Book Clutches That Don’t Break The Bank

Looking to get into the back-to-school spirit without stepping foot on campus or drying up your savings account for an Olympia Le Tan? We’ve found just the thing. Alberta-based Hoakon + Helga specializes in making unique, upcycled bags from recycled leather jackets, but her spin on the leather-strapped book clutch is really tops. Taking legit vintage books, H+H designer Andi rips out the pages, adds a boxy inner support structure, throws in some super-cute lining and crucial pocket, and finishes it off with a leather strap to keep it all together. Lloyd C. Douglas’ bright-green The Robe gets the polka-dot treatment, the 1933 medium-blue tome Girls of Silver Spur Ranch is lined in a red-and-black plaid. And at $65 a pop, you may still be able to afford something to put in them.