3-Day Bag Making Workshop
🇬🇧 London, England.
Hosted in our Lovely London studio, we're opening the doors to a limited number of students who want to learn the craft of bag making in person.
What to expect:
Learn to craft your own luxury leather handbag in our 3-Day Bag Making Workshop, situated in East London.
Designed for complete beginners, this hands-on workshop covers essential techniques for making handcrafted bags from start to finish.
Since 2010, we've taught thousands of people how to make their own shoes in our highly acclaimed, 5-star rated shoemaking workshops. Now, we're expanding into bag making to help you learn professional bag making skills.
Our in-person bag making classes feature small class sizes, ensuring each participant receives personalised attention and dedicated one-on-one time with our expert instructors.
Whether you're passionate about fashion or looking to master a new skill, this workshop is the perfect place to start.
Workshop Structure
Our workshops run for 3 consecutive days from 10am to 4pm, with a 1-hour lunch break.
Please note that for more advanced styles, you may be required to complete some hand-stitching from home in preparation for the next day. For the Mini Bowling Bag and Top Handle Bag, there will not be time to make a cross body strap during the workshop. We can provide the leather for you to complete this from home.
Day 1
On Day 1, you will select a design from our range of pre-developed bag patterns, and choose from our selection of leathers. We will teach you about the different types of leather, reinforcements and hardware used in luxury bagmaking. You will then learn expert knife skills as you cut your pieces in preparation for assembling your bag.
Day 2
On Day 2, we will start by teaching you the expert hand-stitching techniques used by luxury bag ateliers. You will attach your lining and hardware to the main body pieces of the bag and start the assembly process using your new-found hand-stitching skills.
Day 3
On Day 3, the final day, you will complete the assembly of the bag and add the finishing touches to your work. You will also be shown how to intricately paint your leather edges for a professional-looking finish.
What styles can I choose from?
During this workshop you'll have time to make one of the following bags.
Baguette Bag
This bag comes in two sizes and has an adjustable strap so it can easily go from a shoulder handbag to cross-body bag.
Mini Bowling Bag
This little bag packs a lot more into it than you'd think! She's got a lovely big base meaning it's got that cute mini handbag look whilst still being a practical bag. The bag has rolled handles and a zip closure.
Top Handle Bag
This little bag is perfect for day to night. She fits way more than you'd think and closes securely with a magnetic fastening. The bag has a structured base and top handle.
Mini Box Bag
This little bag is so sleek and timeless. You can also totally customise your strap - keep it simple with a chain or make an adjustable leather cross-body strap!
Tote Bag
This everyday tote bag has a top zip and reinforced rolled handles.It's fully lined with with pockets galore, fitting all of your daily essentials including laptop, water bottle and lunchbox.
See what our students have been saying...
"I recently attended the bag making workshop, and I have to say, it was amazing from start to finish. Amanda was super hands-on with her teaching. She explained everything so thoroughly, making sure we all understood each step and felt confident in what we were doing.
The best part for me was the beautiful bag I made. I decided to give it to my mother-in-law as a gift, and she was absolutely thrilled and so impressed with how it turned out. She told me that she keeps getting asked where it's from, and she feels so proud saying 'My daughter-in-law made it'. That really speaks to the quality of the workshop and Amanda's fantastic guidance.
Besides leaving with a stunning handmade bag, I had such a great time throughout the workshop. The atmosphere was so welcoming and encouraging, which made the whole experience even better. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in picking up a new skill and creating something beautiful."
JORJA
"Honestly one of the best courses I’ve ever done - and I use my bag all the time and I have had SO MANY compliments on it 🤩"
NICOLA
"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I appreciated that the course had structure, but I equally felt it was tailored to me as Amanda ensured that all my questions were answered. I’m not a natural crafts person, however, Amanda and Kate were extremely patient and coaxed me through the practical elements of the course. Oh, I also now have a beautiful new bag that I made myself!"
ANTONIA
Additional Information & FAQs
Our 3-day workshop is quite a fast-paced workshop. As we prepare each students' patterns, components and hardware in advance, we kindly ask that you choose a design from our selection above.
At this time, we cannot accommodate design tweaks or changes during the workshop. Thanks so much for your understanding!
Buuuut, you will be able to choose your leathers from our selection. 😉
Our workshops are designed for total beginners. If you're an experienced or advanced bag maker, this workshop may not meet your requirements. It's best to reach out to us beforehand at info@icanmakebags.com to discuss your expectations.
In our 3-day workshops, your bag patterns will be prepared for you ahead of time. You will be able to take your bag patterns with you at the end of the workshop. 😊
If you would like to use vegan materials, we recommend that you contact us before booking your place so we can discuss possibilities. Please email us at info@icanmakebags.com and we'll be in touch!
We have a strict no-refund policy on all of our in-person workshops.
If you have booked onto one of our in-person workshops and would like to reschedule to a later date, you must give us a minimum of 2 weeks notice. We will accommodate a date change where possible. Please note that we are unable to reschedule your attendance if you give us less than 2 weeks notice.
If for any reason you are unable to attend the entirety of the workshop you booked onto, we are unable to compensate you for any missed time or reschedule you to a later date.
Rather learn online?
Our in-person workshops are in high demand and often sell out. If you'd rather learn online, discover more details about our Online Bagmaking Course.