How to Make Your Own Bread Bag

Make a cloth bread bag to keep your bread fresh.

One alternative to bread storage is to use cloth bread bags you custom-make yourself. Whether you use a bread machine to make your homemade bread or you make it the rustic old-fashioned way, you can keep your bread at the right texture by storing your homemade bread in a reusable, machine washable cloth bread bag.

Things You'll Need

• Material
• Tape measure
• Pinking shears
• Straight pins
• Matching thread
• Gross grain ribbon

Instructions

1. Measure out a 15-inch-by-10-inch piece of material with the tape measure. Cut out the piece of material using the pinking shears.

2. Fold the piece of material in half length-wise with right sides together, matching the edges so they are even. Pin the pinked-edges together along the unfolded long side and one short side, using the straight pins. Leave one short side open.

3. Starting at the top edge of the long side, position the material under the sewing machine needle 1/4 inch in from the outer edge of the material. Lower the pressure foot onto the material. Stitch the length of the long side, stopping to pivot when you come to the end of the long side. Raise the pressure foot and pivot the material. Lower the pressure foot onto the material, and stitch along the short side until you come to the end of the material. Raise the pressure foot, and remove the material. Clip off the long threads using the pinking shears.

4. Turn the material right-side out. Create a hem on the open end by turning down the edge of material 1/4-inch, and then turn down the edge 1/4-inch again. Pin the hem with straight pins. Place the material under the sewing machine needle, and position the needle at the inside edge of hem, 1/4-inch in from the outside edge of the open end of the material. Lower the pressure foot onto the material and sew close to the folded edge of the hem. Stitch the hem, removing the straight pins as you come to them. Clip away the long threads.

5. Cut a 28 inch length of ribbon. Place your bread in the cloth bag. Gather the material of the open end together so it fits in the circle created when you press your thumb and index finger together to create a neck that closes the opening. Tie the ribbon around the neck. Secure the ribbon with a loose knot or simple bow.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose material and ribbon that matches your kitchen decor. Choose a loose weave material, such as sack cloth, for keeping bread softer, and a close weave material such as linen, for keeping bread more crisp. Make bread bags to fit different size loaves, such as french bread or round loaves. Measure the size of the loaf and add 1 inch on all sides to allow for finished seam allowances when measuring out the material for the bread bag. Machine wash your homemade bread bags as necessary.

• When sewing, remove the straight pins as you come to them during stitching.

References

• Saltwater Kids: 5 Minute Bread Bag Tutorial