DIY Sequined Tote Bag

This post was originally created by me for Darice, and it includes affiliate links when possible. Thanks for supporting Persia Lou!
I’m going to say something that may be unpopular: I love puns. It’s true. Weird, goofy, groan-inducing puns. Bring. Them. On.

An item with a pun on it? Even better. So when I decided I wanted to make a tote bag with a sequined word or phrase on it, I had to go with “totes.” I mean… right? It’s totes adorbs and makes me giggle every time I see it.

Plus – bonus! – this project is so simple you can whip up it up in 30 minutes or less. Also, I’m going to go ahead and recommend that you grab two tote bags and make one for a friend too because it’s pretty much a perfect girlfriend gift. Ready to get making?

Materials

• Canvas Tote Bag
• Sequins by the yard
• Permanent Fabric Glue (I really liked Alene’s OK to Wash – the bond has held up really well!)
• Pencil

Step One – Sketch your design.

Take your pencil and lightly draw out your word or phrase. I just did it by hand, but if you don’t feel comfortable sketching by hand, try typing out the word in a font you like and tracing or copying that. The pencil lines will be covered by the sequins when the bag is all done, so don’t worry to much about that.

Step Two – Trace with glue.

Go over your sketched design with the fabric glue. The directions on my glue said to let the glue sit for three to five minutes before applying the trim, and because I’m rule follower, I did just that. Be sure to follow the instructions for whatever glue you use.

(I mentioned before that I really liked the way this glue worked, but I want to give it another quick plug. When I was adding the sequins I wasn’t sure it would hold permanently, but it really has. I have been using the bag for about 6 weeks now, and it looks like those sequins are there for good!)

Step Three. Add sequins!

When the strokes of the letters overlap, rather than trying to fold your sequins, just cut off the end, and then add a new piece under or over the previous piece. Like so:

And that’s it! After the glue is dry, your DIY tote bag is all ready to enjoy!

What do you all think? Are you pro-puns? How about sequined puns?