DIY = 'quote' tote

this is fabulous and easy
it's also infinitely customisable with your favourite saying or quote

you will need:
a plain tote
2 contrasting colours of fabric paint
pencil or dissolvable fabric marker
paintbrush (s)
newspaper
masking tape

layer the masking tape horizontally across the bag
you could measure and use less masking tape, but i'm lazy
remove alternate strips of tape to create a row that you can colour

with your pencil or dissolvable fabric marker, draw a speech bubble 
make the bubble large enough to contain your words

blend your fabric paint to the shade you like

place a sheet of paper or some newspaper inside in case your paint leaks through
paint the strips up to your  pencil lines and masking tape 
make sure you don't paint into your speech bubble

when you've done the lot, hold it up to the light to show weak spots that need a touch more paint
allow to dry

paint the outline of your speech bubble in black
go over any bits that don't 'take'
i stripped off the masking tape as i went
wait 'till that is dry before lettering otherwise you'll track the black paint EVERYWHERE

it should end up like this, waiting for your message

now it's time to letter
i did this free-hand but you could use a stencil
as you can see it may need a couple of coats to create bold lettering

once your words are painted
allow to dry fully (according to your paint recommendations)
use a hot iron to press/seal the paint after drying
don't rush the lettering if you are doing it free-hand or you could make a mistake
(i made a spelling mistake with this one - weep!)
so i'll show the final picture of one i made earlier

what will yours say?