Craft Tuesday: DIY Halloween Canvas Bag

 Halloween is less than two weeks away, and whether you celebrate by taking kids trick-or-treating or dressing up and partying, we can all enjoy a simple Halloween craft! You can keep this cute, personalized bag for yourself or gift it to someone! It would make a TERRIFIC trick-or-treating bag for your son/daughter, niece/nephew, etc. etc.

The project itself is not expensive either, which is great news considering Halloween costumes can get pricey. The paint is $5 a tube, the bag is about $3, and the freezer paper is $5 a box (150 sq.ft.). When you consider that so little of the paint and paper is used on this one project, then THIS bag itself cost you less than $4!

There are so many options and your bag design is limited only by how creative you want to get. I wanted something quick and easy, so I did a simple pumpkin design!

You will need:

• 1 canvas bag (I used a 13x13x4")
• Soft* fabric paint (I used matte black and crimson, and metallic silver)
• Freezer paper
• Iron
• Pencil
• Pen
• Sponge brush
• Small paint brush
• Scissors

*I would highly suggest using the Soft fabric paint because it is more flexible. The bag keeps its soft texture and the paint is less likely to crack.

Start by ironing your bag. Then decide on what you want your design to be and how you want it to appear on your bag. I chose a pumpkin and decided I wanted the area around the pumpkin to be painted, but not the pumpkin itself. So I sketched the pumpkin in pencil on the paper side of the freezer paper. I then cut out the pumpkin (picture 1, below) and the parts of the pumpkin I wanted to be painted (the jack-o-lantern's eyes, mouth, and shadows).

Next I decided on how big of a painted area I wanted around the pumpkin. Using a ruler and some scissors I cut out a frame of about 10x10" (picture 2, below). This created the frame for my block of paint which the pumpkin went in. I then placed the freezer paper where I wanted the design on my bag, with the plastic side of the paper facing the bag, and ironed it down (picture 3, below). After I got as much ironed down as I could I began to apply paint. I squirted some of my paint into a separate bowl or plate and used a sponge brush to apply (picture 4, above). Be careful not to layer it on too thick or it will not dry smoothly.

Once your paint has been applied, peel off the freezer paper making the frame, then the inner design (picture 5, below). If you notice in my pictures that the corners are a little messed up, it's because my bag was not completely wrinkle-free. So, when I ironed the freezer paper on, it didn't stick in those corners and the paint bled under the paper a little. It's not a big deal, but it's something that is easily avoidable.

Now, you can embellish it however you like! I used the end of a ballpoint pen (the end you chew on, not the end you write with) and dipped it in the crimson red paint to make the red dotted border (pictures 6 and 7, above). I started with the corners, and then made dots halfway, then halfway between those, then between those, etc, so they were evenly spaced. Then I used the handle end of a small paintbrush and dipped it in the silver paint and dotted inside the black square, to give it a starry, sparkly look (picture 8, above). Lastly, after the paint dried (they say to let it dry for 4 hours, but it only took mine about one and a half hours) I added a little raffia bow, and voila!

What a wonderfully easy craft with unlimited possibilities! I think I will try using the freezer paper again on another bag. I can't wait to share the next thing I make with you, and I am even more excited to see what you make with this method! Don't forget to submit your creations! :)