Tote Bag Tute

We've gone to church camp this week and with it comes carrying around our bibles, pens, notebooks, and odds 'n ends. 

Inevitably someone has not brought their own bag so all of their things get loaded into my bag.

To save my back and provide a fun gift for my high school girls, I was inspired by some West Elm totes. 

Do you love how it looks?

Well you can totally make one yourself!

Here's what you need:

1. a canvas tote bag (I was making 5 so.... I bought 5)

2. black paint and one colored paint

3. a foam brush

4. masking tape

5. a pencil with a new eraser (it just can't be rounded from use)

6. (not in the pic but...) something to stick inside 

your bag to keep the paint from seeping through

These were my paint choices for my girls.

They all got their own color. 

First step: insert your inner-paint-blocker :)

I used card board

Next, tape off the bottom portion of your bag. 

I just eyeballed it. 

Now paint that lower portion. 

Once it's all nicely painted, peel off the tape.

While I still had my piece of cardboard inside I blasted 

the bag with my hairdryer to get the paint to dry a bit faster.

It's not an essential step, but if you're doing many 

bags at once like I was it keeps things tidy.

Next, once your paint is dry, lightly draw 

your initial onto the bag with a pencil. 

You can erase anything that needs erasing later. 

Your final step: Use your pencil 

eraser to make dots on all your initial guidelines. 

My only technique for this was starting my dots at the 

joint of each line and moving out from there. 

After that, I just winged it. 

5 bags later.....

...they're lovely and I love them.

Hope my girls do to!