How to Decorate Your Bag for the First Day of School

Create a unique school bag by decorating it.

If you do not want to start your first day of school with a boring school bag purchased from a store, consider decorating it with your personal style in mind. Decorating your school bag allows you to make a unique statement. You do not need any special skills or tools to decorate your school bag. Allow an afternoon for the project.

Things You'll Need

• Graphic
• Pencil
• Permanent marker
• Fabric paints
• Paintbrushes
• Fabric glue
• Accessories

Instructions

1. Find a graphic for your school bag--for example a favorite cartoon character, flower or sport. Consider using the Internet to find your graphic and printing it. Also look in a comic or coloring book.

2. Trace the graphic onto the bag with a pencil. You may wish to look at the graphic or try to trace it while holding it on the bag. Using a pencil to trace the graphic allows you to correct mistakes.

3. Outline the graphic you traced with a permanent marker. This creates a permanent outline of the graphic and helps you to follow the outline when painting the graphic.

4. Paint the graphic with different colors of fabric paints. Paint one color at a time and allow it to dry according to the manufacturer's directions before moving onto another color. This prevents the paint colors from bleeding into one another. Consider using glitter paint for a girl's bag.

5. Attach a variety of small accessories on your school bag. Consider small sunglasses, flowers or shapes for girls' bags and small sport balls, skateboards and skulls for boys' bags. You may purchase accessories at a hobby store. Secure the accessories on the school bag with fabric glue and allow drying time according to the manufacturer's directions.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use your school bag if your paint has not dried completely.

• Do not use your school bag if your glue is still wet, as your accessories may fall off the bag.

• Verify with your child's school what is and is not allowed to be on a school bag as a decoration--for example, specific graphics or accessories.

References

• Kaboose: Personalized Backpack Craft
• Artists Helping Children: Decorating Backpacks and Schoolbags