Tutorial - Heart Stamped Tote Bags

I've been wanting to try stamping on fabric for ages and I had some red fabric paint on hand. so, in honor of Valentine's Day, I made a couple of heart stamped tote bags.


Heart Stamped Tote Bag Tutorial

Supplies:
wine corks or new pencil eraser to make stamp
fabric paint
2 pieces of fabric 13.5 x 25 inches (one is the body and the other the lining)
4 pieces of contrasting fabric 2 x 25 inches for straps

Carve the stamp(s)
To make the stamps I carved hearts into a couple of wine corks and one on the end of a pencil eraser. I tried using a carving tool and found that the blade attachment worked best. An exacto blade would also work well. Above is a diagram of the design I cut from the pencil eraser. This turned out to be my favorite stamp.

Stamp the fabric

For this bag, the fabric is folded in half, with the fold making the bottom of the bag. Fold the fabric in half, so the short ends meet and wrong sides are together. Mark where you want to stamp using a temporary fabric pen and grid ruler.

 

Place paper in between the layers of fabric to prevent bleed through and stamp away.

 

 

Stitch the bag
After the paint is dry, fold in half with right sides together and stitch the side seams. The fold is the bottom of the bag and the finished size will be square. Finish edges.

Make corners
Fold at the corner aligning the side seam with the bottom fold. Mark a 2 inch line perpendicular to the side seam.

Stitch along the marked line. Trim the excess.
Repeat side seams and corners for lining.

Make the straps

With right sides together, stitch the long edges of two strap pieces. Turn right side out and press. Repeat for second strap.

Baste straps to right side of bag, one on each side, spacing evenly.

Attach lining

Stitch the lining to the bag along the top edge, leaving an opening about 3 inches long. Turn the bag right side out through opening.

Press and top-stitch top edge to close opening.

Voila! The finished bag. I really like the look of contrasting fabric for the straps. I used vintage scrap fabric for these.

For the bag with the center strip of stamping, I skipped the lining and just folded in the top edge like a hem. I then top-stitched the straps to the outside for a decorative look.