Belle Book Bag

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Belle has always been my favorite Disney Princess, and one of the biggest reasons is the fact that she loves to read. And the beast's library, that alone pretty much cemented Beauty and the Beast as my favorite Disney movie the first time I saw it as a little kid. 

Cricut has a lot of different licensed designs available for purchase in Design Space, and I was looking through them for another project I was working on, when I came across the image of Belle reading a book. 

I knew right away that I wanted to use it and thought about what I could make with it. A tote bag that could be used as a library bag seemed like the perfect project. I added some text, a line from the movie,  and put the design on a Cricut tote bag using Infusible Ink. I played around with some color options but ultimately decided to use all black for the design. I thought the silhouette just looked better in black than it did when I tried it in a color. 

This was a fun project to make heading into summer break with my kids because it will be perfect for trips to the library or any time we want to bring books somewhere.

The licensed designs in Design Space are not included in Cricut Access, they are designs that can be purchased, usually for $1.99 each. They have licensed designs from several different brands including Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, DC, Warner Brothers, and more. Once you purchase a design you have it and can use it as many times as you want, however my understanding is that the licensed designs are for personal use only so you can't sell the items you make. I have also heard that they are not available in all areas, so this only really applies to the US because that is what I know. But, it is kind of fun to be able to make your own things using images and designs of your favorite characters. 

How to Make a Belle Book Bag

You will need:

• Cricut Maker, or Explore
• Infusible Ink Compatible Tote Bag (I used the 14x14)
• Infusible Ink in Black
• EasyPress 2
• EasyPress Mat

Instructions:

The Belle Silhouette that I used is image #M77C7041, or you can find the entire design here: Belle Book Bag Cricut Design Space File

Once you open the design you may need to resize it to fit the bag you are using. My favorite way to do this is to either use a template (there is a tote bag option under templates) and change the dimensions to match the bag I am using, then adjust the design to a size and proportions that I think looks good on the bag. In the case of my 14 inch bag I made my design just over 10 inches wide. If there is not a template available I with just use a shape to represent the same thing (in this case I would have done a 14" square) and adjust the sizing in the same way. 

Once you have the size that you need you are ready to cut. Cut your Infusible Ink colored side up, it will look duller than the final color, and be sure to mirror your design. 

Weed the cut design. 

Follow the directions in the Cricut Heat Guide to press the design. For the tote bag I put a piece of cardstock inside the bag, placed the transfer sheet on the bag, then layered a piece of butcher paper over the top of the transfer. I pressed for 40 seconds at 385 with light pressure. 

Carefully remove the butcher paper and liner to reveal your design.