Niche Biz: Seatbelt Purses
Betty Funk’s purses, made from used seatbelts, are so strong you can pull a truck with one, as a customer found out when a tow rope proved too short.
The purses are so strong, you could whack a purse snatcher into next Tuesday. The strap won’t rip, either, if you get into a tug-of-war with a pilferer.
After all, the purses are made from material designed to save your life.
Production is very labor-intensive. It starts with going out to wrecking yards and cutting out the nylon seatbelts. The average car provides about two pounds of nylon belt, not including the buckles. They sew the belts into sheets using ultra-strong fish line before making them into bags.
Maybe because the bags have something to do with cars, guys buy them, too. The bigger bags come with seatbelt buckles — GM has its logo on its buckle, and Ford has a sunburst pattern. “A lot of guys I’ve sold to, they just love their bag,” said Funk.
The bags are sold at The Closet Chick Boutique on Portage Avenue and pingk, a hair salon on Osborne Street, and Worldly Goods in Brandon. USED also sells via its website RecycledSeatbelts.com, and at craft shows and the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Photo by Phil Hossack -Winnipeg Free Press.
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