Hand-painted Tote Bag

Now that Easter has come and gone I've been focusing on Mother's Day gifts. As always, I'm looking for ways to save money and stay budget-conscious, even in my gift-giving. While poking around Pinterest I saw some adorable totes that would be perfect as gifts EXCEPT for the $150 price tag!!! I knew I could create something very similar at a much better price.

I found this tote at Through the Country Door online. They have some really cute home decor and home living items!! I got this tote on sale for $10! The paint and brushes, which I already had, came from Michael's and I used my Silhouette Cameo to create a template for the design.

First, I created the flamingo template using my Silhouette Cameo and cut it out of cardstock.

Next, using a black Sharpie, I traced the shape onto the bag.

Finally, I hand-painted the flamingo using black craft paint. I used a fine-tip brush around the edges and then filled in with a sponge brush and a coarse medium-sized brush to make sure I got the paint into all the nooks and crannies of the woven material.

For a bit of fun I decided to add a big black and white polka-dot bow too.

What mom wouldn't love to get a great bag like this for Mother's Day? You could add any design, even a monogram.


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