We’re crafting our way through the alphabet!
What a fun way to celebrate National Craft Month!
I’m excited to be kicking off the Craft Month A to Z event, organized by Stephanie from Crafting in the Rain, with the letter A.
As in argyle, a pattern normally seen on sweaters and socks.
But I wanted to give argyle a fresh twist for spring.
I am kinda in love with how this inexpensive straw tote ($3 in the Target Dollar Spot) turned out. I think it’s going to be my go-to bag for spring.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:
Straw tote bag
DecoArt Americana paint in Sweet Mint
DecoArt Americana paint in Blue Haven
DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface Paint in Lavender Fields
DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface Paint in Peach Silk
1.5 inch square cardstock
Mark-B-Gone marking pen
Needle and white embroidery thread
Crocheted lace trim or ribbon in a coordinating color
No-sew fabric fusion tape
An argyle pattern features a series of overlapping diamonds.
I used a 1.5-inch square of card stock to mark off the pattern on my tote bag. Be sure to start with the center diamond first, them work your way out to the sides.
I used a disappearing fabric marker to trace around the paper template.
Fill in each diamond with two coats of craft paint. I decided to paint my center diamond mint green. I repeated colors on either side of the center diamond to create my argyle pattern, as you can see in the photo below.
My color scheme was purple, blue, peach, green, peach, blue, purple.
Once the paint dried, I used embroidery thread to stitch overlapping diamonds to complete the argyle pattern.
My stitch lines aren’t perfectly straight or square because math isn’t my strong suit. But I still think my spring tote bag is pretty adorable, especially when accessorized with a coordinating scarf and some fun charms.
I used fabric fusion tape to add some decorative crochet lace trim to the top of the bag. You could use ribbon, as well.
As much as I love winter weather daydreaming, I’m definitely ready for spring. I can’t wait to wear this tote bag with my favorite flip-flops when we go to Florida for spring break.
Be sure to visit these other blogs to see their Craft Month A-Z creations.
A is for Argyle Spring Tote by AttaGirl Says
B is for Simple Spring Banner by The Happy Scraps
C is for Can Windsock for St. Patrick’s Day by Sowdering About
D is for Debonair Dog Coasters by Blue i Style
E is for Arrow Embroidery Hoop by Occasionally Crafty
F is for Fluffy Felt Forest by Albion Gould
Looking for more DIY fashion ideas? You might like these projects:
Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods
Love this fun beachy tote! I hope you took it on your spring break vacation! Thanks so much for sharing on Show Me Saturday! Pinning and sharing
Atta Girl Amy
I did, Ashley! I also bought a new purse while on vacation! Gotta have a souvenir.
Theresa @DearCreatives
I really love this project for spring / summer. It would make the perfect tote bag for the beach or shopping farmers markets. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party!
Krista @ the happy housie
Absolutely adorable- I love it! Thanks for sharing it with us at Work it Wednesday. We are featuring you this morning!
~Krista
Jennifer Dawn
What a lovely project! That bag is perfect for spring!
Kathryn Griffin @TheDedicatedHouse
This is so cute! Thank you for sharing. You are one of the features at the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link to this week’s bash. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2015/03/make-it-pretty-monday-week-131.html Have a lovely week. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
Atta Girl Amy
Thanks so much for the feature!
Kristina & Millie
Oh love this argyle spring tote! What a great idea and so easy to customize to your fav colors! I am going to have to hit up target to see if they have any of those bags left! Thanks for sharing with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday!
Atta Girl Amy
That’s the thing with Target. When you see it in the Dollar Spot, you better buy it, because it may not be there the next time you’re at the store. I do know they had these bags last year, too, so I’m hopeful that they will restock. (I’ve already been back to my store looking for others to craft with!)
karen@somewhatquirkydesign
really cute Amy!
Diana Rambles
This is super cute!!
Erlene
That’s an amazing transformation of the $3 tote. Would love if you shared this on the Spring Craft Blog Hop.
Julie
How funky. Make a great beach bag.
Julie
Thank you for linking up with #wordlesswednesday
co-host – http://www.julieinthemaking.com/
Atta Girl Amy
It definitely would! Just the right size for a paperback, a bottle of water, a towel and some sunscreen! Thanks for hosting such a fun party every week, Julie.
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain
So cute! It’s such an easy way to dress up a bag, and the colors are perfect. Thanks for joining the series!
Jennifer
Amy, I absolutely love this!! Totally filing away for a spring break project with my girls. They will flip over something so cute and easy to pull off.
Jen
Atta Girl Amy
Thank you so much for featuring my tote bag, Ashley!