Rectangular Popsicle Stick Purse. 1940s-70s. Maker: Unknown. Handcrafted rectangular Popsicle (or craft) stick purse with rope handle, partial lining, hinged top and interesting diamond design on the front. Era unknown as these were popular for quite a long time and people are still making them. They are often listed for sale under the categories of tramp art, folk art and prison art.

I have two with this design (see pics below). One’s a little darker than the other, probably because the sticks were lightly wood-stained after construction.

The third photo shows my collection-within-a-collection. Amazingly, I get more hits—mostly from Asia—on this blog to view my Popsicle stick purses than any other handbag. Could be because someone posted one of my photos on his or her site and added a link to my blog, which I appreciate. If you want to use any of the photos here, please e-mail info(at)wendydager(dot)com.

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