The spring season has finally arrived, which means you can stop hibernating indoors and go out in the sunshine. You will want to spend your days browsing farmers’ markets, walking in the park and taking in the fresh air — which means you will need a cute and convenient travel bag. If you like to dabble in DIY projects, here is how you can make a brand-new bag for all your favorite spring activities.
Yarn Market Bag
You will need a bag for those days when you want to hit the farmers’ market and stock up on fresh produce, flowers and artisanal items. You can crochet yourself a large and comfortable bag for all your shopping needs — or you can easily arm-knit yourself a market bag if you aren’t experienced with crochet hooks and stitches. Get free patterns and essential materials from the website Yarnspirations, the one-stop shop for beginner and seasoned crafters. The crafting hub is known for carrying an incredible variety of yarn brands, weights, fibers and colors so that you can make the item that you really want. For your market bag, you can focus on spring themes and colors — choose from different shades of yellow yarn for a sunny design or pretty pastels for a softer look.
Pounded Flower Tote
There is no better way to represent spring than a bright floral pattern, which is why you should make a pounded-flower tote to carry your books for when you feel like spending a relaxing afternoon in a café. The first thing you will have to do for this handcrafted project is find colorful flowers like purple pansies or yellow daffodils and remove their stems and leaves. Take a rectangle of clean white cotton and tape the flowers and petals down into the fabric with the bottoms facing up. Place a piece of paper towel over the cotton rectangle then use a mallet to pound down on the taped flowers — this will create bright imprints of the blossoms that will look more realistic than any painting.
Dip-Dye Tote
All you need for this DIY activity is a pair of rubber gloves, a bucket, the fabric dyes that you want and a canvas tote bag. You can always make your own tote bag if you can’t seem to find a plain one around the house or at your nearest craft store — remember to choose a plain white or beige fabric so that you can show the hues properly. Your vibrant dip-dye tote bag will be great for mornings when you need to run errands or for afternoons when you feel like taking a walk in the park.
Now that you can stop hiding from the chilly winter weather, you can go outside and enjoy wonderful activities like going for walks, riding your bike and exploring markets. All you will need is a light jacket and a homemade spring bag to be ready to head out the door and soak in the sunshine.
