How to Make Trash Bags

With or without kids, a car can be a magnet for attracting trash. Make trash bags for your car to help corral the daily clutter. Place them behind the headrests of the front seats. Trash bags can be made with a small amount of fabric and oilcloth. The surface of the oilcloth provides a lining than can easily be cleaned with a wet rag.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4-yard fabric
• 1/4-yard oilcloth
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Iron
• Elastic ponytail band
• 1-inch flat button
• Hand-sewing needle and thread

Instructions

1. Cut two, 8-inch-wide by 12-inch-long, rectangles from the outer trash bag fabric and two from the oilcloth.

2. Place the two fabric rectangles together with the right sides facing. Pin the two long edges and one short edge together. Sew the pinned edges using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Iron the seams open.

3. Place the two oilcloth rectangles together with the right sides facing. Pin the two long edges and one short edge together. Sew the pinned edges using a 1/4-inch seam allowance and leaving a 3-inch opening along the pinned short edge. Press the seams open with your fingers.

4. Turn the fabric bag right side out and lay it on your work surface. Form an elastic ponytail band into an oval shape. Center one short end of the oval on the open top edge of the bag that is facing you. This is the back of the trash bag. Pin the ponytail band to the raw edge with the remainder of the band laying on the fabric trash bag.

5. Insert the right-side-out fabric bag inside the wrong-side-out oilcloth lining. Line up the top edge and the side seams. Pin the top edges of the opening. Sew around the pinned top edge using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. This will catch the ponytail band in the seam. Press the seam open with your fingers.

6. Turn the the trash bag right side out through the opening in the lining. Stitch the opening in the lining closed using the sewing machine. Push the lining into the bag.

7. Press the top edge of the bag flat using your fingers. Top stitch around the top edge of the bag, 1/4 inch from the edge.

8. Turn the bag over with the back facing up. Place a 1-inch flat button on the top edge of the bag, under the attached ponytail band. Hand-stitch the button to the back of the bag. Place the bag on the back of a front seat. Wind the elastic band around the post of the headrest and loop it over the button to hold.