Make: Polka Dot Tote

I've long been in search of a bag....
Commuting really creates the need to carry a lot more things than you usually would, so none of my usual suspects fit the bill.

I wanted something quirky and cute to carry my things, so I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to get back into the swing of things and do an easy peasy DIY! Plus I've been wanting to do some potato stamping for ages!

So, it's pretty self explanatory...
Click below to see some instructions if you need them!

Tote from here

1. Cut a circle shape into a potato-I traced around a bottle cap with a toothpick and then cut away the excess potato with a knife.

2. Mix up some paint with textile medium (I used Jo Sonja's Textile Medium & Chromacryl students acrylic in Fluro Pink, plus some gold). To set the paint you just need to iron it.

3. Apply paint to stamp and test. I ended up just dipping my finger in the paint and rubbing it onto the stamp. It was the best way to get the right amount of paint. I had to repeat stamp a few times to get the right coverage, but I think gradual buildup of colour is better than too much paint on the stamp (which could create messy circles).

4. Stamp & repeat! I roughly spaced my stamping by laying a ruler down and stamping every 3cm.

5. After the paint was dry, I made some cute tassels for the corners. You can find heaps of tutorials on YouTube if you need help.

6. Use it! Yippee!

I'm thinking about adding some lining to this, just to increase the comfort and security/protection factor.