It seems like most people are carrying tote bags, purses, bags, and other shoulder accessories these days. We’ve got more stuff to carry, more things to keep track of, and stronger arms to carry it all with. When it comes to tote bags, they are pretty customizable and can be used for various things.

They’re big bags with straps that come up the sides, made of cloth or leather, and are typically dyed and colored. Most people simply see them as bags, but a few individuals see them as canvases. Because a tote bag is typically reusable, and can easily be carried around, many people decide to customize their tote bags.

The custom totes can be customized for many reasons. Some people want to raise awareness to a specific organization they follow, while others just want their tote bag to display their favorite color, hobby, person, or thing. Many businesses also use tote bags for marketing, as they draw the eye to the business’s catchphrase or logo. 

Why Would You Want a Custom Tote Bag?

For an individual, a custom tote bag is pretty nice to have. It allows you to express your personality, your likes, or the groups you are a part of. Even just that passive display of “I support the boy scouts because I have their tote bag” can be enough to get someone to use one.

Second, customizing your tote bag through a website can be pretty fun. It’s interesting to see the blank tote bag as a canvas and scroll through all the colors, designs, and patterns you can use to make it your own. 

Finally, with your customizations, you’ll be able to spot your own tote bag from a mile away. No one ever thinks they’ll misplace their tote bag, but when it does happen, you’ll know what your tote bag looks like.

Custom Tote Bags for Businesses

If you are a business owner or belong to a company, sometimes a tote bag can be a great marketing tool. Unlike pens, flyers, or business cards, tote bags are practical in today’s world. Most tote bags are durable, practical, and can be used by both genders. 

Everyone’s got a lot of stuff to carry around, and since they’ll probably be using a tote bag or something similar anyway, wouldn’t it be beneficial if they used a bag promoting your business? Everyone who uses your tote bag is a walking advertisement!

How to Make a Custom Tote Bag

Now that the benefits of custom tote bags are out of the way, let’s see how to make them. The process will be slightly different depending on where you are doing it. If you are designing your custom tote bag through a website you simply need to follow the directions on the webpage, and you’ll have one in no time flat.

But what if you have a blank tote bag lying around at home? While you might not be able to change the color, you can do a few things at home to bling it up. You can find designs online as images, or create your own. 

Simply print that idea out onto a sheet of transfer paper, and then grab an iron. If you place a thick surface inside the bag, such as a block of wood, then you can place the transfer paper onto the bag.

The instructions for the transfer paper will often tell you how long to iron and at what setting. But once you are done and the design cools, you can peel off the paper and see your newly designed tote bag! It’s pretty simple to do if you have the right instructions, and you can proudly say you did it yourself.

What to Put Inside a Tote Bag

Tote bags are large, so you’ll want to put larger things into them. These can include computers, books, other bags or purses, lunchboxes. If it fits in the bag and you can carry it comfortably, then it’s a candidate to go inside.

But the biggest goal of a tote bag is to simply reduce the amount of stuff you are carrying. While it might seem a bit silly to have a large tote bag carry several smaller bags, you’ll be able to hold everything in one arm, and not have to fumble to carry each item individually.

Find or Make a Tote Bag Today

You can find tote bags anywhere, from blank tote bags to those promoting something. No matter what you want your bag to look like, rest assured you can find it and start seeing the benefits of a tote bag yourself.