Stamped Produce/Green Bag Project

I think it's pretty normal to want to be a little 'crunchier' these days.  Many of us have adopted healthier lifestyles and have begun to engage in a greener existence overall.  At the forefront of the green army is the mantra "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".  One of the easiest ways to employ this is simply to invest in reusable materials that reduce our waste production.   Today's project features stamped, personalized 'green bags'.  This project will take about 10 minutes (depending on the phrase or word you choose to stamp on your bag) and is a perfect craft to do with kids, while teaching them about the importance of reusing materials and being kind to our planet. The ease and limited supplies also makes this project an excellent choice for a girls' crafting night.  My friend Kim and I spent about 15 minutes altogether making our bags. 

You Will Need 

StazOn Archival Ink (this ink is permanent and will hold up to much use)

Letter Stamps (Wooden, Rubber, Foam, or Acrylic)

Blank Canvas Bag (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, eBay, Wal-Mart)

Ruler

Piece of blank paper

Directions

Decide on a word or a phrase you want to stamp on your bag.  I predominantly use my canvas bags for hauling groceries home in, so I chose the words "Eat More Plants".  Kim was planning to use hers as a tote for her work supplies, so she wanted something uplifting and decided on "Be the Reason Someone Smiles Today".   Depending on your use of the bag, it could reflect the contents, a mantra, your name, or perhaps a Dr. Seuss quote if you're using it for children. 


After we decided on our phrasing, we laid our bags flat on a workspace (in this case, the weathered crafting table).  It's very important to get your bag perfectly flat to prevent inconsistencies in the letters.  Then, we inserted a piece of paper to keep the ink from bleeding through to the back of the bag.

Now grab your ruler, and position it so that you stamp in a straight line.  This step is completely optional.  I generally just eyeball the placement of my letters, but if you have any amount of OCD this will allow you to sleep soundly after completing the project.   

Start stamping! I keep a paper towel handy to clean off the corners of my stamps after I ink them. Otherwise, you end up with a weird box-ish outline around your letters.  Make sure you don't move your stamp once you put it on your canvas; this will give you crisp, readable lettering. 

  

After you finish stamping your phrase...that's really it!  You are done!  Easiest DIY project ever.  With StazOn ink, there is no need to heat set the letters with an iron.  

And here are our finished products! 

  

You can get all kinds of creative with this project.  It's super cute to add buttons and ribbon.  Or you could try your hand with different mediums than ink, like paint or perhaps iron-on transfers.  The possibilities are endless!  They even make very cute personalized gift bags for holidays and showers. 

We'd love to see what designs and quotes you came up with!  Comments and feedback are always welcome!   Thank you for stopping by! 

xo, Karee