diff --git a/src/components/text-mode/text-mode.css b/src/components/text-mode/text-mode.css
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a2e4a958
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/text-mode/text-mode.css
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+.text-area {
+    background: transparent;
+    border: none;
+    display: none;
+    font-family: Times;
+    font-size: 30px;
+    left: 0;
+    outline: none;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    position: absolute;
+    resize: none;
+    top: 0;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    z-index: 1;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/components/text-mode/text-mode.jsx b/src/components/text-mode/text-mode.jsx
index 747f68b9..f4234873 100644
--- a/src/components/text-mode/text-mode.jsx
+++ b/src/components/text-mode/text-mode.jsx
@@ -3,23 +3,32 @@ import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import ToolSelectComponent from '../tool-select-base/tool-select-base.jsx';
 
 import textIcon from './text.svg';
+import styles from './text-mode.css';
 
 const TextModeComponent = props => (
-    <ToolSelectComponent
-        imgDescriptor={{
-            defaultMessage: 'Text',
-            description: 'Label for the text tool',
-            id: 'paint.textMode.text'
-        }}
-        imgSrc={textIcon}
-        isSelected={props.isSelected}
-        onMouseDown={props.onMouseDown}
-    />
+    <div>
+        <ToolSelectComponent
+            imgDescriptor={{
+                defaultMessage: 'Text',
+                description: 'Label for the text tool',
+                id: 'paint.textMode.text'
+            }}
+            imgSrc={textIcon}
+            isSelected={props.isSelected}
+            onMouseDown={props.onMouseDown}
+        />
+
+        <textarea
+            className={styles.textArea}
+            ref={props.setTextArea}
+        />
+    </div>
 );
 
 TextModeComponent.propTypes = {
     isSelected: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
-    onMouseDown: PropTypes.func.isRequired
+    onMouseDown: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+    setTextArea: PropTypes.func.isRequired
 };
 
 export default TextModeComponent;
diff --git a/src/containers/text-mode.jsx b/src/containers/text-mode.jsx
index 3a09766d..f34296fa 100644
--- a/src/containers/text-mode.jsx
+++ b/src/containers/text-mode.jsx
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ class TextMode extends React.Component {
         super(props);
         bindAll(this, [
             'activateTool',
-            'deactivateTool'
+            'deactivateTool',
+            'setTextArea'
         ]);
     }
     componentDidMount () {
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ class TextMode extends React.Component {
             this.props.onChangeStrokeColor(null);
         }
         this.tool = new TextTool(
+            this.textArea,
             this.props.setSelectedItems,
             this.props.clearSelectedItems,
             this.props.onUpdateSvg,
@@ -77,11 +79,15 @@ class TextMode extends React.Component {
         this.tool.remove();
         this.tool = null;
     }
+    setTextArea (element) {
+        this.textArea = element;
+    }
     render () {
         return (
             <TextModeComponent
                 isSelected={this.props.isTextModeActive}
                 onMouseDown={this.props.handleMouseDown}
+                setTextArea={this.setTextArea}
             />
         );
     }
diff --git a/src/helper/tools/text-tool.js b/src/helper/tools/text-tool.js
index 811255c0..e1936560 100644
--- a/src/helper/tools/text-tool.js
+++ b/src/helper/tools/text-tool.js
@@ -28,13 +28,15 @@ class TextTool extends paper.Tool {
         return 8;
     }
     /**
+     * @param {HTMLTextAreaElement} textAreaElement dom element for the editable text field
      * @param {function} setSelectedItems Callback to set the set of selected items in the Redux state
      * @param {function} clearSelectedItems Callback to clear the set of selected items in the Redux state
      * @param {!function} onUpdateSvg A callback to call when the image visibly changes
      * @param {!function} setTextEditTarget Call to set text editing target whenever text editing is active
      */
-    constructor (setSelectedItems, clearSelectedItems, onUpdateSvg, setTextEditTarget) {
+    constructor (textAreaElement, setSelectedItems, clearSelectedItems, onUpdateSvg, setTextEditTarget) {
         super();
+        this.element = textAreaElement;
         this.setSelectedItems = setSelectedItems;
         this.clearSelectedItems = clearSelectedItems;
         this.onUpdateSvg = onUpdateSvg;
@@ -141,10 +143,6 @@ class TextTool extends paper.Tool {
             const hitResults = paper.project.hitTestAll(event.point, this.getTextEditHitOptions());
             if (hitResults.length) {
                 // Clicking a text item to begin text edit mode on that item
-                if (this.guide) {
-                    this.guide.remove();
-                    this.guide = null;
-                }
                 this.textBox = hitResults[0].item;
                 this.mode = TextTool.TEXT_EDIT_MODE;
             } else if (this.mode === TextTool.TEXT_EDIT_MODE) {
@@ -171,13 +169,9 @@ class TextTool extends paper.Tool {
         }
 
         if (this.mode === TextTool.TEXT_EDIT_MODE) {
-            this.guide = hoverBounds(this.textBox, TextTool.TEXT_PADDING);
-            this.guide.dashArray = [4, 4];
-            this.setTextEditTarget(this.textBox.id);
-        } else if (this.guide) {
-            this.guide.remove();
-            this.guide = null;
-            this.setTextEditTarget();
+            this.beginTextEdit(event.point);
+        } else {
+            this.endTextEdit();
         }
     }
     handleMouseDrag (event) {
@@ -224,17 +218,44 @@ class TextTool extends paper.Tool {
             this.guide.dashArray = [4, 4];
         }
     }
+    beginTextEdit (location) {
+        if (this.guide) {
+            this.guide.remove();
+        }
+
+        this.guide = hoverBounds(this.textBox, TextTool.TEXT_PADDING);
+        this.guide.dashArray = [4, 4];
+        this.setTextEditTarget(this.textBox.id);
+
+        const canvasRect = paper.view.element.getBoundingClientRect();
+
+        this.element.style.display = 'initial';
+        this.element.style.text = 'hello';
+        this.element.style['text-fill-color'] = this.colorState.fillColor;
+        this.element.style['text-stroke-color'] = this.colorState.strokeColor;
+        this.element.style['text-stroke-width'] = this.colorState.strokeWidth;
+        this.element.style['-webkit-text-fill-color'] = this.colorState.fillColor;
+        this.element.style['-webkit-text-stroke-color'] = this.colorState.strokeColor;
+        this.element.style['-webkit-text-stroke-width'] = this.colorState.strokeWidth + 'px';
+        this.element.style.transform =
+            `translate(${location.x + canvasRect.x}px, ${location.y + canvasRect.y}px)`;
+        this.element.focus();
+    }
+    endTextEdit () {
+        if (this.guide) {
+            this.guide.remove();
+            this.guide = null;
+            this.setTextEditTarget();
+        }
+        this.element.style.display = 'none';
+    }
     deactivateTool () {
         this.boundingBoxTool.removeBoundsPath();
         if (this.textBox && this.textBox.content.trim() === '') {
             this.textBox.remove();
             this.textBox = null;
         }
-        if (this.guide) {
-            this.guide.remove();
-            this.guide = null;
-            this.setTextEditTarget();
-        }
+        this.endTextEdit();
     }
 }