When you're out on the town, don't weigh your shoulders down with a big heavy bag. Pare down your essentials to fit into a trendy—and much lighter—clutch. This leather DIY envelope clutch is a great inexpensive option.

Not only is this DIY envelope clutch going to help you in the accessories department, it can also double as a great way to hold your larger electronics—like a tablet! The following tutorial shows you how to use faux leather found at the fabrics store, but try other fabrics like suede or denim too! Mix things up by adding buttons or embellishments to the outside of the clutch as well.

Materials: 1 yard of fabric (faux leather or suede), scissors, a piece of paper (8 1/2 by 11 inches), a pencil, a plastic mixing bowl. E6000 glue, a magnetic snap kit (found at a fabrics store), and extralong paper clips or a heavy book.

1. Using your scissors, cut the yard of fabric in half and then in half again so you are working with 1/4 of the yard of fabric. Place the piece of paper in the center of the rectangle (this is to help you judge the size of the overall clutch). Place the plastic bowl so that half of it is to the side of the piece of paper, and trace around it, rounding it at the corners. Do this for all four sides.

2. Fold the piece of fabric in half, and cut along the trace you created in step 1. Take this piece of fabric pattern, and trace around it on another 1/4 piece of leather, so you have two identical pieces. If you are using suede or another fabric that has a similar tone on the wrong side of the fabric, you may not need two sides. Our piece was a buttery leather cloth on the right side and white on the inside. We wanted it to look good when it was open and closed! Trim if necessary.

3. Align the fabric pieces with the wrong sides facing each other, and begin to glue the edges to one another using the E6000 glue. Leave the top two edges apart; you will still need to add the snap in a future step.

4. Fold your clutch like an envelope. Bring in the left and right sides first, and then bring the bottom piece over both. Glue the bottom piece to both the left and right flaps. Use extralong paper clips or a heavy book to secure the pieces while the glue dries.

5. Mark the positions of the snap by pressing the prongs into the fabric and forming an indention. If the indentation isn't clear, mark the slots using a pen with the additional metal support.

6. At the marks or indentations, use scissors to cut slits wide enough for the prongs to slide through. Insert the snap prongs into the slit from the correct side of the fabric. Slip the metal support onto the prongs, and use pressure to bend the prongs flat over the metal support.

7. Flip the fabric back up toward the top edge, and glue the two pieces together. Allow entire clutch to dry for 24 hours, placing it under a flat heavy object, like a book, if necessary.

Now you're ready to hit the town with your new, chic clutch! For more DIY fashion and accessory ideas from Samantha, go to The Brunette One.