How to make disco-inspired bachelorette party tote bags
These personalized tote bags are whimsical, fun, and practical - perfect for a bachelorette weekend. The retro font and disco-inspired vinyl make these personalized tote bags a great alternative to traditional bachelorette party aesthetics.
Time: 1 hour
Materials:
an iron or the Cricut Easy Press
Cricut or other similar die-cut machine
a little bit of patience
I’m not normally the kind of crafter that makes everything personalized, but the minute that I got engaged, I said fuck it. I’m only getting married once, and I am going to go as cheesy as it gets. Especially if that means putting the word “bride” on anything and everything.
These tote bags were super easy to make using my Cricut. That being said, I made a lot of silly mistakes along the way, which is why I’m making this guide. Make sure to read the entire post carefully before starting your project, so you don’t make the same mistakes I did.
Step One: Make your text in Cricut Design Space
One great thing about Cricut Design Space is you can use fonts that you already have uploaded to your computer. I used this font and I loved the retro feel. Install the font on your computer before opening up Cricut Design Space, so that the font is ready to go.
Measure your tote bag to determine how large you need your font to be. I wanted the letters to take up the entire width of the bag. Add your text to Cricut Design Space. Make sure you “weld” the letters of each name together before going to the “Make it” screen - this will ensure that your text cuts out together as a name, and not just individual letters.
Step Two: Cut the vinyl
Place the vibrant side (with the clear plastic front) down on your cutting mat. Don’t be like me and cut it with the vibrant side up - you want your Cricut to only be cutting through the vinyl, not the plastic. The plastic keeps the vinyl after the Cricut cuts it, so that you can iron it onto your tote bag.
Important: Before you cut, make sure you mirror your image! Otherwise, your names will come out backwards.
Step Three: Iron on the vinyl
Turn on your iron or Easy Press, and heat the tote bag for 10 seconds to warm the surface.
Place your vinyl letters with plastic backing on tote bag. The plastic should be facing up. Cover with a piece of scrap fabric or a dish towel. Just don’t use the iron directly on the plastic like I did. That would be bad. Hold iron in place for 30 seconds.
Next, iron the inside of tote bag for 10-15 seconds, to make sure the letter really stick.
Let the bag and letters cool. Once cool, remove the plastic lining and you should have your perfect tote bag. For some of the bags, I had to iron on the letters a couple times to make sure they really stuck. Just make sure to carefully peel off the plastic facing, and you should be good to go!
I would love to hear your thoughts on this project. Comment down below if you plan to make it!