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DIY You Can Do This Tote Bag

June 5, 2019

I am sharing my experience with stenciling, and this fun new tote bag perfect to carry around my WIPs (works-in-progress).

It’s time again for the Inspire My Creativity Challenge! This is a monthly craft blog hop, and each month, there is a different theme. This month’s theme is Stencils. If you have a post that fits that theme, feel free to link up too!

I struggled A LOT with this challenge because I really had no idea what I was going to make, or even how to paint using a stencil! I remember when I was younger, I would get the hard stencils, pencil them in, and then color, but with a paint brush is soooooo much different. I did a lot of thinking, and honestly, dreading – this project brought me anxiety! But I pushed through, created a nice little tote bag, and am quite proud that I was able to face this challenge, and try something new.

This is not a normal post like I normally share because I really don’t have step-by-step photos, and I am not knowledgeable in painting or stenciling, but I will share my experience with you.

I went to JoAnn’s, and looked around at their stencil options, unfinished wood and MDF, clearance area… I walked around for quite some time trying to figure out what to do, and close to the end of my visit, I found THIS STENCIL SET (wasn’t in the stencil area), and I really fell in love with the stencil you see right on top. I am getting married next month, and I thought this one would be perfect to make, and display next to a wedding photo.

The neat thing about this set is that it comes with 26 stencils in tote! They are all 12″ by 12″, but not all of them take up that entire space, so you can use them for slightly smaller things too.

I didn’t find anything I was interested in for stenciling on, so I headed to Hobby Lobby, found this HUGE canvas tote bag (did not find online) for just $3.49 (a steal!), and a two pack of 12″ x 12″ canvas for only $4.99.

I decided to work on the tote bag first, and found this quote to be quite fitting not only for the challenge, but also because I wanted to use this tote bag to carry around my WIPs (works-in-progress) and the encouragement is nice for finishing projects. PLUS, if you know me at all, you know I love my coffee, hehe.

I centered the stencil, then used some clear tape to tape down the sides.

I don’t have any painting photos because I was really focused, but I will tell you that for this one, I used a regular small paint brush (3/4 I think?), and afterwards, it only came out slightly blurry around the edges, but no major paint blobs. Not perfect, but a success.

After this one, I tried the quote I originally fell in love with on canvas with a foam sponge brush because I thought it would be better for dabbing with, and I immediately threw it out after I finished – I was so disappointed and embarrassed! So, I learned small paint brush is a better option.

Here you are seeing part of my wedding dress (a current WIP)! I need about 6 more days off to finish it up. I am so excited to put it together, and try it on!

Join the EyeLoveKnots Crafting Community on Facebook to share your creations, and see what others are up to!

Linked Up To…
Craft Schooling Sunday – Creative Jewish Mom
Craftastic Monday Link Party – Sew Can Do
Ginx Woolly Linx Party – Ginx Craft
Handmade Monday #131 – Sum of their Stories
Tutorials & Tips Link Party 396 – Home Stories A to Z
Creative Mondays Linkup – Claire Justine
The Really Crafty Link Party #174 – Keeping it Real
504th Inspire Me Tuesday – A Stroll Thru Life
Fabulous Party #272 – Lou Lou Girls
The Linky Ladies Party #161 – The Purple Poncho
Little Cottage Link Party #6 – Love My Little Cottage
{Wow Me} Wednesday #308 – Ginger Snap Crafts
Hookin’ on Hump Day #193 – Petals to Picots
Your Whims Wednesday #412 – Your Whims Wednesday
The Wednesday Link Party #300 – The Stitchin’ Mommy
To Grandma’s House We Go 144 – Chas’ Crazy Creations
Crochet Patterns and Anything Crochet Link Party #12 – Joy of Motion
Scrappy Stitchers Link Party #52 – Stitches N Scraps
Talk of the Town #179 – My Repurposed Life
Style Me Wednesday – Shopping My Closest
Turning Heads Linkup – Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
Confident Twosday Linkup – I do deClaire
Weekday Wear Linkup #23 – Away from the Blue
Thursday Favorite Things #394 – An Artful Mom
Thursday Fashion Files Link Up #217 – Curly Crafty Mom
Trendy Thursday Linkup – Thirty Minus One
Pin Party #321 – The Pin Junkie
Best of the Weekend – Calypso in the Country
Home Matters #238 – Modern on Monticello
Link Up – Lizzie in Lace
Link Your Stuff – Annemarie’s Haakblog
Snickerdoodle Create Bake Make Link Party 289 – Across the Boulevard
Craft Schooling Sunday – Creative Jewish Mom
Tutorials & Tips Link Party #406 – Home Stories A to Z
Creative Mondays Link Up – Claire Justine
Handmade Monday #143 – Sum of their Stories
The Really Crafty Link Party #185 – Keeping it Real
Ginx Woolly Linx Party September – Ginx Craft
Craftastic Monday Link Party – Sew Can Do
Link Cottage Link Party #19 – Love My Little Cottage
Weekday Wear Linkup – Away from the Blue
516th Inspire Me Tuesday – A Stroll Thru Life
Fabulous Party #285 – Lou Lou Girls
The Linky Ladies Party #167 – The Purple Poncho
Turning Heads Linkup – Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
Confident Twosday Linkup – I do deClaire
Talk of the Town 192 – My Repurposed Life
{Wow Me} Wednesday #321 – Ginger Snap Crafts
Your Girlish Whims #424 – My Girlish Whims
The Wednesday Link Party #313 – The Stitchin’ Mommy
To Grandma’s House We Go Link Party #158 – Chas’ Crazy Creations
Waste Not Wednesday 173 – Faeries and Fauna
Thursday Favorite Things #407 – An Artful Mom
Hookin’ on Hump Day #199 – Moogly Blog
Scrappy Stitcher’s Link Party #55 – Stitches n Scraps
Thursday Fashion Files Link up #228 – Curly Crafty Mom
Trendy Thursday LinkUp – Thirty Minus One
Style Six Fashion Link Up – The Queen in Between
Pin Party #334 – The Pin Junkie
Best of the Weekend – Calypso in the Country
Handmade and Otherwise Weekly Link Up Week 17 – Petals, Pies and Otherwise
Snickerdoodle Create Bake Make Link Party #302 – EyeLoveKnots
Link Up – Lizzie in Lace

This post is part of the monthly link party I host called Inspire My Creativity.  Each month, a group of bloggers all create a project based around a theme and this month the theme is STENCILS.  There are tons of great ideas and I know you’ll get inspired to create something fun and new!

Your Co-Hosts

Shani  |  Sunshine & Munchkins — Meg  |  See The Happy
Christine  |  Swordfights & Starry Nights
Julia  |  The Quiet Grove — Marie  |  The Inspiration Vault
Brooke  |  My Beautiful Mess — Heather  |  Glitter On A Dime
Rachel  |  Adventures of a DIY Mom
Anna  |  Practical and Pretty — Cathy  |  A Boy and His Mom
Sarah  |  The Strawberry Nest — Adree  |  The Keele Deal
Aimee  |  Things Small and Simple — Alexandra  |  EyeLoveKnots

If you have a post that fits, feel free to link up too! Link up will stay live for two weeks.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Filed Under: Crochet, Other DIYs Tagged With: Coffee, Craft Fail, Crochet, DIY, Inspire My Creativity Challenge, Painting, Pineapple Stitch, Stencil, Tote

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Comments

  1. Christine says

    June 12, 2019 at 12:33 pm

    What a fun bag! I love that it’s for projects in progress – it’s so easy for those to be left half-done. (at least at my house…)

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 16, 2019 at 6:43 pm

      Hehe, you don’t have to tell me! We won’t talk about the bins I have…

      Reply
  2. Sarah says

    June 12, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    I love love love the sentiment!

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 16, 2019 at 6:44 pm

      <3

      Reply
  3. Meg says

    June 14, 2019 at 10:38 am

    I love having a bag for individual projects so I can just grab and go. Way to stick with it, when you really didn’t know what to do or how to do it.

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 16, 2019 at 6:45 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  4. Julie says

    June 18, 2019 at 4:56 am

    This is a fun quote, although for me it would be tea!
    I’m the same when it comes to taking photos when I’m concentrating on a project. Sometimes I get to the photo editing bit and wonder where they all are!!
    #HandmadeMonday

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 30, 2019 at 8:49 am

      Could easily be done without a stencil (or with a handmade stencil) to change the word to tea.

      Hehe – I know how that is! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply
  5. Candice says

    June 18, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    This is a really cute project! I love the stencil you used!

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 30, 2019 at 8:49 am

      Thanks, Candice! I thought it really spoke to me.

      Reply
  6. Kippi says

    June 18, 2019 at 11:17 pm

    I love the coffee quote tote! I have to have one.
    Happy crafting, Kippi

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 30, 2019 at 8:50 am

      I highly recommend the canvas tote bags at Hobby Lobby! Good bang for your buck.

      Reply
  7. Teresa says

    June 19, 2019 at 4:02 pm

    I love it! Though I’m pretty sure all my wips would never fit into just one bag. One at at time, right?
    Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 30, 2019 at 8:51 am

      Yes, exactly! Too many would be overwhelming. I usually have two WIPs bag with respective hooks/tools in them – one to take to work, and one for using at home. I usually work on two projects simultaneously – helps me not get bored, and I feel like I finish more faster.

      Reply
  8. Calypso in the Country says

    June 28, 2019 at 9:06 am

    This is so cute – great tutorial too. Thanks for linking up to Best of the Weekend. Your post was one of my features this week! I will be pinning and sharing on my Instagram stories over the weekend. Thanks for linking up and have a great weekend!
    Shelley

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      June 30, 2019 at 8:52 am

      I really appreciate that! Thanks for the visit, and for hosting 🙂

      Reply
  9. Adree | The Keele Deal says

    July 10, 2019 at 8:56 am

    Your bag turned out so cute!! Love the quote!

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      September 28, 2019 at 8:50 pm

      Thanks, Adree! I found it amusing, and motivational.

      Reply
  10. Julie says

    September 20, 2019 at 10:38 am

    I’m another one who’s all about the tea but I know a lot of coffee lovers who totally get this! For a non stenciller you did a great job!

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      September 28, 2019 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks, Julie! I found a helpful little tutorial (after I finished this), and now I can’t wait to try again. So many fun possibilities!

      Reply
  11. Tanya says

    September 20, 2019 at 4:27 pm

    I love scones with my coffee!

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      September 28, 2019 at 8:52 pm

      Yum!

      Reply
  12. MIca says

    September 23, 2019 at 8:00 am

    Such a fun slogan and what a great DIY – tote bags are something that get used so often now! 🙂

    Thank you so much for joining the #weekdayWearLinkUp 🙂

    Reply
    • Alexandra says

      September 28, 2019 at 8:53 pm

      I never leave the house without a tote bag full of yarn and my latest WIP (work in progress), hehe. Have a few, and I love them all!

      Reply
  13. Audra @ Renewed Projects says

    October 6, 2019 at 9:04 pm

    I love me some coffee! Cute tote!

    Reply

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Welcome!

Welcome!

Hey! I'm Alexandra, the blogger and creator behind EyeLoveKnots and On Rockwood Lane! My passion is being creative. My favorite thing to do is crochet, and you will almost always find me having a cup of coffee and working on a new crochet project, but when I'm not doing that, you might find me out at a local park rollerblading, baking some fresh cookies, picking veggies in the garden or re-decorating for a new season or holiday. My two cats are great supervisors for all my adventures (minus the being outside because they think it's too hot in Florida to be anywhere but inside), and make sure I take plenty of breaks.

Meet the Team!

Meet the Team!

On the left, Abby is the maker behind A Stitch Shy of Normal, and on the right Jessica is the maker behind Nice and Knotty and Candace is the maker behind TandC Crafters.

Together, they help me bring awesome crochet projects to you! Click the image to learn more about them, and get their Instagram links, where they are constantly sharing tons of crochet inspiration.

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