Sophie Alfano and Raina Belleau

The Background:  Friends since fourth grade, they’ve been folding origami, constructing popsicle-stick sculptures, and making projects from kits together ever since. “We tried to make a dress out of a shower curtain, but we just couldn’t get it to work,” Raina says.

The Inspiration:  Biology class textbooks. The girls’ inquisitive, crafty natures led them to ask, “What if we could make this book into a purse?” They had no plans until about twenty were piled in Raina’s basement and her mom gave them the ultimatum: Call some galleries or else. Sophie says, “We think up a lot of weird things—at first it was just cool, but then we thought, ‘Wow, we can start a business.’ ”

The Process:  Books are bought at thrift and antiques stores, garage and library sales. The girls have sleepovers, watch movies, and make purses assembly-line style. Books from the 1950s hold up best, and hot glue is the best adherent. “When we make a mistake and try to take the purse apart, it’s practically indestructible.”

Democracy Today:  The girls both approve each purse design, although they can tell who made which purse. “Stylewise, we’re pretty similar,” Raina says. “Yeah,” echoes Sophie. “We’ve only had to fight a couple of times.”

Favorite Book Titles:  Why Men Suffer, Going All the Way, and Vice Presidents of Destiny. “We drew the line at Harry Potter.”

Up Next:  What to do with all the pages they rip out of books—wallets or coin purses, perhaps?—as well as scheduling appearances at art fairs. They’re eagerly awaiting Raina’s driver’s test, so they can drive themselves to get materials instead of needing to rely on their parents.

Find BiblioBags at Cliche and Gallery 360, both in Mpls.