How We Create the Round Mini Shoulder Bag: The Art of Handmade Bags

May 08, 2025 Cera Muchiri

Behind every Ecodunia bag is more than a product, it’s a deeply rooted process of sourcing, crafting, and honoring the people and the land that bring each piece to life. The Round Mini Shoulder Bag, one of our customer favorites, isn't just handmade bag, it's a journey in design, sustainability, and Kenyan artistry.

Let’s take you behind the scenes of how our artisans in Nairobi create this signature piece, from raw materials to the final stitch.

From Kenyan Soil to Our Workshop: Sourcing Our Canvas

It starts with canvas tightly woven, durable, and full of character. Our canvas is locally sourced from textile makers within Kenya, reducing our carbon footprint and supporting local economies. This is not your average mass-produced fabric. Ours is made in small batches, which means we know where it comes from, who dyed it, and how it was finished.

Canvas has long been prized for its resilience, which makes it perfect for a sustainable bag meant to move with you. It’s tough enough for daily use, yet soft enough to shape around your essentials without feeling bulky. For the Round Mini Shoulder Bag, we choose canvas that’s not only strong but lightweight, so you can wear it comfortably all day long.

Vegan Leather with Integrity

The second material is our vegan leather, sourced locally from Kenyan suppliers committed to sustainability. We don’t rely on plastic-based faux leathers. Instead, we source polyurethane-based vegan leather with less environmental impact, while still offering durability and style.

This material offers a smooth contrast to the textured canvas, bringing in a more elevated finish. It’s ideal for trimming, straps, and the base of our Vegan Leather Round Mini Shoulder Bags, giving structure without compromising our cruelty-free commitment. And because it’s made for the Kenyan climate, it holds up in both the dry heat and rainy days.

Craftsmanship, Cut by Cut

In our small workshop in Nairobi, a team of skilled artisans most of whom have trained in traditional tailoring or learned through mentorship handle every step of the process. The canvas and vegan leather are cut with precision, hand-sewn into form, and finished with thoughtful details.

No part of this process is rushed. The stitching? Done one panel at a time. The straps? Measured not just for symmetry, but for comfort across different body types. Each handmade bag is a product of hours of attention and care never rushed, never outsourced.

Two Variations, One Iconic Shape

We offer the Round Mini Shoulder Bag in two distinct versions:

Canvas Round Mini Shoulder Bag: Soft yet structured, casual yet stylish. Ideal for everyday wear—whether you're headed to a farmer’s market or a lunch date. It's minimal, practical, and unapologetically unique.

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Vegan Leather Round Mini Shoulder Bag: A sleeker alternative with an urban edge. It adds a touch of sophistication while staying light and compact. It’s perfect for when you want to dress up without switching bags.

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Both versions share the same circular silhouette—functional without being boring, and compact without sacrificing your essentials.

How to Wear It: 2 Ways to Carry the Round Mini

The Round Mini Shoulder Bag is made to adapt to your lifestyle:

As a Shoulder Bag: Keep it close, casual, and effortless. Great for daytime errands, coffee runs, or casual meetups.

As a Crossbody Bag: Hands-free and secure, this style is perfect for travel, outdoor markets, or long days out. The adjustable strap means you can switch it up in seconds, depending on what your day demands.

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The versatile design makes this bag a quiet essential—something you’ll reach for every day.

Shop 2025 New Collection here.

Where the Round Mini Fits In

Need a carry-all for your weekend brunch outfit? Heading to a creative co-working space or an evening gallery? The Round Mini Shoulder Bag fits in seamlessly. It’s:

Compact enough for music festivals or events.
Roomy enough for your phone, wallet, keys, lip balm, and even a small notebook.
Stylish enough to pair with both dresses and denim.
Durable enough to survive subway commutes, long walks, and spontaneous getaways.

Whether you’re gifting it or keeping it, this bag becomes a daily staple, effortlessly moving between function and fashion.

A Better Alternative to the Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag

Let’s talk comparison. The Uniqlo Round Mini Shoulder Bag might be trendy, but it’s mass-produced and lacks the story, craftsmanship, and ethical commitment that come with Ecodunia's handmade version.

Ecodunia’s Round Mini Shoulder Bag offers:

Ethical production by Kenyan artisans paid fair wages.
Materials sourced locally, reducing transport emissions.
Design with soul—each bag supports a community.
More durability and distinct character—no two are identical.

This is a round mini shoulder bag that doesn’t just look good it feels right. Because it matters who made your bag, where it came from, and why it was created.

The Ecodunia Difference

This round mini shoulder bag is more than an accessory. It’s the work of skilled hands, the ethics of a Black woman-owned business, and a tangible piece of sustainable design. When you carry our Round Mini Shoulder Bag, you're carrying a vision a vision of creativity, culture, and conscious living.