Farmer’s Market Bag

Summer for us means Farmer’s Markets!  Make this bag for the teacher who enjoys cooking or for yourself!  

Materials

• Blank canvas bag (you can purchase these at craft stores)
• Painter’s tape
• Brown fabric paint
• Green fabric paint
• Red fabric paint (optional)
• Craft trays
• Sponge or sponge brush
• Large piece of cardboard (the size of the bag)
• Scissors
• Fabric pen
• Smock
• Printout of the Gift Tag “A Market Bag for You!” MarketBag

Directions

• Don a smock (especially as you don’t want to get fabric paint on your clothes!)

• Cut a large piece of cardboard to go into your bag (so the paint won’t seep through to the other side) and insert it.

• Tape lines onto your bag as shown with the painter’s tape to make sharp lines to form tree trunks (we loosely made ours to kind of play on the idea of a bar code turned into trees.)

• Pour your brown fabric paint into a shallow tray.

• Dip your sponge or sponge brush into the paint and apply in between the lines of the tape.  One tip that seems to prevent seepage under the tape is to move in a directly up and down fashion, rather than brushing back and forth.

• Allow to dry overnight.

• Carefully remove the tape.

• Dip your hand into the green paint to make the foliage portion of the tree.  Apply it carefully to the tops of the trunks.  Allow to dry overnight.  Should you like, add red fingerprint apples.

• Do the same with the other side the following day, should you like.

• In the inside hem of the bag, write your name and the date.

• Fill the bag with fresh Farmer’s marker produce, a recipe book or a gift card to a cooking store or grocery store and attach the provided gift tag.

Purpose

• Thinking of others, exploring various painting techniques

Safety Notes

• Be sure to wear a smock when you use fabric paint.
• Select a brand of paint that is non-toxic.