Refashioning a Resistance Tote Bag

There I was, going through my mom’s storage closet when I spotted something familiar. My ’90s-era orca tote bag was hanging in between dry cleaner bags- it was something she’d bought for me while I was in college. It was still in remarkably good condition, so I decided to take it home and give it a 2026 refresh. Given the rebellious reputation of orcas all these decades later, it’d be the perfect resistance tote bag.

Why an orca tote bag? Well, it all started in the late 80’s, early 90’s. One trip to Sea World and I was bewitched. I became an orca girl as a teenager and never looked back.

And my mom, lovingly dedicated to my fixation, helped me accumulate all the orca things. Including a homemade tote bag that likely came from a craft fair she went to.

Orca tee shirts, orca bags…orca windsocks, orca artwork- the obsession was deep, the way it often is for teenage girls.

My adulthood was also supposed to revolve around studying orcas in the Pacific northwest, too- but plans fell through and I pivoted. But my adoration of these matriarchal apex predators never really waned. Especially given the recent boat-sinking headlines over the past few years. I knew I’d obsessed over this species for good reason!

So, let’s do a little bedazzlement to my retro tote bag and celebrate that reputation…

This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All blue, bold, and underlined text is a clickable link, either to a product or to a related post.

Bedazzling with Patches and Pins

With this project in mind, my first step was to collect sassy orca patches and pins. “Sink the Rich”, “Become Ungovernable”, “Time to Orcanize”, and others along those lines were gathered and acquired.

And let me tell you, I had no trouble finding them- online and at like-minded shops. “Let’s Go Girls”, “I’m the Captain Now”…there were a lot of options to choose from!

Next, I washed the tote bag (by hand) since it was ~35 years old. Once it had fully dried, I used a lint roller to remove cat hair, etc. Especially in the area where my pieces of flair were going to go.

I then tinkered with patch and pin placement until I was happy with the arrangement. When I was happy with how everything looked on my resistance tote bag, I snapped a photo so I could recreate it.

Admittedly, I got lazy and used hot glue to initially fix the patches in place. Hot glue instead of fabric glue or ironing them on my resistance tote bag. But any of those methods would have worked just fine as Part 1- and all adhesives are better than trying to pin them in place with straight pins.

I’ve learned that the hard way over the years…

Next came Part 2 of patch attachment (patchttachment?): stitching around the patch edges. Thankfully, I already had thread spools that color-matched the merrowed edges of the patches.

Otherwise, a run to a Creative Reuse Center would have been in order!

Lastly, I carefully stitched the edges of the patches while binge watching some episodes of Dateline.

And that was it- my craft fair tote bag was now a resistance tote bag, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the modern refashion.

Refashioning a Resistance Tote Bag

Every now and then, it’s fun for me to craft with something I already had on hand- no thrifting required. But had I seen an orca tote bag at a thrift store, it would have 100% come home with me.

Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever found any orca treasures on my thrifting escapades!

Either way, I absolutely love my “new” resistance tote bag and can’t wait to use it in the right settings. And I’m so tickled that my mom held onto it for all those years- I’d honestly forgotten all about it until the recent rediscovery.

I hope you enjoyed this fun and easy “upcycle”. I keep making fun patch posts on my blog- including this one with old work shirts and hats…

And this one with a damaged leather tote bag…

Will I add patches to anything else in the future? Probably…it’s just a matter of finding the right canvas to decorate!

And if repurposing accessories (bags, hats, belts, etc.) is something you, too, enjoy, then this collection of ideas might be right up your alley, as well.

Craft on!

S

Want to be notified when I publish my next upcycling project tutorial?

Please subscribe here.

Join me on Social Media:

 

 

 

 

 
PIN ME!