When I cleaned up and organized my office last week I came across some extra cotton tote bags that I had left over from a craft party I hosted awhile ago. Since my sister in law is getting married this weekend I thought it would be cute to make some tote bags for each of the bridesmaids. So I gathered some supplies I hand on hand and created 10 of these cute gold glitter heart totes.
I used freezer paper to create the stencils. Just like my gold stenciled pillows, I also used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the freezer paper. If you don’t have a cutting machine, you could also cut the stencil by hand using an x-acto knife. If you do this, be sure to cut on a cutting mat or scrap of thick paper, like chipboard.
Supplies:
– Natural cotton tote bags
– Fine glitter in any color you like
– Mod Podge (I used the gloss finish but the matte finish would also work as well)
– Freezer paper
– Heart stencil (download the SVG file to use with your Silhouette or Cricut or the PDF file to cut by hand)
– Paint brush
– Plastic cup
– Iron and ironing board
1. Cut the heart shape out of a piece of freezer paper (if you’re using a Silhouette Cameo, here are a few tips on creating a freezer paper stencil). Adhere the shinny side of the freezer paper to the tote bag using a hot iron without steam.
2. Mix equal parts Mod Podge and glitter in a plastic cup. Paint the inside of the stencil with a thin even coat. It will look slightly milky but the Mod Podge will dry clear.
3. Once dry, paint a second coat. Allow that to dry completely then add a third coat of the glitter and Mod Podge mixture.
4. Once the third coat is completely dry, very carefully peel off the freezer paper stencil. Then you’re done!
Check out the other projects I’ve created using my Silhouette Cameo.
Floral gift wrap by Rifle Paper.
Sami @ Poor & Pretty
So easy yet so cute! The possibilities are endless with Mod Podge + glitter!
Amy W
Love this!! Can I ask what is freezer paper?
Sarah
Amy WThanks Amy! Freezer paper is a thick white paper that has a plastic like coating on one side. It comes in rolls and can be found in most grocery stores with the aluminum foil and plastic wrap. It’s intended use is for wrapping up meat before it’s frozen but it works as a great stencil paper on fabric. The plastic/waxy side adheres to fabric when it’s ironed.
Gina
Sarah you have now just inspired something for those extra totes I have in my studio !
Thanks for the awesome inspiration.
Gina
Jodi
Hi. These are fab. I tried to make one recently and followed the instructions to the letter. Unfortunately, once the 3rd coat of mod podge had dried, it had hardened so much that when I usd the bag, the heart began to crack. Just wondered if you know how to avoid this happening? Thanks so much
Sarah
JodiBummer! I recommend adding a lot more glitter to the Mod Podge mixture so you only have to do 2 coats. However, the Mod Podge didn’t crack on mine. Which type of Mod Podge did you use?
Melanie
can you wash this after without ruining the bag?
Sarah
MelanieHi Melanie, I hand washed mine and it held up great! You can probably wash it in the machine on the delicate cycle though I haven’t tried. Either way, I recommend laying it flat to dry.
Jenny
Hi Sarah – this may be a stupid question. If you are making multiple bags, can you use the same freezer paper stencil for each one? Or do you need to cut a new one for each bag?
Sarah
JennyThat’s a great question! I recommend using a new stencil for each bag since the glitter mixture will dry on the stencil and make it difficult to get a clean edge if reused.
Michelle
Hi! Did you place anything inside the tote bag? Like a piece of cardboard or something?
Sarah
MichelleYes, I placed an extra piece of freezer paper inside the bag.
helene
Hello !
Gorgeous work, gonna do the same for my bridesmaids but with a different shape : )
I was wondering if you use an x-acto knife to cut out your shape, do you do it just like that, do you pre draw by and the shape or do you have another technique to do a perfect shape ?
Thank you !