How To Paint A Tote Bag With Mixing Paint

For those of you that like to express your creativity with Mixing 2 year old paint and fabric, hand painting a tote bag on an easel is a great project. You can use any type of color and pattern that you want to create a unique tote bag that will show off your individuality and style. To get started, gather your supplies and set up a work surface. For this project, you will need a tote bag, an easel, acrylic paints, and brushes.

Start by deciding on your design for the tote bag. You can plan out your whole design beforehand, or improvise as you go along. If you have a specific design in mind, it helps to draw it out with pencil on the canvas before getting started. This is especially helpful if the tote bag has multiple colors that will need to be carefully painted over each other. You can also use masking tape to create a guideline for your painting.

Depending on the type of paint that you choose to use, the surface of your tote may require some preparation. You will want to ensure that the surface is clean and free of any creases or folds that could cause the paint to bleed or streak. You will also want to make sure that the bag is flat and secure on the easel.

Mixing Paint

While there are many different types of paints that can be used on tote bags, craft and acrylic paints tend to work the best. These paints have water-like properties and are thin in consistency, making them easier to apply and wipe away. They are also designed to adhere well to the cotton canvas of a tote bag.

Heavier highway and traffic paints, which often have higher densities and viscosity levels than typical paint products, present a bit more of a challenge. These formulations must meet stringent DOT requirements for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dry times and durability, so thorough mixing is critical prior to application.

Because these formulations are typically stored and transported in standard IBC square totes, the cubic shape of these containers can cause issues with effective mixing and re-suspension of settled solids. This type of product requires a heavier duty mixer, such as the INDCO BG-series, which features solid mounting brackets and can be either tote mounted or drum mounted. These units are available in air and electric motors, with standard or explosion-proof configurations as dictated by the operational environment and availability of utilities. INDCO’s engineering team can help determine the appropriate mixer model for a given application.