gift idea for the holidays

hello!

it isn’t like me to plan ahead, usually to my detriment! LOL! so if you are like me, i thought i’d share something with you.

lately, i’ve been making canvas bags for friends at special crops or my students for classes. i say “make”, but it’s actually embelllishing. i purchased the bags; they were very reasonably priced and nice zipper canvas bags. canvas bags come in a variety of sizes, but i’ve been using those that are approximately 6 X 8. this makes a great size for organizing you pens and tools. since most crafters could use bags like this, it makes a great inexpensive gift – that just requires some time and products you probably have on hand…

i’ve designed for several companies that make or made stencils: clearscraps, clearsnap and TCW – the crafter’s workshop, which are the brand i used for these projects.

these are the supplies i used: stencils, posca markers, pigment ink, ink applicators, black sharpies – thin and medium, fabric, twine, 5-7 different color/design cotton fabrics, cardboard, blue painter’s tape, iron and scrap paper.

i first cut a piece of cardboard a little smaller than the size of bag and inserted it inside. then i lined up the stencil on the bag where i wanted it, taped the stencil down and filled in design with marker or ink. posca markers will air dry in 10-15 minutes. if you use pigment ink, you will need to heat set it with an iron.

to heat set with an iron, leave cardboard insert in place, cover with scrap paper and iron on medium heat – no steam. iron for several minutes, covering entire design. turn paper over or use a clean page and repeat to ensure design is stable.

once bags were dry or heatset, i used a sharpie to outline elements of the designs. i found this easier to do freehand, but you could place the stencil back over the design.

for the tassels, i tore strips of fabric – i used strips that were about 1/2″ X 14″. i laid a 12″ piece of twine horizontally on worksurface, then stacked strips (5-7) right side up at the center. i next tied twine at center of strips. i used another 12″ piece of twine to tie around the strips about 1″ down from top of tassel. i then tied the tassel onto the hole in the end of the zipper and trimmed the ends of the strips.

here are the designs i’ve made so far: CREATE and ART were done with pigment inks and IMAGINE was done with posca markers…

you could also use these techniques to alter gift bags, tote bags, t-shirts and more. hope this gives you some ideas – and unlike me, you start making them NOW! ;)