Tie Dye DIY Tote Bag

One of our go-to activities during these long summer months are lots and lots of trips to our local library. Now that I have three kiddos that are at the age where they have opinions and read (or look at) their own books, I’ve decided they each need their own library tote to schlep their own books around. Momma will be a library pack mule no more! I made it a more personalized craft by allowing them the ability to decorate their own tie dye DIY library tote with fabric paints and they can’t wait for our next trip to the library now.

Supplies needed to make your own tie dye DIY tote:

• Blank Cotton Tote
• One Step Tie-Dye Kit
• 3 Dimensional Fabric Paint
• Plastic Table Cloth
• Paper Towels

Prepare your work surface. Lay out the plastic table cloth first and add a layer or two of paper towels on top of that.

Follow the directions in the tie-dye package to create different patterns with your totes. Soak each tote in water, otherwise the color will not adhere to the fabric. Trust me; I learned the hard way.

Mix the dyes right before you’re ready. They’ll start to lose their vibrancy after 45 minutes.

Apply the dye! This step gets super messy so you need to make sure that you’re wearing the supplied plastic gloves. When the tote bag is completely covered in dye, wrap it in plastic for six to eight hours to give the dye a chance to fully soak in.

Cut the rubber bands from the tote and thoroughly rinse the excess dye. Wash each tote according to the directions in the tie-dye package.

Let the kiddos decorate their bags to their heart’s content! I made sure that I added each kid’s name before they started and let them have free rein (for the most part) on the rest of the decorations.

Let the paint completely dry before using the tote bag.

Your new tie dye DIY tote bag is now ready to use and show off. Try your hand at one today!

Katie Waltemeyer

Katie is the writer and creator at Sweet Rose Studio, a blog dedicated to sharing the best crafts, recipes, DIY/home tutorials, and anything else that promotes a happy home. She is so blessed to be a wife to her high school sweetheart and mother to their three sweet, crazy kids. In her past life she was an elementary school teacher, but now is a stay-at-home-momma by trade and absolutely adores it. Katie has a passion for party planning and styling and can regularly be found with a sippy cup in one hand and a glue gun in the other with her camera hanging around her neck.