The New Capri Sun Bag

The Capri Sun (or Kool Aid) bags are so cute, but to be honest, the pouches are a pain in the *** to sew with! They are thick, slick, and don't ease at all like regular fabric does.

So I have been playing around for some time now, to develop a user friendly way to sew with these little guys, and I think I've got it! Here is the new version of my Capri Sun bag, using oil cloth as the top, handles and bottom. I like the oil cloth because it is easier to sew on, and I can make matching handles. It has the same bright and fun colors that the pouches come in, and it is waterproof and easy to wipe down with a damp cloth.


This size works great for a lunch bag or medium size purse. I am going to make some bigger ones with more pouches for a larger purse.

Capri Sun Bag

So....what's in YOUR dishwasher? A couple of days ago, mine was filled with a bunch of washed Capri Sun bags waiting to dry--great tip from my friend Donna. I have used many kitchen appliances for crafting, but I think that this is the first time that my dishwasher has played a part.

So, after all of the bags were washed and dried, I used 12 of them to make this bag. Not too bad for a first try, but I learned a valuable lesson--don't try to make a gusset by sewing the bags right sides together, sewing diagonal corners, and turning the bag inside out. It was a major PITA to turn it inside out! So, my next bag will be different.

I gave this bag to my 6-year old daugher, and now all of her little friends at summer school are requesting bags--oh my!

Another Fat Book and Recycling

I am participating in another 120 Fat Book (4 x 4 inch pages) swap on Art Techniques. It is just a technique swap with the theme of using cheap or recycled materials. I chose to make hand made stamps out of sticky backed fun foam. I used white Gesso to stamp the image onto upcycled "chip board" that I saved from cereal boxes, coke 12 packs, used Priority mail envelopes, etc. It absolutely amazed me how quickly the recycleables added up. We have been recycling aluminum cans and plastics for years, but saving all of this extra food packaging was new to me.

After the Gessoed stamp dried, I painted the entire piece with a liquid watercolor wash. The Gesso resists the watercolor, while the background absorbs it. I really like the rich tones that I got from painting on the brown chip board base. I added some accent dots using the eraser end of a pencil and some acrylic paint. I'm ready to send these babies off, and can't wait to see the other 119 techniques!