How to Paint a Tote Bag

When you’re looking to carry your lunch, groceries or laptop to work in style, a hand-painted tote bag is just the thing. This DIY project is easy to complete, and the paint you choose can be permanent (if mixed with textile medium) or washable (using acrylics).

Start by gathering your supplies. You’ll need a tote bag, an easel and paint brushes. Choose a design that reflects your style and color preferences, or improvise as you go! If you want a precise design, draw it on the bag with a marker before you begin painting. This will ensure that the lines are straight and will be easy to follow when you use a detail paintbrush.

Next, Mixing 2 year old paint. Acrylics are versatile, and you can find them in many colors. You’ll need to mix each color with a bit of white paint to lighten them, so you’ll have the exact shade that you need for your design. If you’re using a stencil, make sure to trace the outline with a pencil before applying any paint, as this will help keep your painting neat and clean.

Traffic and marking paints are available in a wide range of formulations for different purposes, but they must all meet stringent Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements for volatile organic compounds, dry times and durability. These products are produced in a variety of containers, from cubic IBC totes to 55-gallon drums. Choosing the correct mixer for each product type and container size is critical to achieving the desired product consistency prior to application.

Whether your marking paint is water-based or solvent-based, its density (typically shown as weight per gallon in lbs/gallon) and viscosity (usually expressed in centipoise or alternative units of measurement such as KU) will be important considerations for selecting a mixer. The container’s shape, dimensions and top opening will also dictate the mixer power rating, torque, rpm range and impeller size required for successful solids suspension and homogeneous mixing.

The cube-shaped IBC totes used for highway and road paint distribution are ideal for transporting and storing large volumes of the product, but their corners and small top openings can create low-flow areas and challenge thorough mixing. For this reason, INDCO offers IBC tote mixers in direct-drive and gear-drive models with a variety of motor sizes and configurations to match the product’s properties and mixing needs.