If you live in a big city, chances are there has been a recent crackdown on plastic bag usage which is great for the planet and tote lovers alike! Turn your plain canvas totes into awesome, custom DIY hand lettered tote bags with all your favorite sayings on them. All you need to create a DIY grocery store tote is a plain canvas bag and some markers. I bet you never thought being more environmentally friendly and cutting down on plastic could be so stylish?
We used a simple canvas tote for this DIY, but you can repeat this with any light colored bag that you already own or even a bigger canvas shopping bag. I take them to the grocery store with me all the time and even keep a few in my car at all times just so that I don’t forget to have a bag handy. It’s been really great in cutting down the amount of plastic that my family uses! Once I got into the habit, I can’t go anywhere without my grocery bag.
Hand Lettered Tote Bag Tutorial
Supplies & Tools:
- Cotton Medium Tote
- DecoColor Fabric Marker, black
- Deco Just Glitter Premium, gold
- Piece of cardboard
- Ruler, optional
- Pencil, optional
We’ve included affiliate links to make it easier to get your supplies. You can find our privacy policy here.
Directions:
- Pre-wash your tote bag. Do not use fabric softener.
- Insert a piece of cardboard inside the bag. This will ensure that the ink will not transfer to the backside
- You can use a pencil write out your message first, but that isn’t necessary. When using the DecoColor Fabric Marker and Deco Just Glitter Premium Marker, you should depress the tip of the marker on a piece of scrap paper first to get the ink started. Make sure to shake the marker well with the cap on. If you feel your marker getting dry while you are using it, you can depress again on a piece of scrap paper. While using with these markers, do not depress the tip.
- Write out the word “Awesome” in all caps first using the Deco Just Glitter Premium Marker. I like to lay a ruler on my bag where the bottom of the letters should line up. This will keep your wording straight. Tip: If you want to ensure that your word is centered, start the word with the middle letter, in this case ‘S’. Then write the rest.
- Once you’ve written the word once. Go over the lettering a second time to add additional glitter, optional.
- Using the DecoColor Fabric Marker, write out the rest of the phrase above “Awesome”.
- Allow your bag to dry for an hour. Then heat set by placing a piece of cloth over your design and ironing it on a low setting.
There you have it! It’s that easy to spice up your totes with your favorite quotes, designs, and more to create a perfect collection of custom matching bags. Are you a book lover or do you wish that your bags were labeled by what you use them for? Grab some markers and create your dream bags in a snap! Who doesn’t love 15-minute craft projects, right?
If you’re like us, your head spinning with ideas already. Share your finished bags on our Facebook page so we can see how awesome they turned out!
