15. Cut about 15 inches of 18- to 20-gauge black wire. Starting on the inside of purse, weave it through the rim of the purse about every 1/4-inch in width. Continue around the purse until you meet the beginning where the wire was originally inserted. Make sure to have the wire ends on the inside of the purse. Remove any slack in wire. The rim should not be any wider or smaller than the rest of the purse. Using pliers, twist the two wires together a few times. Clip the ends of the wires with wire clippers 1/4 inch from the twisted section. 16. Fold each wire back upon itself so that it makes a small loop. It should look a bit like the wings of an insect. Looping the wire will protect hands from getting scratched as they reach inside the purse. Push the looped wires back into the purse rim so that it does not show.
17. Pull the body of the purse up on a large drinking glass to shape it. The glass will be inside the purse. Air-dry the purse for 48 hours or place it in a 180-degree oven for 3-4 hours.
- Always use oven-safe glass and never place anything flammable in the oven.
- Make sure the purse handle does not drape over the oven rack.
- When dry, remove the purse using oven mitts, as the glass will be very hot.
- Trim any yarn "tails" that might be poking out of the purse. Lightly shave your purse using a razor to get rid of any excess fuzz.
18. Using black embroidery thread, loosely but securely sew the lid on the purse so that it rests nicely against the rim but is still able to open.
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