Tote bag inspiration - DIY

I love tote bags. They are so simple but, I think, always stylish. Tote bags are a great DIY as well because they are easy to make, they never fail you, you can use them yourself, give them to your friends (if you have tote-loving friends as well) or sell them if you have your own (Etsy) shop. Having studied English literature, I try to incorporate my favourite books in my totes (which is more of a resolution, I wish I had finished dozens of Book Totes, in reality I have made two). I have made a Mrs. Dalloway Book Tote:

and a Sherlock Holmes Book Tote:

I would love to make more totes and there are lots of inspiring examples of tote bags on the internet, home made and factory made. This post will be a tote bag inspiration post for me and for all the other tote bag makers. May you draw inspiration from these examples.

Music Totes

The Smiths

Kate Bush

Stencilled totes

You can make your own stamps (using foam or using potatoes) and make a stencilled tote: 

Statement totes

My lovely best friend gives me books for my birthday, my favourite is 'The hundred-year-old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared' by Jonas Jonasson.

Illustrated totes

Easy totes made from beautiful fabrics

Constellation Totes

An uncommon but pretty category.

I really like the 'Heaven must be a Kentucky kind of place', I am going to copy this shamelessly and make a 'Heaven must be a Nijmegen kind of place' tote bag.

Music tote contemplation:

- 'I've got life, and I'm gonna keep it' - Nina Simone

- 'Peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing' - Led Zeppelin

- 'Will the wind ever remember, the names it has blown in the past. And with his crutch, its old age, and it's wisdom. It whispers no, this will be the last.' - Jimi Hendrix

- 'Bet there's hundreds of blokes that have wept cause you've stolen their thunder' - Arctic Monkeys

If you have any tote bag ideas or beautiful lyrics that would shine on a tote, I would love to hear them.