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Notebook Tote Bag

Carry a DIY tote bag that’ll make people stop and take note! Great for teachers and students, our canvas tote bag craft for kids and adults is easy to make.

Ages: 8 and up, Tween and up

Supplies/Tools Directions Staff Tips

Create It Yourself

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! ...

  • Markers
  • Paint
  • Paint Brushes
  • Acrylic Paint
  • Canvas Bag
  • Craft Sticks
  • Disposable Cups
  • Pencil(s)
  • Ruler(s)

Steps

  • Step 1

    Using a pencil and ruler, make a tick mark at the top and bottom of the bag, both at an equal distance from the left edge.

  • Step 2

    Use red fabric marker and ruler to connect the tick marks, making a vertical line to create the margin of a piece of notebook paper.

  • Step 3

    Leave space at the top of bag for the first line of notebook paper, then make evenly-spaced tick marks along the red line with pencil.

  • Step 4

    Make another set of evenly-spaced tick marks on the right side.

  • Step 5

    Use blue fabric marker and ruler to connect the tick marks, making horizontal lines across the bag like notebook paper.

  • Step 6

    Add the 3-hole punch to the left margin with black fabric marker.

  • Step 7

    Pour and stir paint with craft sticks in disposable cups.

  • Step 8

    Paint accents, doodles, or your name on the bag. Dry 1–2 hours.

  • Step 9

    Load your gear and take your custom tote on the go!

Crafts

CIY Staff Tips

  • When adding designs to your bag, be sure to sketch in pencil first.
  • Get creative with how you want to decorate your bag; we chose to add fun bubble letters!
  • Experiment with mixing different paint colors. To create a shadow effect, separate the same base color into 2 disposable cups. Mix a small amount of white paint into one of the cups to create the letter color. Mix a small amount of black paint into the other cup to create the shadow color.

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