Pineapples are the new cherries.

Remember when cherries were everywhere? I still love any cherry-clad product because they’re just aesthetically sweet (not to mention great to eat), but pineapples are all the rage right now. I’m also jonesing for a tropical/beach vacation, so today’s DIY is all about bringing a little perma-cation into our lives with a cute little tote that’s easy as A-B-C. I’ll be using a potato stamp because it’s cheap and accessible, and I remember having hours of fun with potato stamps as a child.

You will need:

1. A plain canvas tote (there’s an abundance of them online; I used one that I had in my closet)
2. Fabric paint in yellow and green
3. 1 potato (2 potato, 3 potato, 4….you only need 1 but I had to do the chant)
4. Sharp knife

Wash the tote before you stamp on it so it takes the paint more easily. Iron it to create a smooth and even surface.

Carving

1. Slice off two pieces, about 2 inches thick. One will be used for the pineapple body; the other for the leaves.
2. Using the knife, cut diagonal lines to form the pattern of the pineapple body on one of the slices. Diagonally cut the lines as shown in the diagram.
3. The leaf is a little trickier. I free styled it, but I would suggest using a marker and outlining the shape, then carving around it. Potatoes are easy to carve, just do it one section at a time.

Stamping

1. Dip the stamps in paint and try stamping on paper first. You can plan out pattern arrangements on paper as well.
2. Slide a piece of cardboard into the bag so that the paint doesn’t seep through to the other side.
3. Stamp your tote. First stamp the body of the pineapple, followed by the leaves.

Apply the paint evenly to the stamp. I used a bamboo skewer. Use the sharp point of the skewer to remove access paint from the crevasses that form the lines of the pineapple or they’ll be filled in when you stamp.

Use light but firm pressure. Make sure your potato is as dry as possible before you stamp. If not, check out the pineapple at the bottom….

(and cue the Pixies song “I Bleed”)…..the leaves bled because of the water. Blotting with a paper towel will help avoid the “oh sh*t!” moment that I had. Thankfully, the next tote will be bleed free.

Allow the paint to dry for 4 hours.

You’re now vacation-ready!

Estimated Cost

• Tote: $2
• Paint: $4
• Potato: .50 cents

Total: $6.50

Estimated Time

Not including wash/prep and drying of the tote, 30 minutes.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to succumb to my sudden craving for piña coladas.