DIY Painted Beach Bags

If you had to choose beach or pool, which would you pick? For me personally, it would be lounging pool side all day long! Sounds strange considering I live in southern California but it's true. I love nothing more than a cool dip in a clean pool followed by plenty of coconut scented sunscreen and not a grain of sticky sand in sight. Plus, have you ever found sand in your lip balm? Ok, that's a whole different rant...moving on!

Whether you plan to frequent the pool or the beach this summer, why not make a couple of DIY Painted Beach Bags to tote around your goodies? I found these woven grass bags in the Pinata district in Downtown LA and knew they would be adorable with a bit of paint and maybe a tassel or two. Pom poms? Even better! Here's how to make them...

You will need:
Straw, grass or bamboo tote bags
Outdoor acrylic paint, in a variety of colors
paint brushes
pom poms
pom pom trim, available at the fabric store
hot glue gun
scissors

Step 1: Paint the bottom third of your bag with one color working horizontally and one color working vertically to create a colorful woven pattern. Option #2: Paint the entire bottom third one solid color for a dipped look. Allow to dry completely.

Step 2: Hot glue pom pom trim around the top of your bag. Option #2: Hot glue large pom poms in a row around the top of your bag.

Step 3: Tie tassels around handle for extra embellishment.

Craft by Christina Streit  & Leah Bergman