Purse Bundle to Sew & Sell | Free Patterns

Bags and purses are good items to sew and sell. There are so many patterns to try, from beginner to advanced and many different markets you can target (e.g. school bags for students, diaper bags for new parents, etc.).

This bundle is for a smaller bag, such as a clutch.

A 3-piece bundle is ideal to think about when launching a new product because it ensures a new item has other items that customers can buy with it.

As a business, you want products that work together to:

• Increase your UPT (units per transaction) – if you only sell clutch purses, a customer at a craft show can only buy one item from you. Very few people will buy two clutches in one transaction. But if you sell other items that work well with the clutch, they’re more likely to buy multiple items, so you make more money.
• Repeat customers – when you have a few items in your product line, it gives customers a reason to return and buy from you again. Some customers will buy more than one clutch purse in a year, but most won’t. So, having other items they can come back and buy will increase your sales.
• Add more interest – at a craft show, variety does tend to attract shoppers. You just have to be sure you don’t have too much variety, or it can harm your sales. Having more than one type of product displayed in your space will attract more shoppers and keep them there longer, browsing.

Make sure you offer each product in a bundle in matching or coordinating fabrics/prints/colors.

This not only creates a matching set that looks great together in a craft show display or in an online shop. But it also helps shoppers connect the dots.

If you see two different styles of bags (e.g. a clutch and a zipper pouch) in two different colors/prints/fabrics, you may not immediately think of pairing them together.

But when they match, you immediately think of using them together. And are more likely to buy them together.

This article shares 3 products you can sew and sell as a bundle or add to an existing product line.

 

Product #1 – Clutch Purse

Start with a popular bag in your product line. If you have a bag that isn’t as popular and you make a bunch of other items to work with it, you may have trouble selling those other items in your bundle.

For this example, we’re starting with my foldover clutch pattern.

This will be the main item in the bundle, because it’s the higher-priced item and one you likely want the bulk of your customers to buy (if you have a handbag line; you want to make more bag/purse sales than small pouch/case sales).

If your clutch bags (and bundles) prove to be popular sellers, you can expand on this item. Offer the same clutch bag in small, medium, and large, or play with different clutch bag designs.

The other items in your bundle can likely stay the same. You may need to alter the size of your zipper pouch if your other clutch designs are bigger or smaller.

 

Product #2 – Sunglasses Case

A sunglasses case works well with any bag bundle because almost everyone has a pair of sunglasses or glasses they carry around.

And how fun to have a case that matches a new bag perfectly 🙂

You can alter the design of your sunglasses case to be more beginner-friendly and/or profit-friendly.

For example, a simple drawstring pouch will be quicker and cheaper to make (but you also can’t charge as much as a sunglasses case with a zipper and/or protective padding).

Just be sure that you offer your sunglasses cases in fabrics/prints/colors that match or coordinate with your purse.

 

Product #3 – Zipper Pouch

Zipper pouches are so handy to have, as they help organize the contents of your bag.

I love keeping my essentials in a zipper pouch so when I change bags, I can quickly grab the zipper pouch, move it to a different bag, and know I have everything I need.

*This is a great selling point to share with craft show shoppers or to include in your online product descriptions.

For them to work in your bundle, be sure they’re a size and shape that fits in your clutch purse, and again, they’re made in a fabric/print/color that matches it.

You could also offer these in a set (within your bundle, which would create a bigger/more expensive bundle) with a small, medium, and large size, all of which should fit within the clutch.

Although zipper pouches work great in a bundle, they’re also a good product to sell on their own (as an entry-level product).

They’re a great way to use up scraps of fabric and increase your profits.

Important selling points for this bundle

• Matching or coordinating – to help shoppers picture using the 3 products together, make sure they match or coordinate.
• Pricing – when you bundle items together or create sets of a product, it’s important to offer a slight discount from the price of an individual item. Offering a small discount when customers buy more than one item will encourage them to buy more. Just be sure you set your prices before selling (don’t wait for a shopper to ask if you offer a discount if they’re buying more than one and stumble on price). And that those discounted prices still leave you with healthy profits.
• Packaging – Generally, bags aren’t packaged (e.g. sold in boxes or containers). However, during gift-giving holidays, you may want to package a bundle such as this one in a gift box to get more shoppers thinking about giving one of your purses as a present.  Any other time of the year, you can use signage to communicate the bundle idea and the discount they’ll receive when they buy each item as a set (e.g. “Get 20% off when you buy a clutch, sunglasses case, and zipper pouch”). And be sure to display them together.

 

Display

Here are a few points to keep in mind when displaying your products at a craft show, or even online.

Color

When displaying these products at a craft show, a good place to start is with color. Color can make a big statement, grab a shopper’s attention, and draw them in.

When you offer too many colors and prints, a display can begin to look cluttered and disjointed.

On the other hand, if you create 3 sections on your craft show table for color groupings, it organizes your products, grabs a shopper’s attention, and makes it easier for them to shop.

The same applies in an online shop; too many colours/prints can feel overwhelming to a shopper and lead to decision fatigue (i.e. should I buy this one or that one?).

Fixtures

Choose fixtures that allow you to add height to your display and make it easy for people to shop. If you have all your products on one level, shoppers must move products to get to other products.

Stacking crates or placing a shorter shelf (e.g. a children’s bookshelf) will give you different levels to sort and display your products.

There are several types of fixtures that will help you prop up your bags.

For a clutch bag, sunglasses case, and zipper pouch, which don’t stand on their own, fixtures such as these ones will make them easier for shoppers to see at a craft show, and add visual interest and height to your display. You can also make your own risers out of foamcore. Here’s a DIY article explaining how.

Props

Show a few of your products in action so shoppers immediately understand their purpose (e.g. they know a case is for sunglasses because there are sunglasses next to it) and can imagine themselves using them.

You may want to display a set of products (e.g. a clutch, sunglasses case, and zipper pouch) with a couple of items your target market might use in the bags/cases.

You can buy a couple of pairs of sunglasses from the dollar store to show them in the sunglasses case.

Or, you can photograph the bags/cases in use, then enlarge a photo, print it, and display it in your booth.