Create a charming felt letter canvas bag in just a few simple steps

A traditional canvas bag is an eco-friendly solution to plastic that also makes it easy to carry a variety of items when there just aren’t enough hands to help. Just because it’s a useful everyday accessory doesn’t mean it can’t be charming too. Considering giving a canvas bag a facelift by adding a few decorative felt features. Highlight a favorite letter or last name monogram with a large cursive letter and add a few leafy extras for good measure.

Once decorative felt features are cut out, it’s a simple matter of securing them to the canvas bag. Green thread and a sewing needle are all it takes to center a cursive felt cut out letter to the center of a bag while glue works wonders when attaching leaves to either side. Once the decorating is done, feel free to carry this upgraded canvas bag anywhere. Perfect for the library, grocery store or simply carrying everyday items around, a felt letter canvas bag brings a lot of personality into everyday errands.

-Blue construction paper, 8” wide by 11” in height
-Sharpie
-Scissors
-MemOffice cutting mat
-X-Acto knife
-Green felt, 8” wide by 11” in height
-Plain canvas bag
-Sewing pins
-Green thread
-Sewing needle
-Leather and suede glue

Instructions
 
1. Place an 8-inch by 11-inch piece of blue construction paper on a flat working surface.

2. Draw a decorative capital letter ‘A’ or any preferred letter in cursive using a Sharpie. Make sure the letter is at least 9-inches tall.

3. Cut the letter from the paper to use as a stencil.

4. Place the letter on a MemOffice cutting mat.

5. Cut the center of the letter ‘A’ out using an X-Acto knife for precision.

6. Remove the MemOffice cutting mat and replace it with a piece of green felt measuring at least 8-inches wide by 11-inches in height.

7. Trace the outline of the letter onto the green felt using a Sharpie.

8. Cut the letter tracing out with scissors. Fold the letter in half to more easily cut away the center triangle.

9. Place the green felt letter in the center of a canvas bag.

10. Cut out two small leaves and a third larger decorative leaf from green felt.

11. Position the two smaller leaves at the upper right corner of the letter ‘A’ and the larger leaf at the bottom right side of the letter.

12. Secure the felt letter and leaves in place with sewing pins.

13. Use green thread and a sewing needle to create a line of stitches along the long left leg of the felt letter to attach it to the canvas bag. Approach the stitches from the back side of the canvas and follow the length of the letter down. Knot the thread behind the bag when done and cut away excess thread as needed. Remove sewing pins as the stitches are applied.

14. Remove the sewing pins from one of the green felt leaves.

15. Apply leather and suede glue to the back of the leaf and press it firmly to the canvas to attach. Repeat for the two remaining leaves.

16. Take this felt letter canvas bag anywhere and enjoy a touch of style when running daily errands.