Are you tired of gifting generic store-bought cards to your friends and family? Maybe you’re thinking you might try your hand at making cards from scratch? If so, Victorian Puzzle Purses might be perfect for you. Clever and whimsical, with a touch of history, they are easy to assemble and decorate for any occasion.
Victorian Puzzle Purses are square pieces of paper, folded into two main shapes: the finished product, shown above, and a pinwheel (below). They are meant to be unfolded to reveal a note hidden inside, then carefully tucked back into their purse shape. These little pockets of genius can seem difficult, but they’re actually simple. The only things you need are some drawing utensils and a sheet of printer paper.
For an aged look, you can use tea-dyed paper, and your decorating options are endless, from paint to pencils to pens. My sister and I made one for our very own Barbara Baird, publisher of The WON, for her birthday last year. We used regular printer paper and drew decorations like roses, lavender and hearts with fine liners and markers, and added little messages, too.
What makes these cards so special? Victorian Puzzle Purses actually originated during Japan’s Heian era (782-1185 CE), which is regarded as a Golden Age because of the many wonderful cultural advances in this time period. Some famous examples include the Phoenix Hall of Byōdō-in, which is a Buddhist temple, and the Tale of Genji, which is considered to be one of the first novels. Tatogami, a precursor to origami, was also invented. At this time, Victorian Puzzles Purses were known as “tato,” which were little paper containers made using tatogami. Europe first discovered tato in the early to mid-1700s, but it would be nearly a century later before they became truly popular. This was the Victorian Era (1837-1901), and the useful storage containers were transformed into what they are known as today – Victorian puzzle purses. They were beautiful and flirty works of art, and the Victorians thought them a very fashionable way to express love.
Victorian Puzzles Purses can be a little hard to create from written instructions, but are simple to understand visually, so here’s a video that explains how to make them. The creator through the steps to make one, and then shows you how she decorated hers.
One of the trickiest parts for me was (somewhat ridiculously) folding the thirds. Mine always turned out a little crooked, which can cause the pinwheel to be a little hard to assemble. Practice makes it easier, but it took me a few times.
It is always a good idea to ensure your measuring is precise, and it will result in a neater purse. A word of advice: Be careful tucking the last pinwheel arm under the other three so you can avoid wrinkling the paper. However, a well-loved purse always looks worn, so it doesn’t matter too much.
Decorating is such a great part of these crafts, and the sky’s the limit! My sister, Madeleine, is a far better artist than I am, and she drew all those awesome little drawings. Flowers and hearts are classic and timeless for Victorian Puzzle Purses, but these versatile cards can look adorable with any doodle. I remember decorating a purse like a barn quilt for my mother.
I like to use markers, but paints, especially watercolor paints, crayons, pencils, and pens, have such lovely, different textures. Unfortunately, if you use soft pastels, it will probably be very difficult to preserve the art, even with art fixative applied, because of the rough handling a purse may receive. As always, be sure whatever you use is completely dry to avoid smearing.
Victorian Puzzle Purses are endless fun, especially with company! If you have any artistic friends or family, they are sure to love creating these with you.
Once you’ve made these adorable little cards, you’ll never have to or even want to buy from the store again. Send your loved ones a truly personalized message with Victorian Puzzle Purses today!
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
