If you enjoy embroidery you have probably created quite a large number of pieces of work. Some of these may be framed and used as pictures or given to friends as gifts but others may simply be stored away where nobody can see them. It can be difficult to decide exactly what to do with embroidery pieces after they are completed.
Decorating Canvas Bags
An interesting way to use your embroidery is to stitch it onto a canvas bag. If you do this then people are able to look at your creative work but the bag can also be used in a practical way. I have decorated several bags and I use some of these to store felt, fabric and other sewing materials. I am always on the look out for cheap embroidery materials so it is very useful to have somewhere attractive to store these.
Where to Buy Canvas Bags
You can buy canvas bags, specifically designed for decoration, from many craft catalogues and art shops. These bags are often intended for printing work such as screen printing or lino printing so they may be quite thick, which is why it is probably better to stitch your work onto the bag rather than trying to sew directly onto the canvas.
Another way to obtain bags is to buy them in supermarkets. Many supermarkets now sell canvas bags as an alternative to plastic carrier bags. These bags can be very cheap and easy to obtain. If you buy a bag from a shop then it is likely to be printed with a name or logo. However, if your embroidery work is large enough, you can simply stitch your work directly over the printing and create a new look for the bag.
Some companies and organizations even give away free canvas bags. I recently attended a college open day with my son. Each student was given a prospectus and other related materials in a free canvas bag. When we reached home, I put the literature on a shelf and decorated the canvas bag with one of my embroidery pieces.
How to Decorate a Bag
You can use existing embroidery pieces to decorate your bag but obviously size is a factor. If you are trying to cover up a logo then you need to make sure that your work is large enough to hide all of the printed design. You could also plan and embroider pieces specifically for a bag. If you intended to use your bag to store fabric then you could write this, in chain stitch, within your design.
Another way to decorate the bag is to sew a small piece of work onto a larger, coloured piece of fabric and then sew this background piece onto the bag. I sometimes make teddy bears from pieces of scrap fabric. I wanted to decorate a bag to store my teddies and all the related materials so I created a flat version of my teddy bear design, sewed it onto a piece of blue felt and then stitched this felt onto my bag. I also like to create an embroidered frame around my pieces of work using gold thread.
Decorated bags can make great presents or they can be used around your own home. Why not try sewing some of your own embroidery work onto a canvas bag?
Susannah White - Susannah White lives in Gloucestershire, England where she works in education. She has an M.A degree in Writing For ...
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