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Plastic shopping bags do not biodegrade and end up polluting the environment forever after they are used. Paper bags are made from trees and consume a lot of energy to create. You can do your part to save the environment and look stylish at the same time by creating your very own canvas shopping bag. It's easy!
Buy a yard or two of folded cotton canvas and cut a 4-by-5.5-inch rectangle out of the folded material on both of the corners along the fold. Unfold the rest of the cloth. - This is where you can get creative. Design your own logo or download a predesigned print from the Internet and use transfer paper to transfer the design to one side of the canvas.
- Wait for the print to dry, then turn the canvas material inside out and sew along the edges, leaving about a 1/2-inch seam. Don't sew the rectangle part.
- Turn the material right-side out again and sew the bottom holes together, leaving a 1/4-inch seam. Turn the bag inside-out again, puff out the bottom and sew where the holes were, using a 3/8 inch seam allowance this time.
- Cut a 4-inch piece from the folded fabric, then cut it in two pieces lengthwise. Fold these pieces in half by width, then sew the edges, leaving a 1/4-inch seam. This will be a handle. Turn the tubes inside out and sew along the seam to flatten.
- Fold the end of each of the tubes about 1 inch and sew into the bag, stitching an "X" inside a large square. This will make your handles strong and prevent ripping.
