June 29, 2026
Custom Bags Handmade by Diane Bilyk are as Unique as the Women Who Carry Them
By Roxanne Brown
Custom Bags Handmade by Diane Bilyk are as Unique as the Women Who Carry Them
Inside her home in The Villages, Diane Bilyk is usually surrounded by colorful fabrics, flowers, ribbons and ideas constantly spinning through her mind.
That creative energy is exactly what led to ‘Purses to Di For,’ a business that’s become a favorite among women who discover her creations.
“I’m always thinking about what to do next and my husband’s like, ‘You know you can stop thinking and just take a break,’ but it’s just too fun,” she says, explaining that she made her own draperies, quilts and comforters when they first arrived. “I’ve always loved to sew and design and create with fabric.”
Diane and her husband moved to Florida from Pennsylvania in 2008 after falling in love with The Villages’ golf scene and lifestyle.
For 34 years before that, she taught practical and creative skills to middle school students taking family and consumer science—aka home economics—before retiring.
Along the way, she also worked in a bubble gum factory to help pay her way through college and as a wardrobe consultant for Doncaster’s clothing line for women.
The idea for her purses came about nearly eight years ago while preparing for her niece’s wedding at an apple orchard in Pennsylvania.
“I took the image in my head of a bag I’d seen and created a purse with the apple theme on it,” she says.
Her friends immediately wanted one of their own.
Since then, Diane has transformed things like old jeans, curtains, wool scarves and jackets into stylish handbags, complete with her signature fabric flowers to top them off.
Custom requests have included Disney-inspired, sports-themed and wedding-chic bags.
One even made its way abroad.
“A girlfriend gave me a jacket she no longer wears, so I turned it into a purse,” she says. “She took it to Paris, so my purses are going international now.”
“It brings me joy and it makes me feel good to see women happy and loving my little purses.”
For custom orders or questions, email jsbilyk@comcast.net.
Diane’s next showcase is July 18, 9am-2pm at Colony Recreation Center during “Arts, Crafts, Decor and More.”
Photos: Nicole Hamel
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Originally from Nogales, Arizona, Roxanne worked in the customer service industry while practicing freelance writing for years. She came on board with Akers Media in July 2020 as a full-time staff writer for Lake & Sumter Style Magazine and was promoted to Managing Editor in October 2023—her dream job come true. Prior to that and after just having moved to Florida in 1999, Roxanne had re-directed her prior career path to focus more on journalism and went on to become a reporter for The Daily Commercial/South Lake Press newspapers for 16 years. Additionally, Roxanne—now an award-winning journalist recognized by the Florida Press Club and the Florida chapter of The Society of Professional Journalism—continues working toward her secondary goal of becoming a published author of children’s books.
