Beachy Keen Painted Tote

Use acrylic paint and fabric medium to customize a summer beach bag. This beach scene is easy to paint with a free pattern to use as a guide. This tote project will be finished before you know it, and you'll be heading out for summer fun in no time.

Materials:

• DecoArt Americana Fabric Painting Medium DAS10
• DecoArt Americana Acrylics
  • DAO1 - Snow (Titanium) White
  • DAO4 - Sand
  • DAO6 - Pineapple
  • DAO55 - Kelly Green
  • DAO58 - Antique White
  • DAO87 - Indian Turquoise
  • DA199 - Primary Red
  • DA268 - Turquoise Blue
  • DA270 - Ocean Blue
• DecoArt Americana Multi-Purpose Sealer DS17
• 13.5" square natural canvas tote bag, Hirschberg Schutz & Co. #16122-96
• 3/4" flat brush
• 1/4" flat brush
• #3 round brush
• 1 1/4" round foam stencil brush
• Transfer paper
• 3/4" wide masking tape
• Foam plate
• Waxed paper
• Pattern

Instructions:

Mix Fabric Painting Medium with acrylic paints as they are used, following instructions on bottle.

1. Iron front of tote and place face up on surface. Place sheet of waxed paper inside tote to prevent paint bleed-through.
    
2. Use masking tape to mask off approximate 9" x 11 7/8" area, by placing tape just below stitch line at top below handles, outer edge of tape strips aligned with side edges and above fold line of base. Press down edges of tape well to avoid paint seepage.
    
3. Blending colors together while wet and working downward to within 1 1/4" of bottom tape edge, use colors in following order from top to bottom: Snow White; Indian Turquoise; Turquoise Blue; Ocean Blue. Let all paint dry.
    
4. Use Antique White to paint bottom 1 1/2" within tape border; let dry.
    
5. Use round foam brush dipped in Pineapple to paint circle for sun approximately 1" from top tape border and 3" from right tape border; let dry.
    
6. Referring to photo of finished project for placement, transfer umbrella and ball patterns to tote.
    
7. Referring to finished project for placement of colors, use following colors to paint umbrella and ball: Snow White; Ocean Blue; Pineapple; Kelly Green; and Primary Red. Let dry.
    
8. Use Sand to paint wavy line at bottom, overlapping bottom of umbrella pole and bottom of ball; let dry.
    
9. To protect painted surface, apply coat of Multi-Purpose Sealer; let dry.
    
10. Remove waxed paper insert and masking tape.
    
     

Notes:

• A hair dryer on low heat setting can be used to speed drying process.
   
• When painting inside tape border, brush paint away from tape edge towards center of tote instead of towards tape edge, to avoid seepage of paint underneath tape.
   
• Tote is not intended to be washed since Multi-Purpose Sealer is applied to protect painted surface. Do not apply sealer if you intend to launder tote.