How To Make Your Own Handmade Custom Bags
Most of us love the idea of having something a little different to what’s on the high street. Custom bags are an easy way to achieve a little uniqueness. Customising cotton tote bags is not as difficult as you might think; all you need is to let your ideas flow and take time to get creative. The result will be individual handmade tote bags.
With the festive season racing towards us, handmade custom bags make great presents or unique packages for gifts. Why not personalise a few plain cotton tote bags yourself?
We have a few ideas to help…
A monogrammed tote, created with a bold initial cut out from felt or spare fabric and glued onto the tote bag, will make a custom bag unique to its owner.
One of the easiest ways to create handmade custom bags is with iron-on designs. There are so many designs and decals to choose from that you will have no problem creating unique tote bags for gifts this Christmas.
Fabric markers are great for dressing up a plain cotton tote bag. You can use them with stencil, or if you have a steady hand and an eye for art you can create your own free-hand design that will be truly unique to you. With fabric markers you can get the kids involved in designing their own custom bags too. Whether they are for books, sports gear or toy-tidy storage in the bedroom, kids will love to put their own stamp on them.
If you’re handy with a needle, simple stitching can be used to add fashionable pockets made from contrasting materials, or try adding inside dividers.
For custom bags with a minimalist feel, simple, colourful piping around the rim of a cotton tote bag will do the trick. If you’re handy with a sewing machine you could use bias binding trim available in a range of plain colours. Trimming your tote bag in this way will make it anything but plain!
Another idea can be to stitch on strips of fabric across the tote bag; these can be different thicknesses, colours and patterns. Lay them out first to get the look you’re aiming for and then stitch your way to custom bags for friends and family.
Go for the organic look using ethically sourced, plain cotton tote bags and add potato stamp prints. Most of us have done this at some point in our childhood. Cut a potato in half and carve a simple design using an art knife (you can use apples too). Cover the carved surface with paint and then stamp the potato onto your cotton tote bag. Re-ink and stamp again until you have the desired design – easy and unique!
For custom bags that really connect with their owners, what better than a photo of their favourite pet or scenic picture. To do this, print the photograph onto transfer printer which you can get in craft shops. Cut out the image to achieve the look you want then transfer the image onto a canvas tote bag for a personalised custom bag you know is a one-off. You can use this method with any free-to-use image available on the internet. Clip-art silhouettes create a simple tote bag design that can be classy or fun and definitely one-of-a-kind.
If you’re the creative type these ideas for handmade custom bags will have you raring to get started. For those with a creative idea for custom bags that need advice from the experts, The Printed Bag Shop is here to help.