BAG TUTORIAL: Inspirational Quote Bag

I've been seeing a lot of inspirational quote art lately. In fact I bought a poster for my husband as a Christmas present. For me, I like turning these art trending into usable items. I saw Kathy Cano Murillo (Crafty Chica) and Alexa Westerfield (The Swell Life) decorated some tote bags with inspirational words, and instantly got inspired to make my own version. Searching around the internet for a quote that worked for me, I chose one by Albert Einstein. "Creativity is contagious. Pass it on." I found a black tote bag, my box of fabric paints, and other painting supplies, and got to work. It's not perfect, but perfection is overrated. Here is a quick tutorial for how I painted this bag. You can make it more precise if you'd like, but I prefer free handing designs.

SUPPLIES:

• 1 Black tote bag - I bought mine online many years ago, but you can get plain tote bags at craft stores
• Assorted Tulip Soft Fabric Paints - I bought a rainbow of colors to play with, a few months ago. They are various finishes and formulas...matte, metallics, velveteen, and pearl. I used Metallics Platinum for the lettering.
• 1 Small flat paint brush - For the lettering
• 1 Small round paint brush - For the background strokes
• 1 Foam plate - To use as a paint palette
• A cup of water - To water down the paint and clean the brush
• A paper towel - To clean the brush
• Wax paper - To put inside the bag temporarily while painting

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Rip off a piece of wax paper big enough to fit inside the bag and stick out a little. This prevents the paint from bleeding through and adhering the bag together. You will remove this when the paint on the bag has dried.

2) With your selected colors, squirt a little of each on the foam plate. Add a few drops of water to each paint color on the plate.

3) Pick a color, and mix in the water with the small round paint brush. Paint swirls, strokes, and squiggles across one side of the bag, until you're out of that color. Repeat with each color, until you're out of paint on your plate. It's ok if there is some fading and skipping, as it creates a more painterly look. Let that dry for a few minutes.

4) Dip your small flat paint brush into the silver paint inside the bottle. Carefully paint your quote onto the bag. You want to make the letters as consistently opaque as possible. I'm not a typography freak, so I didn't make them perfect. However, if you insist on perfect lettering, I suggest using a white pencil or chalk to mark out the letters before painting. Let the paint dry, and enjoy your bag!

That's all for this tutorial. We tested out this bag at the library, loading it with books. I'm impressed with the intensity of the silver paint. Great coverage and sparkle. I'll be using this again on a skirt design. You can use any colors, lettering, and quotes. Be creative! Happy Makery!