The Curvy Elle: DIY

This past January, my county started the “No Plastic Bag” law and are charging customers (minumum) $0.10 a bag. I know this is not new to a lot of places, but it is very new here! I am still getting used to always remembering my bags.

I bought a Trader Joe’s canvas shopping bag the other day ago, and I kept thinking: “I really hate how everyone’s bags look the same!”

I didn’t want my bag to get mixed up with anyone else’s, so my idea: CUSTOMIZED SHOPPING BAG! So, here you are: a nice and easy DIY to customize your boring reusable shopping bag!

SUPPLIES:

- Cloth Shopping Bag

- Fabric Paint (or Craft Paint that works on fabric)

- Pencil

- Small Paint Brush (for detail work)

- Small Scrap Paper (to use as a paint palette)

STEPS:

1. First things first, you want to figure out the type of design you want to put on your bag. It may help to print out inspiration. I decided to free hand draw a cursive “L” with some girly hearts.

2. Once you have your design in mind, lay your Cloth Shopping Bag flat, right side up on your work surface (table).

3. Using your pencil, lightly sketch out your design on your Cloth Shopping Bag.

4. With your design sketched on your Shopping Bag, you can now move onto paint! Squeeze some fabric paint on your small scrap paper.

5. Begin outlining your design using your small paint brush and fabric paint.

6. Once everything is outlined, fill in the larger areas of your design.

(Optional) 7. If your first coat of paint is not quite the color you want it to be, you may want to do more coats of paint. To do this, let the first coat of paint dry for about 1 hour. Then, repeat STEP 5.

8. Let your bag dry overnight.

9. Your Customized Shopping Bag is now complete! Happy Shopping!

For Christmas, I was lucky enough to receive my very first iPad (yay!). My brother gave me a plain solid black case for it. I decided it needed to have a little pizazz! added to it. My idea: POLKA DOTS! Here is my very, very simple DIY for adding polka dots to an iPad Case!

Please note: this DIY can be used for most any type of case!

SUPPLIES:

- Solid Colored iPad Case
- Round Shot Glass (or any sized glass per your preference)
-1 Small Paint Brush (for details)
-1 Large Paint Brush (for large areas)
- Water Based Colored Pencil or Erasable Pencil (you want something that will show up on your case)
- Craft/Fabric Paint (in your color choice)
***make sure the paint works on your case’s surface/fabrication!

—> Extra Supplies Not Pictured:
- Newspaper or Scrap Paper (to cover your work table)
- Small Plastic Bag (to use as a paint palette–or if you own a paint palette, use that!)

STEPS:

1. Cover your work surface (i.e. table) with newspaper or scrap paper to keep the paint off of it.

2. Lay your iPad case open and flat with the outside facing up on your work surface.

3. Using your shot glass lay it out on the iPad Case surface. Trace around it with your colored pencil. Repeat, laying the shot glass in the area you wish to put a polka dot.

Keep repeating this step until the front and back of your iPad Case is covered (to your liking). You will end up with a polka dot print outline on your case.

3. On your plastic bag (A.K.A. “paint palette“) squirt/pour some of your craft/fabric paint.

4. Starting from the bottom corner of your case you will paint the polka dots first going across and then up and over. (This keeps your hand from smudging the paint.)

For your first polka dot, take the small brush and paint the outline of your dot.

With the large brush, fill in the middle part of your polka dot.

Repeat the above for all of your polka dots.

5. If your color is not to your satisfaction, repeat step 4 after the first coat of paint is dried. Repeat for as many coats until the color looks to your satisfaction.

6. Let the paint dry completely (probably over-night is best, read the directions on your paint bottle for accurate drying time).

7. Put your iPad in your newly Polka Dotted case and ENJOY!!!

Happy Polka-Dotting!

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Customized Shopping Bag DIY

January 16, 2013

Polka Dot IPad Case DIY

January 7, 2013