Embellished Library Totes

My girls love to make regular visits to the library; as a stay-at-home mom, I find it to be a great diversion from the regular routine. It can be difficult, though, to transport the many books home, so a few weeks ago I decided to make some totes.

Canvas bags are inexpensive (less than $3/piece) and come in a variety of colors. I happened to catch them when they were half off at Hobby Lobby (although, I have seen them at Wal-mart and Michaels as well), so I got an even better deal. Never one to leave a plain object unadorned, I picked up some coordinating fabric and got to work.

Applique is such an easy way to create really unique pieces with fabric. Basically, I cut simple shapes out of fabric (babooshka dolls, that's what I call them anyway, and skinny legged birds are such easy shapes to cut out, but there are so many fun things to make; if I had a boy I would have to do robots!). Then, I used "Heat N Bond" to adhere the shapes to the tote, and zig-zag stitched around the edges to make the bond permanent.

It isn't necessary to sew along the edges if you don't plan on washing the fabric. I liked the way that the stitch looks, though; and it especially looks cute after you wash it because the fabric frays a little around the edges. To finish off, I used washable fabric glue to adhere decorative ribbon around the top edge of the tote, and added a large button to the middle.

Now the girls' library trips are even more enjoyable because we aren't wrestling with armfuls of books!

Kristin is a wife, mother, crafter, sewer, decorator, organizer, butcher, baker, and candle-stick maker; oh yeah, and a blogger. You can find more of her crafty ideas at Grace Violet.

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