DIY Raffia Flower Tote Bag with Clover's Flower Loom
*This post was created through a paid partnership with Clover. However, all opinions are honest and 100% my own.
*This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure page here.
One of my favorite things about crafting is how it allows you to embellish and personalize your items. And, I love adding embellishments to tote bags as witnessed by this tutorial, this one, and this handmade gift.
Especially this time of the year, I love keeping a tote bag within reach to house all of my children’s extra items and my own. Bonus points if it is cute and personalized. Today, I am so excited to showcase a very simple update to a tote bag that features cheerful flowers; perfect for your next summer adventure.
For today’s blog post tutorial, I updated a simple beach tote and turned it into a whimsical and cheerful tote thanks to Clover’s Flower Loom. I am so excited to partner with Clover today to showcase how simple their Flower Loom is to use.
Want to see more projects using Clover’s amazing products? Then click HERE.
The beauty with this DIY is that it is incredibly simple, and very customizable. You can choose any color palette your heart desires, and you can even use a different medium like yarn or thin ribbon to create your own unique tote bag. I chose raffia for this project because I love the lightweight material, color options, and the strength of the material.
For your convenience, I created a step-by-step video tutorial so you can see how I updated this tote bag using Clover’s Flower Loom. Then continue below to follow the step-by-step images to make your own DIY Raffia Flower Tote Bag.
Enjoy the video below to learn how to update your own tote bag with Clover’s Flower Loom, then follow along for the step-by-step tutorial to make your own!
Follow Below for the Step-By-Step Picture Tutorial
To create your own raffia flower tote bag, you will need:
Create the Raffia Flowers with Clover’s Flower Loom
Secure the loom onto the base by matching the notches on the bottom of the loom to the indentations on the base.
*For this project, I used the round loom in Large. However, you have the option to create many different shapes and sizes with the Flower Loom.
Place the raffia through the hole on the edge of the base and tie a knot, then place the raffia in the slit to secure it in place.
Wind the raffia clockwise around the loom.
*Hold the raffia down in the center as you wind it around the loom pegs so the raffia doesn’t unwind.
Continue to wind the raffia all the way around the loom.
Once complete, trim and tie the raffia to the other end to secure it in the base hole.
Thread the tapestry needle with a different color raffia strand.
*When working with raffia (since it can be a little thick), I like to create a center hole for the tapestry needle to go through before I darn. A wooden skewer is a great tool to use here.
Darn to secure the flower. At the centermost point, thread the needle from the bottom of the loom through to the top.
Insert the needle through the first peg, splitting the two sides of the petal.
Repeat the darning process until you thread the raffia around the entire flower center.
*As you darn, pull the raffia tight so that the flower secures properly. However, be careful not to pull too tight so you don’t rip the raffia.
Once complete, untie the raffia, then remove the loom from the base.
Carefully remove the flower from the loom.
Double knot the loose raffia ends together.
Then trim as close to the flower as possible.
Secure the ends with permanent fabric glue.
Make enough flowers to cover your tote bag.
Add the Raffia Flowers to the Tote Bag
Determine the correct placement for the raffia flowers.
Secure the raffia flowers to the tote bag with thick thread, and double knots.
*I secured the raffia flower at three points along each flower.
Enjoy Your Personalized Flower Tote Bag
I love how cheerful and whimsical this tote bag turned out, and I had so much fun making it thanks to Clover’s Flower Loom.
I hope you enjoy making your own!
Thank you so much to Clover for this fun opportunity to work with their Flower Loom to create this fun project!
Thank you so much for following along. I believe crafting is more fun when we share our projects. Please email me at elizabeth@countrypeony.com, or please tag me @thecountrypeony or #countrypeony to show me your beautiful, custom creations!
Happy Crafting!
