They started making the bags in 2007.
SAN ANTONIO — The whiiirling of a sewing machine fills the air as Jenna Krist and Shawn stitch, cut and sew alongside each other.
In their Guadalupe County home-turned-workshop, you’ll find the husband-and-wife duo creating custom-made handbags.
Every day.
The home, first built as a flower shop, was purchased by the Krists a couple of years ago and quickly became the headquarters for their business, Double K Originals.
But becoming the “creators of cool handbags” was not always the dream.
Back in 2000, fresh out of college, Shawn started Krist Kustoms, doing upholstery and interiors for hot rod and classic cars.
Jenna joined him in 2004. A few years later, the subtle shift from custom interiors to handbags was made, but the couple didn’t get serious about the purses until the late 2000s.
“The handbag was born in the back of the upholstery shop,” Shawn said. “We always had extra materials and leftover leather and vinyl and all sorts of cool colors. And it was kind of a side project that turned into half of our lives.”
“Now most of our lives,” Jenna added, as rolls and rolls of vinyl line their worktable.
“We tapered out of the interiors and into the bags because, as you get older, getting into tiny cars and literally crawling around in them, it’s a lot and it’s not fun anymore,” she added.
Being mostly a two-person team, creating just one bag can take up an entire day. But it’s a labor of love.
“All day, every day. Stitch, stich, stitch,” Jenna laughed. “We don’t have a hidden team in a warehouse.”
“It depends, obviously, on the style, how jazzy it is,” she added. “But typically one of us could start one bag in the morning and have it finished by the end of the day.”
Once a week, sometimes twice a month, the Krists do have a friend who joins in to do some pattern cutting. But everything else from the invoicing to customer service falls to Jenna or Shawn.
Their bags, which differ in size and styles, can range from $150 to $700—which Shawn said is on the very high end of the spectrum. Their average price range: $200 to $300.
“We understand we’re not for everyone,” Jenna said. “Not everybody understands that (creating) that bag is like a day or two of my time, and would you work for $50 for two days?
“Some people want something that no one else has—those are our people. We know our target.”
“We’ve kind of found the market that we feel understands us,” Shawn added. “The spooky, Halloween, horror crowd. It’s a business, but you’re almost just finding your friends that think your stuff is cool and sometimes they buy it from you. You’ve just got to find where you fit in.”
Although the horror-themed bags are their biggest sellers, the duo only started doing the spooky stuff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the world shutdown, the Krists were making pin-up, hot rod or rockabilly-inspired bags. CDC guidelines then mandated that people needed to stay home.
With nothing to do, many of those people started shopping online and found the Double K Originals website and social media accounts.
“We got a bunch of people asking, ‘Oh, would you do a pumpkin face?’” Jenna said.
The Krists’ immediate response: “Sure.”
That got the ball rolling.
Now, Jenna and Shawn find inspiration everywhere.
“We’re not even horror people. We don’t even watch a lot of horror movies, but it became the thing. And it’s so fun to make,” Jenna said.
“It’s really fun learning about all of the different movies and characters and spinoffs,” Shawn added. “And like Jenna said, the characters and the art behind it, it’s just a super, super fun thing to do.”
2025 was the first year the couple eased back into doing events like cons, including Big Texas Terror, and the response was positive.
“I think that’s my favorite part of horror conventions: It’s comfortable. Everybody just lets their freak flag fly, like you don’t have to be dressed up. You can wear your jammies if you want,” Jenna said. “It’s just accepting. It’s really comfortable. I love it, I love me a weirdo. Those are our people, the silly and the weird.”
It’s not a mundane life; it’s a job full of surprises.
“You’re never making the same thing every day,” Jenna said.
“It’s really good for creativity too, because you’re not just stuck on one style or one genre,” Shawn said. “One week you could be doing a bloody hockey Jason mask and the next week it’s a hot pink tiki floral bag. And it’s just great to have that break in your workflow.”
And even at hot rod carshows, their spooky bags sell fast.
“You find your spookies. They’re everywhere,” Jenna said.
Early beginnings
Despite raking in $80,000 to $100,000 in a good year from the bag-making, it wasn’t always easy.
Jenna initially started out as the office manager for Krist Kustoms, but after a month she had nothing to do.
“So, he was like, ‘Do you want to come learn how to make car things?’” Jenna said.
Intrigued and with nothing else to do, Jenna began cutting patterns and putting glue on things. As her training progressed, so did her skills.
Eventually, she was fiberglassing panels and laying down carpet.
“I mean, almost anything on an interior that you can do, I can do now,” Jenna said to Shawn, who nodded in agreement.
They then hit a bump in the road when Shawn started teaching Jenna how to sew, a task that took three years.
“I get toddler-playing-video-games kind of angry,” Jenna said, laughing. “And I would get so frustrated because I don’t like trying something and not being good at it.”
In all fairness, their sewing machine is not a normal machine—it has a specialized motor inside.
“I mean, you could sew yourself if you’re not paying attention,” Jenna said.
So, for a while, Jenna would only sew straight lines for zippers or pockets; she was terrified to do curves.
Now, Jenna has been sewing for over a decade and thanks Shawn for his patience.
“I can sew just about anything. I’ve come a long way,” Jenna said.
One of the most frequently asked questions that arise for them: How do a husband and wife work so closely together, day in and day out?
“I feel like we have a good dynamic,” Jenna said. “We understand each other, we communicate well.”
Many days, the Krists are so busy with their orders they don’t have time to talk with each other despite being in the same house.
“Oftentimes we’re in our own little world, working 20 feet apart,” Shawn said.
“There’s probably times you want to duct tape my mouth and vice versa but we don’t,” Jenna said, laughing. “But I like you. I really enjoy working with you.”
“Yeah, you’re alright,” Shawn replied laughing.
How to buy
Customers can order a custom-made bag from the Krists through their website or social media accounts, or can purchase their readymade merchandise at shows.
The Krists also encourage people to request whatever their heart desires when ordering, no matter how niche it may be.
“You are only limited by your imagination and your budget,” Jenna said.
Production time is four to six weeks.
For more information about Double K Originals, click here. And if you want to find out more about Krist Kustoms, click here.