Friday 2 May 2014

How to Make a Sequin Tote Bag

Happy Friday!
On Wednesday, I shared part of my Spring swap gifts: upcycled/made over plastic wallets.  Today, I share part 2 - Sequin tote bags.  If you've visited here before, you may recognise this technique to be almost identical to the 'hello' jumper I made earlier in the year.  I really liked the easy method and the impact and effect the sequin phrase had.  Perfect for a tote bag if you ask me - lets arm ourselves with fabric glue and sequins.

What I Used:
2 x plain tote carrier bags
1/2 metre of gold sequin trim
Fabric Glue
Scissors / Pencil



I wanted to keep the bags fairly simple, with a word/phrase at the bottom section.  To prepare, I protected the inside of the bag with a thick sheet of cardboard from a box [to prevent any glue transferring and sealing the bag shut] and then lightly sketched my 'hello' in pencil.  Once happy with the size and style, I traced the pencil guidelines with fabric glue [it doesn't have to be particuarly neat, but the more consistent you can have the amount of glue, the better - and don't worry, it dries clear]:

Next, taking my sequin trim, I began to lay the back on the glue in small sections, following the lines as neatly as I could and being careful not to smudge the glue as I did so!:

....continue for the length of the word and then trim the end:

Before leaving to dry [for at least 3 hours], neaten any lines, straighten and mis-alignments of the sequins and then set aside to bond:


I also created a second bag 'yaho' for my Dainty and Ivory swap, using exactly the same technique.  If fabric glue is not your jam, you can easily recreate this with hand stitching / machine stitching too:

Finally, once dried, you can strengthen the bond with a quick iron [and make the bag look nicer too]:
With everything sealed and secured in place, the bag was ready to be sent off to it's new home - to Gude at Hodge Podge.  I hope you like it!
 ...I promise I ironed Hannah's before I sent it off :)
 .... have a great weekend
see you next time x
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3 comments

  1. I made this, copying yours here as I LOVE the gold sequins, then went on to do a sequinned beach bag DIY inspired by it, which I've just put up on my blog. I hope that is OK - I did, of course, link back to your wonderful blog for the inspiration! x
    Claire
    theowlintheteacup.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course! Thanks so much for linking back - I'm on my way over to see them both now! :)

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  2. I tried it and it looked awesome.Thanks for posting it

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