How to Hang Plastic Storage Bags

Hang and recycle plastic bags in a homemade plastic bag holder.

If you have ever wondered what to do with all of the extra plastic bags you receive from the grocery store, perhaps hanging them will make your life easier. Hanging plastic bag holders can store these bags neatly and invisibly, allowing you to recycle the bags when you need to. You can make a plastic bag holder in a brief period of time from fabric remnants you may already have or from kitchen towels. Hang one in a convenient area of your kitchen. Give plastic bag holders as gifts also.

Things You'll Need

• Kitchen towel
• Measuring tape
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread
• 2 to 3 feet of elastic
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Ribbon, 16 inches or longer

Instructions

1. Spread the kitchen towel out on a table. Measure the width or shorter side of the towel. Divide this measurement by half and write this number down.

2. Cut two pieces of elastic about 2 inches longer than the measurement you wrote down. Stretch one of the elastic pieces across the width of the towel to see if it can reach both ends. If you have difficulty stretching the elastic across, then discard these and cut two new pieces just an inch or so longer.

3. Spread the kitchen towel open to the wrong side or the side representing the inside of the towel. Draw a straight line with a pencil from one end of the towel to the other.

4. Mark the center point of each piece of elastic with the pencil. Pin the elastic to the kitchen towel using straight pins along the straight line you drew. The pins keep the elastic in a straight line while you sew. Pin the center of the elastic you just marked to the middle of the towel.

5. Pin the elastic end to one edge of the towel with 1/2 inch of elastic extending over the towel's edge. Repeat and pin the opposite elastic end to the other edge of the towel, also with 1/2 inch of elastic hanging over the edge. After pinning the elastic, the towel will not lie flat, but appear folded.

6. Baste the elastic strip to the kitchen towel by sewing long, loose stitches. This holds the elastic in place temporarily until you use the sewing machine.

7. Backstitch the elastic onto the kitchen towel using your sewing machine.

8. Stretch the elastic from one edge of the towel to the towel's center. Zigzag stitch from the edge to the center.

9. Stretch the elastic from the center of the towel to the opposite edge of the towel. Zigzag stitch from the center to the edge. Backstitch by stitching a few times forward and backward to secure the end.

10. Repeat the pinning, basting, backstitching and sewing of elastic onto the other end of the towel.

11. Fold the towel lengthwise so the right side faces inside. Place pins along the edge to hold the towel together.

12. Stitch along the length using your sewing matching about 1/2 inch from the edges, backstitching at the beginning and at the end of the seam to secure it.

13. Press the seam flat using your iron. You now have a tube. Turn the tube inside out so the right side shows and press the seam again from this side.

14. Cut an 8-inch strip of ribbon. Fold the ribbon in half to make a loop.

15. Sew the loop to one end of the tube using your sewing machine, about 1 inch from the top edge on the inside. Backstitch to secure it.

16. Cut another 8-inch strip of ribbon and make a decorative bow. Attach this bow to the front of the tube by hand-sewing it or gluing it in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a bright thread color when you baste the elastic to the towel to help you see exactly where to sew.

References

• Penn State University: Plastic Bag Holder
• "Home Organizing Workbook: Clearing Your Clutter, Step by Step"; Meryl Starr; 2003