Live Life in Full Bloom: How to Stencil a Gorgeous Canvas Bag

Hi friends! It’s Karen from Over the Artsy Moon, and today I’m sharing a fun and easy project: stenciling a canvas bag with this beautiful Live Life in Full Bloom stencil from The Stencilsmith.

If you love flowers, color, and creating something you can actually use, this one’s for you. I’ll walk you through the process — happy little accidents and all — and show you how to fix mistakes (because they happen, and it’s totally okay!).

What You’ll Need:

• Canvas bag (or other fabric item)
• Live Life in Full Bloom stencil (#9938-12-2 from The Stencilsmith — don’t forget to use my affiliate code ARTSYMOON for a discount!)
• Stencil brushes in various sizes (I used 5/8", 3/8", and 1/4")
• Folk Art Multi-Surface Paints (perfect for fabric — no sealing required, but you can heat-set if you want)
• Plastic or cardboard to slide inside the bag (so paint doesn’t bleed through)
• Painter’s tape (optional but helpful)
• Paper towel or baby wipes (for quick clean-ups)

Step-by-Step:

1. Prep Your Bag

First things first, we need to prep our work area! Start by sliding a piece of plastic or cardboard inside your bag to prevent paint from bleeding through. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for this later! Center your stencil on the bag — you can tape it down, but I just held mine in place (living dangerously!).

2. Paint the Greenery

Grab a dry stencil brush to tap on green paint (I used citrus green and classic green) where the leaves are. On fabric, tapping works better than swirling because there’s less of a chance of paint bleeding under the stencil.

3. Add Your Blooms

This is where the magic happens! I chose magenta, lavender, cobalt blue, yellow, and coral pink for my flowers. Mix and layer to your heart’s content, or keep it simple. If I can stress anything,  it’s don’t stress over “mistakes.” I had green where it didn’t belong, but I simply turned it into a creative accent. You can always layer more paint to fix areas.

4. Add the Lettering

For the “Live Life in Full Bloom” words, I used a deep cobalt blue. I recommend two light layers for better coverage.

5. Embellish & Fix

Once your base is done, add highlights and depth with lighter shades — think yellow centers, white accents, or blending coral with magenta for more interest. I even went back at the end to fix some little “oops” spots by painting over them or expanding nearby leaves and petals. Remember: mistakes are just opportunities to get more creative!

Pro Tips You Might Want to Note: If you see bridges (the little gaps left by the stencil) in the letters or design and don’t love them, grab a fine brush and fill them in by hand. Keep your paint fairly light to prevent bleeding under the stencil. Remember that fabric soaks up paint fast, so work in layers. Finally, be okay with imperfection. I promise that it adds charm!

Finished Project

The end result? A vibrant, cheerful canvas bag that’s perfect for groceries, books, or brightening up your day. And you can use these techniques on pillows, aprons, or even wall hangings too.

The stencil I used was the twelve inch stencil number 9938, which fits nicely on this canvas bag. 

Final Thoughts

Painting on fabric is forgiving, fun, and oh-so-satisfying. I hope this project inspires you to pick up a stencil and create something uniquely yours.

And if you enjoyed this tutorial, please like & subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss my next video — I share lots of painting tutorials (not just stencils!).

If you really want to dive into creativity, join me in the Artsy Moon Paint Club! Inside the club, you’ll get exclusive tutorials, tips, and fun projects every month — perfect for anyone who wants to paint more and stress less. Join us today!

Happy painting & happy stenciling — and don’t forget to live life in full bloom!