Personalise a bag with a country-style leaf design

Be inspired by the latest leaf designs on fabrics and wallpapers, and celebrate the natural form of leaves with this simple craft make that will add a personal touch to a handy canvas shopper. Choose stamps depicting leaves from native trees and you will bring a real woodland feel into your country home. (To learn more about native species, visit the Woodland Trust.)

You will need:

• Canvas shopper (£12, Rocket Dog at Amazon)
• Artist's paintbrush
• Leaf stamp (£13.25, Blade Rubber Stamps)
• Fabric paint (similar from Dunelm)

Step one

Lay the bag flat and use an artist's paintbrush to apply fabric paint to the stamp.

Step two

Starting at the centre of the bag, press the leaf stamp down firmly and lift off cleanly. Continue stamping from the centre outwards until you're happy with the design.

Step three

To get a tonal effect, you could stamp using more or less paint, or create a faded look by removing excess paint by stamping on a fabric scrap before you stamp the bag.

Step four

Leave to dry, then fix paint following the manufacturer's instructions.

Falling for foliage? There are many ways to use leaves in pretty yet simple craft ideas - printing designs from the leaves themselves onto paper or card, making an impression of them in clay or using them as a template to cut shapes out of fabric and create collages or decorative trims on soft furnishings. Why not tailor your leaf craft to the season, selecting appropriate shades and shapes? For instance, as spring gets underway, choose newly appearing shoots and baby foliage and showcase their dainty details in your makes. For leaf rubbing and stamping, always select beautifully shaped, sturdy leaves with well-defined veins as they will give a clearer impression on the final design.

Looking for more country-style crafts? Find them on the Country Homes & Interiors home page.

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