DIY Autism Awareness Puzzle Tote Bag

In celebration of Autism Awareness month and my insanely incredible son with Asperger’s here is a thoughtful (and EASY!) DIY Autism Awareness tote bag to make as a gift! Fill it with some Yummy Earth treats, fidget toys, or any other small item(s) and pass them out to others! It’s a great craft for your kids to make as you teach them about autism and being friends with everyone on or off the spectrum. I highly recommend these books for understanding autism – there are some great books to give kids that have autism too! When my kids were younger and didn’t quite understand autism I LOVED this Arthur video to help them understand what it might feel like (or you can watch it below) – it really helped visualize it for them. (or you can watch that entire episode here)

DIY Autism Awareness Tote Bag Materials:

*Canvas or Burlap Tote Bag
*Puzzle Pieces
*Acrylic Paint (red, yellow, light blue, dark blue)
*Hot Glue

DIY Tote Bag Directions:

This gift is easy peasy to make and if you’re extra crafty you could really make this a stunning tote bag with some extra rhinestones! Simply paint a handful of puzzle pieces, hot glue them onto the tote bag in a heart shape (make sure the glue doesn’t end up glueing the tote bag together!), and voila!

Directions:

1. Begin by laying the puzzle pieces so the print side is facing down.2. Apply two coats of paint to the puzzle pieces. You want several pieces in each color so you have a variety. Allow the pieces to dry thoroughly.

3. Once the pieces are dry, arrange them in a heart shape on the bag.

4. Once the pieces are arranged to your liking, you can start applying glue to put them permanently in place. Just remove, glue, and replace.

5. Continue applying the glue to the puzzle pieces until they are in the shape of a heart.

Your DIY Autism Awareness tote bag is now ready to be enjoyed. Fill it up with dye free gluten free treats like Yummy Earth candies or fidget toys and donate to a local special needs school or teacher – or wrap up for your friend with autism! These little bags are great for gifts year-round!