When I asked y'all what you'd like to see in a travel dollhouse, a beach theme was the overwhelming response. I knew I wanted to include a beach bag, and that's a DIY project I'd been wanting to tackle anyway. I don't know why I put it off for so long because this beach tote took me less than 10 minutes to make.
Materials:
-wood base
-cross stitch fabric
-decorative ribbon (optional)
-twine
-fabric scissors or rotary cutter
-fabric tape
-super glue
-hot glue
For the base, you'll need a small scrap piece of wood. I grabbed this out of a drawer so I'm not sure of the exact dimensions, but it's probably 0.5"x1.5". I didn't want the corners to be too sharp in case it poked through the fabric so I rounded the corners using sandpaper.
I used cross stitch fabric for a number of reasons: I had some lying around; it looks realistic for a tote bag; and the edges don't fray too much so I don't have to worry about hemming the fabric. I wanted my bag to be 1.25" tall so I cut a strip of fabric. To determine how long it needed to be, I measured the perimeter of the base and then added a quarter inch so it would overlap a bit.
Next up, I measured the decorative trim. Hobby Lobby has so many fun ribbons for this part. It's totally optional, but I love the extra detail it gives the tote. I laid the fabric down and placed the trim on top and cut it to the same length as the fabric. I used double-sided fabric tape to attach the trim.
I applied fabric tape to the base and then wrapped the fabric around the base, being careful that the fabric was pulled tight and lined up with the bottom of the base. I used a couple dots of super glue to close the seam.
I cut the handles from white twine I had on hand. For my tote, each handle is about 2" long. I used a dot of hot glue to attach the handles. I tried using super glue, but I kept gluing my finger to the handle and bag. Instead, just use a small dot of hot glue, and only do one side of each handle at a time or the glue will dry before you can get to the other side.
You've got a finished tote bag ready to fill with whatever your dolls plan to do. I used mine as a beach tote so I added a towel, a bottle of water, and some fun beach reads.
Tag me on Instagram @mini.adventures.co to share your tote bags. This project has so many possibilities, and I'd love to be inspired with different variations.