DIY Haute Couture Eco-Friendly Bag & Scotch Tape Craft GIVEAWAY Contest

Thanks to Scotch(R) Double Sided Tape for sponsoring my writing about crafts.  Add your comment below to be entered for a chance to win free sample rolls to help with your upcoming holiday needs.

I love arts and crafts as a hobby, but unfortunately I haven't had much time to do it since I had four children, all born within a year, including triplets plus one more.

Recycled Shopping Bag - Before
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com


In fact, I haven't spent more than 15 minutes here and there to unleash my artistic side since I started mommy blogging full-time, while also homeschooling my four teens (including three 13 year-olds).  I guess you could say that I'm just slightly busy all the time.  Really -- what mom with kids isn't?

Now, I must confess.  Last week I played hooky from blogging for several hours to have some fun and make something beautiful out of an assortment of odds and ends I happen to have on hand at home.  At first, I actually felt guilty for taking time away from MommyBlogExpert to work on this DIY craft project, but shortly after beginning to create what I'd thought of in my mind over the several weeks prior, I'd completely forgotten about my blog!

Recycled Shopping Bag - After It's Been Accessorized
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Since I enjoy sharing creative ideas with this blog's readers, I had to pass this on to you.  Here are the easy directions so that you too can steal away for a few hours to make a beautiful eco-friendly fashion statement kind of bag either for yourself or for someone else as a gift bag or as a gift in itself.  My teen girls went wild over this bag, so now I'm working on another one because like most siblings, they're not very good at sharing and each must have their own.

Eco Designer Original

Embellished Bag

All The Odds & Ends Used to Make This Gorgeous Bag
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

Materials Needed:

• Shopping Bag from your favorite store
• Assorted, already read fashion magazines
• A store catalog or two that you received in the mail
• Odds & ends such as broken costume jewelry & baubles
• Your choice of recycled ribbons, lace edgings, and/or trims

Tools Needed:

• Scotch Double Sided Tape
• Glue Dots
• Scissors

Easy Directions:

1.  First choose a color scheme, either several complementary colors or monochromatic ones (different shades of one color); neutral colors, black and white will look good with either

2.  Choose a shopping bag from your favorite story, any size you want but in good condition

3.  Gather a few old fashion magazines and store catalogs and from these use scissors to cut out an assortment of fashion accessories, brand labels, cosmetics, models, or whatever you like that looks pretty and fits the color scheme you selected in step #1

4.  Next, go into your jewelry box or junk drawer and look for light weight pretty items such broken pieces of costume jewelry in your colors as well as in gold and/or silver that you've been saving for years for no reason

Detail showing magazine/catalog cutouts, ribbon & jewels on bag
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

5.  Lastly -- again, keeping your main color scheme in mind -- check your daughter's hair ribbon box, Grandma's old button tin, and look inside your closet (and your kids') for clothes that are no longer worn that might have some fun lace, edging, or some other accents that you can steal from it to use for this craft

6.  Lay everything out on your the front of your bag without attaching anything so you can move things around till you're happy with the arrangement

7.  Then, use Scotch Double Sided Tape to attach larger pieces such as wide ribbons and bigger cutout pictures to the bag and Glue Dots to attach smaller pieces and tiny rhinestones and faux jewels

8.  That's it. Your bag is done, ready for you to add to your own accessories collection or to use as a one-of-a-kind gift or gift bag for a fashionable family member or friend

So, go ahead and take a break from whatever you have to do and get crafty.  If anyone asks, say that MommyBlogExpert encouraged you to take a little time off to create something eco-friendly, inexpensive, and fun.  

I hope you enjoy making this fun project as much as enjoyed developing the idea.  I look forward to hearing how your own bags turns out.  In fact, I'd love to add your projects to this post, so if you have a JPG to send, leave me a comment with your Twitter or email info so I can contact you.

Eco Designer Original Embellished Bag

Finished Project

3M's Scotch Tape
Crafty GIVEAWAY Contest 
Scroll down for Easy Entry Details

10 winners will each receive a roll of Double-Sided Scotch Tape

ENTER this Giveaway NOW by leaving one or more comments below this post.

Contest ends November 21, 2010 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only.  One prize per person.

For the Required (Mandatory) Entry

Simply leave a comment below this blog post with your email address, Facebook or Twitter contact info so we may contact the winner.  In the event that you are one of the 10 winners of this prize, MommyBlogExpert will contact you via DM or email for your shipping address.

Optional Extra Entries

Get extra entries for following MommyBlogExpert on Twitter and/or Facebook.  Remember: Be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert to leave an additional comment after each individual action you do to confirm them so we can record all your extra chances to win.

Follow MommyBlogExpert (2 extra entries)

• on Twitter
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In ADDITION to doing any or all of the extra entries above, you can also earn one extra entry each time you Tweet the message exactly in the paragraph immediately below (Tweets are unlimited, so Tweet as much as you like).  Don't forget to return to leave a comment on MommyBlogExpert with the direct link to each Tweet right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive credit for the extra entries from all your RTs.

Haute Couture Craft + @ScotchProducts GIVEAWAY http://tinyurl.com/2dtt7fu #clevercrafts #kids #craft #contest #eco #fashion RT 2 WIN

Remember, for each of the above entries to count, be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert to leave an additional comment after each of the above actions to confirm them so your extra chances to win will be tabulated.

About Scotch Brands
Please learn more about Scotch Double Sided Tape and other Scotch Products and join the conversation on the Scotch Brand Facebook Page and via Twitter. 

FTC Disclosure:  I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.