Hybrid Tutorial: Cute Canvas Tote Bags
Hybrid Totebag Tutorial
by Audrey Neal
Even though we usually do a big grocery store run on Saturday or Sunday, it never fails that we end up needing one or two things here and there throughout the week. Instead of amassing another pile of plastic bags, why not make a great little totebag – with a “Go Green!” reminder – to carry your groceries when you’re just grabbing a few things?
Supplies:
totebag, ribbon, iron-on letters (March Style Phyle)
iron-on transfers for dark fabric (Avery)
buttons (3 brown, 11 red)
embroidery floss (white, brown, red)
Instructions:
- Open a new blank file with the following specs:
width: 11 inches
height: 8.5 inches
resolution: 300 ppi
color mode: RGB
background: transparent
- Open the school paper and drag it onto your blank document * see picture below
- Now we’re going to make a quick scallop border. Create a new layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) on top of your school paper. Select a 300 pixel brush and make 5 overlapping dots, then duplicate this layer (Layer>Duplicate layer, OK). Move the layer over so that it lines up with the original layer. Repeat until the line of dots is as long as your background layer. Arrange your scallop along the top border of your paper. (screen2) Duplicate it twice and arrange these borders along each side. Make sure your top scallop layer (in your layers palette) is highlighted, and then merge the 3 scallop layers (Ctrl+E on each layer). Make sure that you don’t merge the scallops with the background paper.
- Open the red dot paper and drag it above your scallop border. Click Ctrl+G to group it with your border, then Ctrl+E to merge the layers.
- Open the green circles paper. Select your Magnetic Lasso Tool. Starting about halfway down the page, drag your lasso tool along the circle shapes. As you move across the page, angle farther down so that you are creating a sloped background. Once you get to the other side of the paper, trace up along the upper edge of your paper. (screen1)
- When you get back to your starting point and click, “marching ants” will appear around your selection. Click “delete.” Click Ctrl+D to deselect the image. If necessary, take your eraser tool and erase any stray portions of the image. Drag and drop the green paper onto your school paper. If you choose, use your Magic Wand tool to select the black lines in your green paper and then click “delete.” This will remove all the black lines in the pattern.
- Open the tree stickers and drag them onto your paper. Arrange them to your liking and add a slight drop shadow if necessary. Repeat with the sunflower stickers.
**Note: To add drop shadows:
Under “Styles and Effects” on the right side of your screen, make sure “Drop Shadows” is selected from the drop-down menu. With the layer you want to shadow highlighted, click on the “Low” shadow box. A small symbol that looks like an “f” inside a circle will appear next to the layer name. To adjust the shadow, double click on that symbol. I prefer to use a distance setting of 4 to 5 pixels, rather than the default of 21.
- Open the red label and drag it onto your paper.
- Open the staple and drag it on top of the label. Position it where you want it to go, and then merge it with the label (Ctrl+E). Duplicate the label three times and arrange as shown.
- Select
your type tool and position it on top of one of the labels. Choose your
font and size, then type your text. I used the font “1942 report” and
typed the
New England
- Open the blackbird sticker and drag it on top of one of your labels. Add a slight drop shadow.
- Flatten the image and save it.
Print the image onto your transfer paper, making sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Apply the iron-on to the totebag as directed.
Add the iron-on letters. You’ll want to remove the letters from their protective backing, because the paper will otherwise stick to the first iron-on. With careful attention, these letters will peel directly off the backing; just place them where you want them to go on top of the background image. Once your letters are arranged, cover them with a sheet of tissue paper (you might want to use a couple of additional sheets to cover the entire image, just for the sake of being careful) and apply steady pressure with a hot iron. After 1-2 minutes of pressure, remove the iron and let the image cool before removing the tissue paper.
Embellish with ribbon, buttons, and additional stitches.
A great variation of this project would be to print each component (trees, flowers, frame, labels, etc) onto printable fabric, and then applique it onto the totebag.
