Something about spring makes me want to decorate tote bags. Need a new bag for summer camp? A bag for a birthday party? A bag for the beach? You see where I’m going…. And sometimes you think, what else is there to do with a tote bag than pencil polka dots? Well, friends, here are 25 stylin’ ideas to jazz up your $1.99 Hobby Lobby tote bag (seriously, their cheapest one is my favorite).
26 DIY Tote Bag Ideas
1. Farmer’s Market Tote Bag from Hello Nest
You can tackle this super easy DIY painted farmer’s market tote in no time! If drawing is not your forté , don’t fret; there’s a free downloadable template available, too.
2. How to print your own fabric with a potato from Childerhouse
If you thought potato stamps are reserved for kids crafts – think again! This project shows you how to make cute geometrical tote bags with the widely available veggie.
3. Iron on tote bag from Oh The Lovely Things
“Look up”, “Create” and “Let your heart sing” are the three designs available as free printables to iron on totes. They’re all pretty and motivating, so we can’t pick one!
4. Lovely Indeed Tote Bag from Lovely Indeed
Painting the Lovely Indeed logo on a tote bag is not just for die hard fans of the blog, but also for anyone who likes to add a little sweetness to their everyday attire.
5. How To Make Your Own Fabric Stamp from Lost In The Haze
Stamp making is easy as can be with a little cardboard and paint! For a nautical style, try making an anchor. Of course, any motif you prefer works on a plain tote!
6. DIY Iron On Typographic Tote Bag from How About Orange
A positive message on a tote bag is always on point! This stylish typography looks beautiful in red and it can be downloaded and ironed on.
7. Dip Dyed Canvas Totes from Glamour & Grace
Dip dyeing never gets old! With some textile paint and a canvas tote, you can make all your pastel dreams come true.
8. Polka dot tote bag from Hello Glow
The bottom of this tote bag is painted red for a cool color block look, while the fun dots are added with the eraser of a pencil. So easy!
9. Succulent Painted Tote from Craftberry Bush
The best tote bag for plant ladies to bring home their newest buys! While the design uses a stencil, it’s painted on top for a more natural effect.
10. Mother’s Day Tote Bag from Alice & Lois
We love this iron-on design for Mother’s Day and beyond! It’s simple and sweet and all the mamas in your life will be happy to have one.
11. Embroidered Monogram Tote Bag DIY from Flax & Twine
Transform a humble cotton bag into your new favorite tote with a fresh and modern hand-stitched monogram!
12. Tote Bag with White Lace Applique from Dream Green DIY
This bag might look detailed and delicate, but when it comes right down to it, you can easily knock this craft out in an afternoon and start using the tote right away.
13. Vegetable Print Tote from Curbly
Print out these veggie stickers on iron on paper and use them on your market tote bag!
14. Embroidered Custom Photo Tote Bags from Sarah Hearts
Printing a photo on a tote bag will look even more personal if you had some hand embroidery!
15. Stamped Lemon Bag from Alice + Lois
You can carry all the lemons life gives you with this fun stamped bag! The stamp is made from foam sheet and you only need yellow paint to make… lemonade.
16. DIY Mineral Chart Tote Bag With Free Printables from DIY in PDX
If you’re a crystal enthusiast like us, you’ll love the look of this mineral chart tote bag! It comes with free printables and the design is then transferred with the aid of iron on paper.
17. Easy Yarn Tassel Tote Bag from Damask Love
Tassels make everything look cuter – plain tote bags included! Choose a colorful variation or a single color to best complement your taste.
18. Tic Tac Toe Tote Bag from Journey Into Creativity
Love tic tac toe? Who doesn’t! This easy designed is cut out from felt and attached to the bag with studs, meaning you can totally use it as a game board, too!
19. Gold Dipped Tote Bag from Hello Wonderful
Tote bags look so much fancier when you add gold! This design is just what you need for a quick wardrobe update.
20. Tasty Tote from Lana Red Studio
This “tasty tote” is printed with delicious ice cream all over, and it’s perfect for carrying all your summer essentials.
21. DIY Sequined Tote Bag from Persia Lou
Use sequins by the yard to spell out your name, a favorite slogan or whatever else you may fancy. It will totes look fancy!
22. Midcentury Modern Chair Tote from Freckle and Flair
If you’re a lover of design, you probably can’t resist those midcentury modern chairs! But those can get really expensive – while this tote is a total bargain.
23. DIY Leather Strap Canvas Tote from Damask Love
Most of these tutorials show how to update the canvas side of a tote bag, but what if you also updated the handles? Adding leather handles makes regular bags look so much fancier!
24. Easy Canvas Tote Upgrade from Francois et Moi
Gold paint and animal print are the stars of this upgraded tote bag. It’s intended for the farmer’s market but you’ll probably want to carry it everywhere!
25. Add a Lining to a Tote Bag from Radiant Home Studio
If your tote bag feels a little flimsy, how about you update it with colorful lining? This tutorial shows you two ways to do that.
26. Springy Market Tote from Brit + Co
Design your own geometric pattern or choose from the four fun options available in this tutorial. A little paint and masking tape can go a long way!
Ohhh I love it. Thank you for sharing with us…
thaaaannnnkkkk youuuu!
#25 isn’t accessible to everyone; Blogger has blocked the general populus from accessing, FYI. Thank you for the cute options, though.
Thank you for this post. I’m looking to make 32 totes for a beach party. These are all great!
Thanks for including us in your round-up of adorable totes!
Oh I totally know what you’re saying — spring always makes me want a new tote!!
Oh so pretty! I think the ombre flower at the bottom is my favourite.
Chris was just telling me that people are getting e.coli & salmonella from reusing their grocery totes and I thought, “Hmm, okay, it may be time to replace mine.” And then you post this–it’s clearly meant to be!
Oh yikes, I should wash my cloth bags – I don’t think I’ve ever done that, eek.
Seriously cute! I can’t buy anymore totes. I have way too many of them already. And I know some people say you can never have too many totes, well, I’m here to say you can. Because I do. haha. But it’s so hard for me to resist a new, cute tote!
I think I may have a problem…
I hear ya, Regina. What is it with bloggers and striped shirts and totes? Right now I have about 5 or 6 hanging on my doorknobs. Apparently I need to start “gifting” them more often :)
This roundup makes me want to run out and buy 20 blank canvas bags :-) Love these creative ideas!
Very pretty! No kidding, I love every single one!
Super cute ideas. I’m adding this to my list of possible spring break crafts with my girl!