Summer Trip Activites Bag , Restaurant Outings Busy Tote, Sibling Kits - Personalize them for your Child's Interests - DIY - Tutorial

Another fabulous Craft Chameleon Blogger joins us today, Alyssa Cardin. She has written another post you won't want to miss! Summer is fast approaching, and for my family, that means: a handful of road trips, eating out, and hanging out at the beach. In order to help keep the "I'm bored" complaints to a minimum, I put together a travel kit for my kids and any other kids we will be around. These kits can also make for fun "big sibling" gifts. This kit will be filled with legos and washable markers.

Supplies

*Items listed with an * are clickable links to the products on the website.
* Baby Wipe container free files with purchase * Adhesive vinyl * Weeding tool Transfer Tape Lego Tape Legos/Duplos Washable Markers *Canvas Bag *Heat Transfer Vinyl Color Me Font (alternative font link in tutorial) KG FLAVORS and FRAMES 3 (link below in tutorial)

Let's start with the actual kit part. Pick the vinyl you want to use for the cover (Craft Chameleon is now carrying a Lego adhesive vinyl if you want to do a Lego kit.)

Open your Silhoutte Studio, Design Space, or other preferred software. Craft Chameleon sends a folder with a number of different .svg files to use for your project, you can either use one of those or design your own. To use one of the .svg files from Craft Chameleon, download the .svgs to your computer or save to your library. If on your computer go to File, Open and find the files on your computer.

Select the design you would like to use, in this case we used the floral pattern. Once the pattern is on your screen, place the vinyl on your cutting mat (if you are using one), the vinyl should be patterned or shiny side up. For patterned vinyl, I usually up the thickness 1-2 points from when I cut non-patterned vinyl.

Once the vinyl is cut, weed the excess vinyl. Start in the top right hand corner and grab the vinyl with your weeding hook or tweezers. Slowly pull the vinyl back away from the design. Go back and weed the small pieces of the design that are left.

Once the vinyl is weeded, cut your transfer tape and place the sticky side of the transfer tape to the back of the design you just cut. Rub over the transfer tape with some force. I find that a credit card, my thumb, or the back of a pair of scissors to be helpful.

I find it helpful to have the baby wipe case on the cutting mat to prevent movement during placement.

From there, pull back the transfer tape from the backing of the vinyl. The vinyl should now be stuck to the transfer tape. Line the transfer tape up with the cover of the baby wipe case.
Place the vinyl down so the design lines up with the cover, and using your fingers, firmly push down on the vinyl. Remove the transfer tape. You now have a decorated baby wipe case!

Now, we make it fun! Take the Lego tape and figure out how you want to lay it out in the case. I cut the strips about 7 inches long and left some room to the sides. The Lego tape can be cut with scissors and it has an adhesive on the back for reusable play. You could also super glue the Lego tape to the case if you don't want it to be removed.

Take some loose Legos and stack them on top of the Lego tape. You can stack up to 2 standard Lego bricks in height and the case will still close. (If you have younger kids, Duplos work as well but only to 1 brick in height).

If you will be adding washable markers, you can use white adhesive vinyl for the inside cover that will act like a dry erase board. Use the outline template from the Craft Chameleon files, cut the vinyl, weed and place on the inside cover.

This photo and case by Peggy Flanagan. Sky File coming soon!

You can also make it these for older children. Alternate ideas include: Matchbox cars, Magnaformers, Tegu blocks, crayons, or wiki sticks. All will fit in the baby wipes cases.

Once you have a kit made, you will want a bag to carry the kit, (or 5) that you have made. My 8 year old loves to write stories and draw pictures to go along with her stories so she was my inspiration for this bag.

Type out Write A Story and Draw a picture in the font called Color Me Font (Similar font link here). The font KG FLAVORS and FRAMES 3 was used for the frames (Link Here).

Size the font and the frames to give enough room for a story and pictures. Remember to flip your design horizontal because we are using heat transfer vinyl.

Once the design is set, select your vinyl and place shiny side down on the cutting mat. Insert vinyl into your machine and cut your design. Weed your design as you did above with the adhesive vinyl.

Place the design sticky side of the vinyl down on the canvas bag so it reads correctly and place a teflon sheet over the vinyl. Make sure the straps of the bag are off the heat press of they will get in the way of the pressure you are applying to the vinyl.

Press according to the directions of the maufacturers vinyl. Remove the teflon sheet, and carefully pull away the cover flim from the heat transfer vinyl. Turn the bag over and apply the vinyl on the other side.

The bag is now ready for those washable markers. Someone can write a story and draw a picture and then wash the bag (or even use a wet wipe) and start over! I hope you (and your kids) enjoy the project, and have a great summer! 

Leon says 'Hi' back Alyssa and thank you for such an awesome tutorial!

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