DIY Monogrammed Beach Tote

 

Monogram It

A few weeks ago I hosted Girl’s Craft Night and it turned out to be one of our best ones yet. My best friend, Betsy, had the idea of DIYing a monogrammed beach tote and threw it out into our group text message. No one could say “YES” fast enough!  It’s the ideal craft: on trend and can be finished in 2-3 hours. At our craft nights everyone brings their own supplies, wine, and snacks, meaning everyone ends up making something different which is half the fun! We all have the same inspiration, but all of our creations are completely unique and it’s so great to see everyone put their personal spin on it.  If you try this at home, TOTALLY feel free to mix it up and give it your own flair! My sister wrote “snacks” across her bag and it turned out so cute, so have fun with it!   

How To Hand-Paint and Monogram a Tote

First, don’t let this project intimidate you. I PROMISE it’s super easy! Also, do a little inspiration digging on monograms and color-ways before you pick out your design! Pinterest is great for that. 

Supplies you need:

Before we get started, let’s talk supplies! All of these can be found on Amazon or your local craft store! My one tip here is, when you are picking out paint, make sure you also pick up color that matches the color of your bag for touch-up, trust me you’ll want this!

Supplies:

• Bag/Tote
• Craft Paint (2 colors + color of your bag)
• Painter’s Tape
• Foam Paint Brush
• Fine Tip Paint Brush
• Letter Stencils

  Once you have your supplies, it’s time to get started.  

Step 1: Painters Tape for Your Line Guides

Lay your bag on your table and use the painter’s tape to tape out the skinny lines first.

Step 2: Paint the Outside Lines

Next, it’s time to pick a color and paint in those lines. For this step, I recommend using a 1″ foam paint brush. Once the lines are dry, remove the painter’s tape. 

Step 3: Paint the Middle Line

Just like the last step, use the foam paintbrush to paint in your middle color. The foam brush is great because it helps keep those lines extra straight! Make sure everything is dry before you move onto your next step.

Step 4: Paint The Monogram

This is where things can get dicey, so grab your stencil and make sure you are holding it flat against the bag. The stencils can be cut down so there isn’t as much excess on the sides of each letter, I’d recommend trimming them so you can line them up on your bag and tape them down before you start painting. Once they are taped, paint them in using the foam brush. 

Step 5: Details 

This is the step where you can add some flair and fill in the rest of the letters. Use a small paintbrush to add serifs, drop shadows, and extra details. Examples of each are below:  

Step 6: The Clean Up

For the last and final step, use a small brush with the paint that is the same color as your bag and clean up the edges! This step makes ALL the difference! And just like that, you have your very own masterpiece.  A bag that looks like you spent $200 when in all reality it cost $20 and a bottle of rosé with your girlfriends! Definitely keep me updated if you try out this craft! I’d love to see the final look.   

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