Mini Messenger Bag

I've been making badges or patches for a while now. Lots of folks look at them, note that they are cute and then wonder what they would do with them. I figure I need to make some samples and examples to give them ideas. Most of the craft shows going on now only have room for a 6 or 8 foot table. I need to have display items that don't take up too much room.

Today I made a mini messenger bag out of a pair of khaki pants. One of the things I love about it is how you can see the seams from the original pants. I think that makes it fun and gives it some character. It is approximately 10 inches long by 7 inches high and is about 2.5 inches deep.

This picture has a dollar bill in it to give you an idea of the overall size. The badge is 2 inches in diameter. It is a Monarch butterfly stitched out on upcycled denim. I used one of the iron-on patches and it worked beautifully once the iron got medium hot.

Since this was a rough prototype, I didn't use any interfacing or batting to give it substance. The lining is simple unbleached muslin. I think this might actually be a nice size for a purse if I put some simple pockets inside (or figure out how to use the pockets from the pants). I also need to figure out some sort of fastener. I'm not sure I want to make buckles. I'd like to find some kind of upcycled solution. Any suggestions?

Since this week's challenge for Iron Craft 37 is Shrink To Fit and the challenge is make something smaller, I will submit this!