Make the pop tab strips

• 1). Measure and cut the nylon string into 16 12-inch-long segments and eight 6-inch segments. The string will be used to tie the pop can tabs into strips that will be sewn together to create the front, back and side panels of the purse. Using the 12-inch-long segments you will make nine strips for the back/flap of the purse, five strips for the front panel, and two strips for the bottom of the purse. Using the 6-inch-long segments you will make four strips that will make up the two-strip wide sides of the purse.
  
  
• 2). Take one tab into your hand. The fat side should point to the bottom of your hand and the smooth side of the tab should be facing up. Thread a piece of 12-inch nylon string through the holes in the tab so that there is thread coming out of both the top and bottom hole. The string should look a little like a C. (See Resources.)
  
  
• 3). Place another tab on top of the first tab so that the tabs are staggered. Half of this tab should be on top of the first tab, half should be off to the left. The fat side of the tab should point up to the top of your hand and the smooth side should still be facing up.
  
  
• 4). Cross the strings top over bottom so it makes an X (like you're lacing shoes) and thread them through the top and bottom holes of both tabs.
  
  
• 5). Place a third tab behind the second one with the rough side facing up and the fat side facing toward the bottom of your hand. You will see that this makes a little seam behind the second tab. Thread the nylon string under this seam and up through the holes of the second and third tabs without crossing the string into an X.
  
  
• 6). Continue adding tabs onto the strip repeating Steps One through Five until you have a strip which has 13 tabs on the top and 14 tabs on the bottom (for a total of 27 tabs used.) When you come to the end of the strip you'll have one tab on the bottom. Make an X like there was a tab on top of the end tab and then flip the strip over. Tie the string into a double knot and cut the excess string off. Melt the ends of the string together with a lighter.
  
  
• 7). Repeat Steps One through Seven until you have 16 12-inch strips.
  
  
• 8). Using the method described in Steps One through Seven, make four shorter strips for the side panels of the purse. These strips should have eight tabs on the bottom and seven tabs on the top of each strip (for a total of 15 tabs used in each strip.)
  
  

Sew the pop tab strips together

• 1). Place two 12-inch strips face down on a flat surface so that they are facing the same direction and lined up evenly. (The X stitches should be facing down.) Thread the needle with nylon string. Insert the needle into the back two tabs and pull it all the way through to the end of your string. Tie the string into a double knot. This makes a slanted stitch that looks like /. (See Resources.)
  
  
• 2). Thread the needle and string through the second two tabs and pull through to the end. Do not knot. This makes a stitch which slants the opposite way and looks like \. The two stitches together look like an X.
  
  
• 3). Continue stitching the strips together by repeating the stitch in Steps One and Two until you reach the end of the row.
  
  
• 4). Tie off the row and flip the strips over so that the string is on the top, to the left. Add another strip onto the two you stitched together in Steps One through Three by following the same stitch pattern. (As you run out of string, simply knot more onto the end of the string you're stitching with.) Continue to add strips in this manner until you have a panel that is nine tab strips long.
  
  
• 5). Using the process in Steps One through Four, make another panel that is five tab strips wide. Repeat Steps One through Four to make the bottom panel, which is two tab strips long.
  
  
• 6). Use the directions in Steps One through Four, stitch together two 6-inch-long tab strips. This makes a side panel. Repeat this with the remaining two tab strips to make the second side panel.
  
  

Put the purse together

• 1). Place the nine strip wide main panel onto a flat surface so it is right side down. Line up the bottom piece along the bottom edge of the main panel so it is also right side down. The strip should be horizontally justified to the bottom of the main panel. Sew the pieces together using a whip stitch.
  
  
• 2). Place the side panels face down on the right and left side of the main panel. The strips should be vertically justified to the bottom corners of the main panel. Sew them together using a whip stitch as you did for the bottom panel in Step One. (See Resources.)
  
  
• 3). Bend the bottom and side panels up so that they are standing upright against the main panel of the purse. Sew the bottom corners closed so the sides become attached to the bottom panel using a whip stitch.
  
  
• 4). Place the five strip wide panel onto the top of the side and bottom panels with the X side facing out. This is the front of the purse. Sew the sides and bottom to the front of the purse using a whip stitch as in Step One. The extra strips that are part of the back panel of the purse will fold over to create the front flap.
  
  
• 5). Attach an extra pop tab to the front of the purse (like a button) for a closure. Thread a small loop of string through the edge of the center of the front flap of the purse. Wind this around the closure to keep the purse shut. The purse is now finished and ready to use.