Okay, so, I’ve been wanting a Prada Galleria Saffiano Leather Mini-Bag for like, forever. But, you know, they’re pretty pricey. I figured, why not try to make one myself? I mean, how hard could it be, right? Famous last words, I guess.
First, I started looking everywhere online, trying to find some sort of pattern or tutorial. No luck. I did find some general info about Prada bags, though. Like how they’re inspired by their archives and come in different styles like shoulder bags, mini bags, and totes. Useful, but not exactly what I needed.
Then I thought, maybe I can just wing it. I found some similar bags from places like Mytheresa, but they were from other brands like Loro Piana and Salvatore Ferragamo. Not Prada. Still, it gave me a better idea of the shape and size I was going for.
I even looked at second-hand sites, thinking maybe I could find a cheap Prada bag to take apart and copy. I found this Swedish site, Sellpy, but it was all in Swedish! I couldn’t understand a word. It was a dead end, but it was kind of cool to see what people were selling.
So, I grabbed some Saffiano leather, which I think is what Prada uses. It’s got this cool cross-hatch texture. I sketched out a rough design, just trying to eyeball it based on pictures of the real Prada Galleria Mini-Bag. I cut out the pieces, which was a pain, by the way. This leather is tough!
Sewing it together was a whole other adventure. My sewing machine was NOT happy with me. I broke a few needles, and my stitches were, let’s just say, “rustic.” But I kept going. I added a lining, some pockets, and even tried to make a little Prada-ish logo, which turned out… well, let’s not talk about the logo.
- It’s definitely not perfect.
- It’s a little wonky in places.
- The stitching is a mess in some spots.
The Result?
But, you know what? I made it. It’s my very own, one-of-a-kind, slightly messed-up version of a Prada Galleria Mini-Bag. And I’m kind of proud of it. It’s a good size, fits my phone, wallet, and keys. Maybe I’ll try again someday and make a better one. But for now, I’m rocking my homemade “Prada” with pride.
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