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TimberTote wooden purse with curved living-hinge design and artist-printed lining

TimberTote Wooden Purses – Wearable Art from Tucson Gallery Creatives
TimberTote Wooden Purses – Wearable Art from Tucson Gallery Creatives 828 827 The Tucson Gallery
TimberTote wooden purse with curved living-hinge design and artist-printed lining
TimberTote purses start as flat birch wood, then bend into this graceful curved shape with artist-designed linings.

Gifts & Souvenirs 

Close-up of TimberTote wooden purse showing living-hinge detail and hardware
Person carrying a TimberTote wooden purse as a stylish everyday handbag
Assorted TimberTote wooden purses in different colors and designs displayed together

👜 TimberTote Wooden Purses at Tucson Gallery

A TimberTote looks like it shouldn’t exist—then you pick it up, and suddenly a wooden purse feels like the most natural thing in the world.

Available in-store at Tucson Gallery in downtown Tucson. Call 520-606-5440 to check current stock.

Each TimberTote starts as birch wood that’s carefully cut with a pattern of tiny relief lines called a “living hinge,” allowing the wood to bend and curve without breaking. The result is a graceful, arching wooden body paired with bold colors, custom-printed fabrics, and hardware that feels as special as the art it carries.

At Tucson Gallery, you’ll find a rotating collection of TimberTote purses and accessories, some featuring artwork by our own gallery artists, so you can literally wear a piece of Tucson art on your arm.

✨ So… What Exactly Is a TimberTote?

Close-up of TimberTote wooden purse showing living-hinge detail and hardware
Tiny relief cuts create a “living hinge,” letting each TimberTote curve and flex like fabric while staying strong like wood.

Think of TimberTote as a collaboration between:

  • a woodworker who figured out how to bend wood like fabric, and
  • a fashion designer who refuses to make boring bags.

From there, they pulled in even more creatives: tattoo artists engraving designs into the outside panels, muralists whose artwork is printed onto the interior fabrics, and now Tucson Gallery artists whose work shows up on the linings and graphics of select bags.

Each purse is:

  • Cut from premium birch plywood, stained in rich colors or natural finishes
  • Lined with 100% cotton fabric that’s adhered to the wood before cutting so the inside feels as intentional as the outside
  • Finished by hand with hardware, straps, and stitching that match the artwork and stain
  • Designed and made in Tucson by the TimberTote team and their artist collaborators

They’re real, functional handbags—but they’re also conversation-starting sculptures that happen to carry your keys.

👀 At A Glance

Details vary by design, but here’s what most TimberTote purses at Tucson Gallery have in common:

  • Material: Birchwood exterior with living-hinge relief cuts, cotton interior, quality hardware
  • Designs: Classic stains, Fantasy Collection pieces, U of A–inspired styles, and bags featuring Tucson Gallery artwork
  • Origin: Designed and handcrafted in Tucson, Arizona
  • Price range: Approximately $80–$160 depending on style and collectionLocal First Arizona
  • Wear: Adjustable straps or chains, finished interiors, fully functional everyday bags
  • Availability: Small-batch runs, so styles come and go—once a favorite design sells out, it may not return exactly the same
Person carrying a TimberTote wooden purse as a stylish everyday handbag
TimberTote purses are more than display pieces—you can actually wear them every day.

❤️ Why You’ll Love TimberTote Purses

TimberTotes get the same reaction over and over:
first a double take, then a smile, then, “Wait…this is wood??”

Here’s what makes them so fun to carry (and to gift):

  • They’re jaw-droppingly unexpected.
    A wooden purse already stands out. Add rich stains, engraved artwork, and illustrated linings, and it becomes an instant “Where did you get that?” piece.Local First Arizona
  • They’re genuinely usable.
    These aren’t fragile art objects you’re afraid to touch. The living hinge and reinforced construction make them comfortable to open, close, and carry.
  • The inside is part of the art.
    Look closely and you’ll find collaged storybook scenes, fantasy illustrations, university motifs, and original art prints turned into fabric.
  • They feel local in the best way.
    Born from a collaboration inside Proper Shops right here in downtown Tucson, TimberTotes are rooted in the same creative community that powers Tucson Gallery.
  • They tell people who you are.
    Bookish kid? There’s a bookshelves or book-page interior. Fairy-tale lover? Fantasy Collection. Diehard Wildcat? U of A block-A designs. Art collector? TimberTotes featuring work from Tucson Gallery artists.

🪵 Thoughtful Design & Quality Materials

One of the most exciting things about TimberTote is how often other artists are invited into the process. Some bags:

  • Feature engraved graphics created by tattoo artists like Jenny Burghard
  • Use interior fabrics printed with murals by local artists such as Ignacio
  • Showcase special prints and patterns inspired by (or directly featuring) Tucson Gallery artists, available only through our gallery

That means the TimberTote you pick up here might be a three-way collaboration: woodworker, fashion designer, and visual artist—all wrapped up into one wearable piece of art.

🎁 The Perfect Gift for…

Assorted TimberTote wooden purses in different colors and designs displayed together
From classic stains to artist collaborations, our TimberTote selection is always changing—no two displays look the same for long.

TimberTote purses make especially good gifts (including “from me, to me”) for:

  • Fashion lovers who collect unusual handbags and small-batch accessories
  • Art fans & gallery regulars who want a piece of Tucson art they can carry every day
  • U of A alumni & Wildcats superfans who will happily rock a wooden purse with a block A and campus-inspired artTimberTote+1
  • Makers & designers who geek out over craft, engineering, and materials
  • Visitors to Tucson looking for that one show-stopping souvenir they won’t see back home
  • Anyone who hears “You can’t wear wood” and thinks “…watch me.”Local First Arizona

Visit Tucson Gallery

These creative Gifts & Souvenirs (and so much more) are available exclusively in-store. Stop by, explore, and find your favorite piece of Tucson to take home.

📍 Tucson Gallery
245 E Congress St Suite 101
Tucson, AZ 85701
📞 520-606-5440

🕒 Hours:
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 10 – 8
Wednesday – 10 – 8
Thursday – 10 – 8
Friday – 10 – 8
Saturday – 10 – 8
Sunday – 10 – 5

Plan Your Visit →

Playable ART Ball packaged in a clear gift box with colorful wooden spheres

Playable ART Ball – Creative Souvenir for Little Kids & Big Kids at Heart
Playable ART Ball – Creative Souvenir for Little Kids & Big Kids at Heart 1280 720 The Tucson Gallery
Playable ART Ball packaged in a clear gift box with colorful wooden spheres
The Playable ART Ball comes in a sleek, gift-ready box—perfect as a packable Tucson souvenir or creative present.

Gifts & Souvenirs 

Playable ART Ball arranged in a curved, geometric design with wooden spheres
Playable ART Ball colorful wooden stress ball twisted into a sculptural shape
Playable ART Ball shown mid-twist between different shapes

🟡 Playable ART Ball at Tucson Gallery

A rainbow string of wooden balls that moonlights as a stress ball, sculpture, and tiny phone stand.

Available in-store at Tucson Gallery in downtown Tucson. Call 520-606-5440 to check current stock.

The Playable ART Ball is what happens when a classic stress ball grows up, discovers color, and moves into an art gallery. At Tucson Gallery, this strand of twenty rainbow wooden spheres is constantly being twisted into circles, waves, stands, and creatures dreamed up by little kids and big kids at heart. It’s part fidget toy, part modern sculpture, and part “I can’t believe this is my new favorite souvenir from Tucson.”

✨ So… what is the Playable ART Ball?

The Playable ART Ball is a strand of 20 wooden spheres joined together so you can twist, loop, stack, and squish them into all kinds of shapes. One minute it’s a neat circle. The next, it’s a wave. Then it’s suddenly holding your phone, propping up a note, or becoming some wild abstract creature invented by a 4-year-old.

We love it because it doesn’t tell you what it wants to be. It just quietly waits for little hands (or very bored grown-up hands) to pick it up and start experimenting.

Playable ART Ball arranged in a curved, geometric design with wooden spheres
Curve, stack, and twist the Playable ART Ball into graceful curves and abstract designs for your desk or coffee table.

👀 At A Glance

  • Ages: 3 to 99
  • What you get: 20 interconnected wooden balls in 10 bright colors
  • Ball size: 1.38″ diameter – easy for little hands to grab
  • Package size: 8 x 8 x 1.75 inches – nice and flat for packing in a suitcase
  • Materials:
  • FSC-certified beech wood (Italy)
  • Non-toxic, water-based color dyes (Germany)
  • Phthalate-free, durable POM plastic connectors (Taiwan)
  • Made in: Designed in Germany, manufactured in Taiwan
  • Safety: Conforms to CPSIA, EN-71 & ASTM F963 safety standards
  • Warning: Choking hazard – contains small parts, not for children under 3

It’s sturdy, bright, and built to survive years of twisting, fidgeting, and “Look what I made!” moments.

❤️ Why You’ll Love the Playable ART Ball

This is one of those objects people pick up “just to see what it feels like,” and suddenly it’s ten minutes later.

  • It’s a stress ball with an upgrade.
    Instead of squeezing a sad foam blob, you’re handling smooth, weighty wood with satisfying clicks and curves. Your nervous energy gets an art degree.
  • Little kids turn it into everything.
    Snake, bracelet, bridge, animal, nest, crown… give a 3-year-old the Playable ART Ball and you’ll find out what it really wants to be.
  • Grown-ups turn it into a desk buddy.
    On a workday, it becomes a phone stand, a pen rest, or a little splash of color curled around your keyboard.
  • It invites mini design experiments.
    Curve it, stack it, spiral it, make it hug the corner of a book. Every shape is a tiny design challenge you solved with your hands.
  • Zero batteries, zero instructions.
    It doesn’t light up, beep, or talk. It just quietly encourages imaginative play—and that’s kind of refreshing.

🪵 Thoughtful Design & Quality Materials

The Playable ART Ball is made to feel good in your hands and look good on your desk.

  • FSC-certified beech wood gives each ball a sturdy, smooth feel.
  • Big, rounded spheres are easy for younger kids to grasp and safe for supervised play (ages 3+).
  • Non-toxic, water-based dyes make the colors pop without harsh chemicals.
  • Durable connectors are engineered to twist again and again without giving up.

This is the sort of thing you’ll still have around in a few years, not something that gets lost in the bottom of a toy bin the same week you buy it.

Watch the Playable ART Cube in action and see how it transforms from a tiny cube into endless shapes.

🎲 How to Play

There isn’t one “correct” way to use the Playable ART Ball, which is the whole point. But here are a few ideas to get started:

  1. The Classic Circle
    Bend the strand into a perfect ring. It sounds simple, but getting the curve just right is strangely satisfying.
  2. The Wave
    Make a fluid zig-zag and see how tall or long you can make your wave before it tips over.
  3. The Stand
    Wrap and tuck the balls until they hold a pen, your phone, or a small note with a reminder like “Call Tucson Gallery.”
  4. The Creature
    Ask a kid to make an animal. You’ll probably get a dragon, dinosaur, or “octopus but with too many legs,” and it’ll be awesome.
  5. The Mash-Up
    Combine it with another Playable ART Ball, the Playable ART Cube, or other connector pieces to create strangely wonderful mega-sculptures.

And when you’re done? Just scrunch it back into a compact shape and plop it back on the shelf—ready for the next idea.

🎁 The Perfect Gift for…

Think of the Playable ART Ball as a “one-size-fits-many” kind of present:

  • Little kids (3+) who love anything colorful and touchable.
  • Parents & grandparents who want toys that encourage open-ended play instead of more screen time.
  • Tucson visitors looking for a souvenir that’s small in size but big in creativity.
  • Teachers & therapists who use tactile tools to help kids focus or self-regulate.
  • Office humans who live on Zoom and need something better than clicking a pen.
  • Design lovers who appreciate objects that are both playful and aesthetically pleasing.
  • The person who already has fidget toys and doesn’t need another plastic spinner.

Wrap it, gift it, or “accidentally” keep it for yourself. We won’t tell.

🏜️ Why We Love It at Tucson Gallery

Playable ART Ball colorful wooden stress ball twisted into a sculptural shape
The Playable ART Ball twists and turns into endless sculptural shapes, making it a fun, creative souvenir for little kids and big kids at heart.

We’re a fine art gallery that also has a soft spot for things you can’t stop touching—and the Playable ART Ball hits that sweet spot perfectly.

It’s bright and sculptural enough to look at home next to contemporary art, but it begs to be picked up and rearranged. We’ve watched kids, teens, and full-grown adults lean over a shelf “just to try it,” and then build three or four shapes before they even realize they’re hooked.

It also pairs beautifully with our other playable pieces, like the Playable ART Cube. One is all about crisp angles and cubes; this one is all curves and circles. Together, they turn a coffee table into a tiny, ever-changing gallery.

Visit Tucson Gallery

These creative Gifts & Souvenirs (and so much more) are available exclusively in-store. Stop by, explore, and find your favorite piece of Tucson to take home.

📍 Tucson Gallery
245 E Congress St Suite 101
Tucson, AZ 85701
📞 520-606-5440

🕒 Hours:
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 10 – 8
Wednesday – 10 – 8
Thursday – 10 – 8
Friday – 10 – 8
Saturday – 10 – 8
Sunday – 10 – 5

Plan Your Visit →

Playable ART Cube packaged in a clear display box with colorful wooden blocks

Playable ART Cube – Creative Souvenir for Kids & Kids at Heart
Playable ART Cube – Creative Souvenir for Kids & Kids at Heart 1280 720 The Tucson Gallery
Playable ART Cube packaged in a clear display box with colorful wooden blocks
The Playable ART Cube comes in a sleek, gift-ready box—an easy Tucson souvenir to tuck into a suitcase or give as a present.

Gifts & Souvenirs 

Playable ART Cube unfolded into a colorful geometric sculpture
Playable ART Cube arranged in an abstract stacked block design
Playable ART Cube shown mid-transformation between cube and open shape
Playable ART Cube rainbow wooden puzzle cube on a dark tabletop at Tucson Gallery
The Playable ART Cube is a colorful, twistable wooden souvenir for kids and kids-at-heart at Tucson Gallery.

🧊 Playable ART Cube at Tucson Gallery

A colorful, twistable desk sculpture that keeps kids and kids-at-heart happily busy.

Available in-store at Tucson Gallery in downtown Tucson. Call 520-606-5440 to check current stock.

Step into Tucson Gallery and you might spot a tiny rainbow cube sitting innocently on a shelf or a desk. Give it a twist, and suddenly it unfolds into a wild, geometric sculpture that you can’t stop playing with. That little shape-shifter is the Playable ART Cube—part toy, part art object, and one of our favorite creative souvenirs for families.

✨ So… what is the Playable ART Cube?

The Playable ART Cube is made from 12 brightly colored wooden blocks connected by a hidden elastic cord. You can bend and rotate the blocks into endless designs, then try to fold it back into a perfect cube (there’s only one solution!). It’s the kind of hands-on, creative souvenir that keeps kids, teens, and grown-ups busy long after your Tucson trip is over.

Playable ART Cube unfolded into a colorful geometric sculpture
Twist and bend the Playable ART Cube into endless abstract sculptures—then try to fold it back into a perfect cube.

👀 At A Glance

  • Ages: 6 to 99
  • What’s included: 12 elastic cord–connected wooden blocks in 12 colors
  • Cube size: 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches
  • Package size: 5.5 x 2.5 x 3.5 inches
  • Materials: FSC-certified maple wood, non-toxic, water-based color dyes, durable elastic cord
  • Designed in: Germany
  • Manufactured in: Taiwan
  • Safety: Conforms to CPSIA, EN-71 & ASTM F963 safety standards
  • Warning: Choking Hazard – contains small parts, not for children under 3

❤️ Why You’ll Love the Playable ART Cube

Whether you’re shopping for a curious kid or a grown-up who never quite outgrew toys, the Playable ART Cube hits that sweet spot of “fun for everyone.”

  • Instant creativity break – Take a few seconds between emails or homework and turn your cube into a brand-new mini sculpture.
  • Screen-free focus – It gives your hands something to do while your brain thinks, relaxes, or daydreams.
  • Conversation starter – Put it on your desk or coffee table and watch everyone reach for it with, “Wait, what is this thing?”
  • Art you can actually touch – Instead of staring at art on a wall, you’re literally shaping it in your hands.
  • Surprisingly satisfying challenge – There’s only one way to get it back into a perfect cube, and you’ll absolutely want to figure it out.

🪵 Thoughtful Design & Quality Materials

The Playable ART Cube is beautifully built and made to last.

  • Single-piece design – The 12 blocks are permanently connected with an elastic cord, so there are no loose parts to lose.
  • FSC-certified maple wood – Smooth, solid, and sustainably sourced.
  • Non-toxic, water-based color dyes – Bright colors that are safe and eye-catching.
  • Durable internal cord – Flexible enough for constant twisting, strong enough for years of play.
  • Thoughtful engineering – Just enough tension to feel good in your hands while still flowing easily from shape to shape.

Watch the Playable ART Cube in action and see how it transforms from a tiny cube into endless shapes.

🎲 How to Play

You don’t need instructions—but here’s a quick guide anyway:

  1. Start with the perfect cube.
    Hold the 2.5″ wooden cube in your hand and feel how solid it is.
  2. Gently twist and unfold.
    Rotate and bend the blocks along the cord to “explode” the cube into a long, flexible chain.
  3. Experiment with shapes.
    Loop it, stack it, twist it into arches, towers, bridges, and abstract sculptures. There’s no wrong way to build.
  4. Try to get back to cube form.
    The real puzzle? There’s only one way to fold everything back into a flawless cube. Can you find it?
  5. Repeat… endlessly.
    When you get bored of one design, bend it into another. It’s the most creative little loop you’ll ever be stuck in.

🎁 The Perfect Gift for…

  • Kids 6+ who love building, tinkering, and fidgeting with their hands.
  • Parents & grandparents looking for a creative, screen-free gift.
  • Tucson visitors who want a unique, packable souvenir that isn’t just another t-shirt.
  • Designers, architects, and creatives who want a playful desk sculpture to spark ideas.
  • Teachers, therapists, and counselors looking for a simple, tactile focus tool.
  • Office gift exchanges & stocking stuffers when you need something fun that works for almost anyone.
  • The person who has everything but definitely doesn’t have this.

🏜️ Why We Love It at Tucson Gallery

Playable ART Cube shown mid-transformation between cube and open shape
The Playable ART Cube bends and folds through countless shapes before snapping back into a single perfect cube.

At Tucson Gallery, we’re all about art you can live with, not just look at once and walk away from. The Playable ART Cube fits right into that philosophy. It’s colorful, modern, and interactive, blurring the line between toy and sculpture.

We also love how it invites people to think like artists and designers. Every time you twist it into a new configuration, you’re making a tiny, temporary piece of architecture. Kids get hooked on it, but honestly, adults might love it even more.

It’s one of our favorite recommendations when someone says, “I want a Tucson souvenir that’s small, creative, and not the same thing everyone else buys.”

Visit Tucson Gallery

These creative Gifts & Souvenirs (and so much more) are available exclusively in-store. Stop by, explore, and find your favorite piece of Tucson to take home.

📍 Tucson Gallery
245 E Congress St Suite 101
Tucson, AZ 85701
📞 520-606-5440

🕒 Hours:
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 10 – 8
Wednesday – 10 – 8
Thursday – 10 – 8
Friday – 10 – 8
Saturday – 10 – 8
Sunday – 10 – 5

Plan Your Visit →

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