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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

Create It Yourself

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Canvas Bag
  • Craft Sticks
  • Disposable Cups
  • Pencil(s)
  • Ruler

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.

#StayCreative

Creativity is a life skill that helps children reach their full potential. Our mission is to spark the creative moments children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

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