How to Sew a Large Plastic Bag Holder

Sew a fabric holder to keep plastic bags out of the way.

If plastic bags from supermarkets and other stores clutter your home but you don't want to throw them away, make a holder to corral them into one place. Hang the plastic bag holder in a cabinet or pantry so that you can readily access the bags any time. Both ends of the holder are open and elasticized, so you can easily put bags in or remove them, without the bags spilling out.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2-yard cotton fabric
• 1/4-yard contrasting fabric
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Matching thread
• Sewing machine
• Iron and ironing board
• 1/4-inch wide elastic
• Safety pins
• Hand sewing needle

Instructions

1. Cut a rectangle from the half yard of fabric that measures 18-by-30 inches. Cut another strip from the same fabric that measures 2-by-12 inches. Set the smaller piece of fabric aside, you'll return to it at the end.

2. Cut a rectangle from the quarter yard of fabric that measures 9-by-30 inches.

3. Lay the 9-inch fabric on top of the 18-inch fabric, lining up the 30-inch sides of each fabric. The right sides of the fabric should face each other. Pin along one 30-inch side.

4. Sew the fabrics together along the long side, half an inch away from the edge.

5. Unfold the fabrics so that you have one large rectangle that measures 26 1/2-by-30 inches. Press seam flat.

6. Fold the 30-inch sides of the fabric over one quarter inch and press, then over another half inch and pin. You're making a casing for the elastic.

7. Stitch along the inside edge of the casings on the top and bottom.

8. Cut the elastic into two 10-inch pieces. Push a safety pin through one end of each piece of elastic.

9. Thread one piece of elastic through each casing. Secure the ends of the elastic to the ends of the casing with a straight pin. The elastic will cause the fabric around the casing to gather on the top and bottom.

10. Sew a few stitches over the pinned pieces of elastic to secure in place.

11. Fold the fabric in half, right sides facing in. Line up the 26 1/2-inch long sides and pin.

12. Stitch the sides together, half an inch away from the edge.

13. Fold the 2-inch by 12-inch piece of fabric in half, right sides facing in. Pin together along the long edge, then stitch along the edge.

14. Turn the strip right side out. Fold it half so that you have a 6-by-1-inch strip. Pin one short end to the inside top of the bag holder, just underneath the elastic. Pin the opposite short end to the inside top of the holder, on the opposite side. You should have a handle on top of the holder.

15. Thread a hand sewing needle and hand-sew the handle in place.

References

• Penn State University; Plastic Bag Holder; Seth Custer; 2004