Q I would like to design my own canvas bags. What are the materials needed and how do I start?

A Home-grown bag label B-Diff (check out www.bdiff.com.sg for contact details) allows you to submit designs for their canvas bags, which they will then make for you.

You can submit anything from photographs to sketches and your personalised tote will cost $15 to $25. Their ready-made designs (Photo 3, $18 to $25) are also nice and are stocked at Decorhut (04-73 The Central) and Anthropology (B1-77 Raffles City).

If you really want to get your hands dirty, go to www.mybaobaodiy.com, an online business started by Singapore Polytechnic entrepreneurship lecturer Jackeline Carter.

Here, you can buy DIY bag kits, complete with paper patterns for different styles and all the necessary materials, for $50.

You can also sign up for sewing classes that will take you through the process of making your own bag at $5 an hour - those without any sewing background need an average of three to four hours to master the basics.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.