Smokin’ Cigar-Box Purses

When cigars enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s as a glamorous and trendy accessory, Tony Soprano-wannabes and the cigar bars and cigar-friendly restaurants they frequented seemed to proliferate like cigarette butts at a poker game. Some felt it was a status symbol; elegant and cool. But smoking cigars really only makes people smell bad and look like power-hungry assholes (wheeeezing cough, Rush Limbaugh, cough), while tempting everyone within 15 feet of the unpleasantness to wish for the smoker’s demise.

Cigar boxes on the other hand are cool, and have a rich history of being used to create utilitarian folk art — which is what attendees of the Bear and Bird Boutique and Gallery’s StitchBird workshop will set out to do. Participants will turn cigar boxes into one-of-a-kind purses and decorate them using decoupage techniques. Books and magazines will be provided, just bring your sense of creativity Sunday at Bear and Bird (above Tate’s Comics at 4566 N. University Dr. in Lauderhill). The workshop starts at 1 p.m. and costs $35. Space is limited, so pre-register online or in the store. Call 954-748-0181, or visit bearandbird.com.
Sun., May 31, 1 p.m., 2009