Decorating Canvas Bags

Fabric paint on stamps. You'll need chunky foam stamps, not small rubber stamps. Youngest kids may dunk in very shallow pools of fabric paint but show the older ones how to use a brush to paint the paint onto the stamps for really nice, clean stamp images. I do this with some very nice floral and vine stamps I have to make tote bags for adults!

Consider using what is called "dimensional fabric paint." It's also known as "puffy paint" because it looks puffed up on the surface of the bag. Kids use this right out of the little squeeze bottles in which the paint comes, so experiment to be sure kids don't squeeze out a glob and use up a whole bottle at once. (I'd save it for the oldest kids. They will love the way it looks.)

Or use a good fabric glue -- really needs to be a fabric glue -- and let them glue on anything: Thin wooden shapes from the craft store; plastic beads; sequins; feathers. Yes the stuff will eventually come off. The paint option will last longer.

Or use fabric glue to attach felt shapes. You can just have lots of colorful felt and let the kids cut out whatever they like, even make scenes or cut out letters for names etc., and glue them onto the bags. Alternatively, you can buy felt letters at craft stores and the kids can just use those.

If this craft has a theme of some sort, have simple patterns the kids can trace around to make felt shapes that fit the theme (beach: balls, umbrellas, sun, fish, crabs, etc.--that's one example).

Be sure, whether gluing or painting, to place a section of newspaper inside each bag. This prevents glue or paint from soaking through and either gluing the two sides of the bag together or staining one side with paint from the other. And if you have time, wash the bags first --but with 120 of them, that may not realistically happen!

I hope you and the kids have a great time.

You can have pictures, text or photographs photocopied onto fabric, then iron the fabric patches onto the canvas bags with "stitch witchery" from the fabric store. Use fabric paint and markers to create frames for the picture, add decoration and lettering.

Get special glue for attaching "jewels" to the canvas bags.

Stencils and paint, stamps and ink.

Tie dye or batik.
Make your own silk screens. Not 120 of them, perhaps the older kids can create the screens and and help the younger children apply the ink.

For the little ones, maybe 3-5 yr olds, the fabric markers will probably be the easiest is they will mostly be on their own. As the age increases, more complex things like finer paint brushes and stencils, maybe things to sew on. When my girls were 8 I bought canvas bags for them to decorate. I bought a couple of stencils, paint brushes, stamps and a lot of different fabric paints and puffy paints. They weren't interested at the time to sew things on. Also whatever additional mediums you use, make sure you consider teh time frame you have for the project as some things take a lot longer to dry or whatever. Another option for the older group is iron on items or patches using special patch glue that will not require sewing.

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For the little ones, maybe 3-5 yr olds, the fabric markers will probably be the easiest is they will mostly be on their own. As the age increases, more complex things like finer paint brushes and stencils, maybe things to sew on. When my girls were 8 I bought canvas bags for them to decorate. I bought a couple of stencils, paint brushes, stamps and a lot of different fabric paints and puffy paints. They weren't interested at the time to sew things on. Also whatever additional mediums you use, make sure you consider teh time frame you have for the project as some things take a lot longer to dry or whatever. Another option for the older group is iron on items or patches using special patch glue that will not require sewing.

They could just draw some pictures of summer fun or a garden of flowers or trees on them. You could cut out shapes or letters or things like the sun or flowers and use iron on or fabric/craft glue and have decorate around them with fabric paints. You could also have the little ones do their hand prints on them. You could do prints of flowers or leaves, paint the leaves/flowers and roll it with sm roller or press them on.

you could also glue on bottons or old bits of jewlery or for a more natural/outdoor look you could have them glue on twigs and other little finds from the woods and or mix it up with other things.

The biggest thing is everybody having fun. That's a huge age difference.

Have Fun!

When I was teaching during VBS, there was about 30 minutes for crafts, and the pre-k and kinder kids ALWAYS finished very fast! I would recommend having some coloring sheets for that age group as well. Also, you should have a few simple games in mind just in case the kids all finish early. It is the worst when you have a room full of kids saying "what do we do now?!"

The other mamas had brilliant ideas :) All I can add to what they've already said is "potato stamps" and fabric paint. All you do is cut the potatoes in half and then either use them as they are or carve out different shapes into them. Works out way cheaper than buying other kinds of stamps :) Have fun!

What about getting fabric, ironing "wonder under" to the back of it, cutting out assorted shapes, letters etc. letting the kids pick what they want, and then with supervision.....you peel the paper off of the back, and iron it on to what you want to appliqué. You can also make your own iron on transfers with paper you buy in a craft dept or office supply ....design it on your computer, print, cut, iron viola! Wonder Under is fairly inexpensive, and you can get coupons to get 50% off at Joann's.....it comes with instructions, but basically, you iron it to wrong side of fabric, cut to shape you desire, peel the paper backing off and then iron it on. You could use it on felt, denim, patterned cotton....the possibilities are endless. Felt is cheap, and Joann's always has a clearance section or something on sale. Good luck and have fun!
ETA: wonder under is sold off of a bolt, cut to the size you want, and is near the interfacing in the store...if you're not familiar with it, ask someone at the fabric store...it's great!