We're not sure if you've noticed, but summer is on its way. Ankles are being bared, pooches are bounding around in the morning sun and our vitamin D levels are slowly replenishing – in other words, the most glorious time of the year has returned.

With the warmer weather comes more opportunities to lounge about on a checkered rug surrounded by finger food, so we thought we'd share an easy-peasy way to spruce up a plain old tote bag, transforming it into a handy Breton-striped carrier just in time for the picnic season.



MATERIALS:

a plain tote bag
blue fabric paint
a foam roller
caramel-coloured felt (in two different shades)
a takeaway container lid (for rolling the paint)
masking tape
fabric glue
a sheet of cardboard the same width as the bag



INSTRUCTIONS:

1. First up, insert the cardboard into the bag to stop paint from seeping through to the other side. Then stick strips of masking tape across the bag to mark off your stripes.



2. Use the foam roller to apply fabric paint all over the tote bag. Make sure you apply the paint evenly and with the same pressure so your stripes look consistent.



3. Allow the paint to dry completely before carefully peeling off the masking tape to reveal your beautiful Breton stripes!



4. With the image below as a guide, cut some large croissant shapes from the pieces of felt, using both colours to add the illusion of a golden crunch.



5. Use the fabric glue to affix the croissant shapes onto the tote bag, starting from the end pieces and working up to the middle piece.



Now pack a couple of your favourite novels, some crispy baguettes and a bunch of vibrant blooms and you'll be all ready for a day of lazy lounging in the sun. Quel plaisir!

Looking for a great opportunity to use your newly spruced up tote? So Frenchy So Chic in the Park, the al fresco Parisian party, will be back at Melbourne's Werribee Park Mansion on January 11th, then popping up at Sydney University on January 17th, with acts like Emilie Simon, The Dø, La Femme and Francois and Atlas Mountains providing the soundtrack to your breadstick nibbling. Oh, and did we mention we're giving away tickets?