A while back I picked up another simple wooden tote at a garage sale.

I love that the end pieces are curved at the top rather than cut straight like so many of them.

I planned to just do my usual, add paint and maybe some transfers.

Like I did on this one …

And this one …

And this one …

And even this one …

Although technically that is an I.O.D. paint inlay, not a transfer.

So after cleaning and then painting it with some of Dixie Belle’s Drop Cloth, I went through my transfer stash to find just the right thing.

It wasn’t until I started holding bits of transfers up against the tote that I realized the sides were really rather short.  In fact, too short for most of the florals that I had thought about using.

Then I saw my old re.design with prima Simplicity transfer, which is a black toile.  I’m not even sure if you can get this one anymore.  I know there are several other options for a toile transfer out there though, if you’re looking for one.

I had used Simplicity on the upper drawers of a dresser once.

I thought it was pretty, but ultimately it didn’t sell and I ended up sanding it off and re-doing the dresser.

Maybe that was a little bit of foreshadowing as to how this project was going to go.

Or maybe I am just doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over.

Either way, I pulled out Simplicity and decided to try it on this tote.

It was a little tricky to get the transfer situated as one full piece, so I ended up cutting out separate elements of the toile design and adding them one by one.

It was working out fairly well, as I wrapped the toile all the way around.

But then I got to the last side, and decided that I really wanted to use the roosters …

Ummm … yeah … maybe not my finest moment.  There is just too much white space all around them.  And they are almost centered, which gives them too much importance in the overall design.

Honestly, I just didn’t like it.  At all.

You know what they say, if at first you don’t succeed, try again.  So I sanded it off and started over with a fresh coat of Drop Cloth!

Then I decided to go much simpler than … well … Simplicity.

I just added the word ‘SEEDS’ from the I.O.D. Gregory’s Catalogue paint inlay.

It was the perfect fit.

Also, FYI, this is the 2nd use of this inlay.  I used the full inlay once already on this piece …

So I was OK with just taking out that one word and using it on this tote.  I can still use the rest of the inlay a 2nd time (and in fact, I do have plans for it).

I will note, as I have before, that I was unable to get the inlay off this tote in one piece, so that 2nd use will be it for this one.

After sealing the inlay with some clear matte spray sealer, I used Dixie Belle’s flat clear coat over the rest of the piece.  Then, while I had it out, I also used it to apply some re.design with prima decoupage tissue to the bottom inside.

So, in the end, it’s a much simpler look.

And I really like it.

How about you?