Don't throw away that broken Umbrella just yet. Make a bag with the fabric.

A new addition has just been added to our home for old and forgotten possessions, after having a few tweaks here and there.

Meet our new shopping bag:

But If I don't tell, I don't believe that anyone would've guessed its previous life, would you?

Here's a little hint: the material is rain/water proof, and heat resistant to some extent; and is very light. That's right, it used to be my favourite umbrella which was crippled by the crazy wind in Nottingham during my last visit in June (2017).

I always have this strange sentiment towards umbrellas, and I get really attached when I find one with prints that I really love (which is often not easy). Most of the time, when one breaks, it's the metal frame that's gone and the fabric is often still intact. And me being me, I absolutely hate to throw it away knowing that it could become something useful, somehow.

Of course, there had been numerous deceased brollies in my life but never knew what to do with the remaining non-broken parts. I did start with some ideas the past few times but ended up ruining the fabric and gave up on it.

This time I finally have a clear plan, and actually got on with the whole project.

Here's the umbrella "skin", taken off from the metal frame.

Separated into 2 parts and joined by the paralalled slant sides.

Rough sketches of steps following the above picture, and how to make a simple gusset at the bottom:

To finish the top, I did a simple piping all round with a broad white ribbon I have in my craft box.
The straps/handles are taken from the old Cancer Research canvas bag which is now
a passport holder and an iPad case.

A plus point about this bag is that, it's super lightweight! That means it won't weigh my handbag down.

Since this has not been a failure, I know what to do when my current umbrella breaks, and many future umbrellas to come.

Here's to delaying its departure to the landfill! 🎉🍷