wallet has a hidden magnetic closure and looks like a slimline clutch.  If it had a wrist strap, it would be perfect for me to use every day.  This wallet is a new Vera Bradley item and is currently only available in the Spring/Summer 2011 prints for $42.00.

One item that I know would be an appreciated gift is a Vera Bradley Umbrella.  Not only do these umbrellas look like works of art when opened, they are functional as well.  Each measures 11" while closed and comes with a coordinating protective sleeve.

The reason why I love this umbrella so much is that there is one button to press to make the umbrella open and then close again.  No more pinched fingers!  My husband did not believe me when I told him about this function and made me demonstrate it for him.  It makes this umbrella well-worth the price of $32.00.  Currently this umbrella is available in a limited number of prints, but does include many of the new prints for this season.

As you can see, we are not lacking in rain around here.  I will be putting this umbrella to good use.  Now I just need to figure out how to manage a weekend getaway with my husband . . .

Visit your local Vera Bradley store, VeraBradley.com, and Vera Bradley on Facebook to learn more about the newest bags and accessories for Spring and Summer.


Thank you to Vera Bradley for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.