Homemade Cloth Bags
Although many people still use paper or plastic bags when shopping at a supermarket, it is more environmentally conscious to bring your own cloth bags with you to use in carrying your groceries home. Cloth grocery bags can often be costly, so it is also more economical to make your own. When you make a handmade cloth bag, it is important to employ a few basic sewing techniques that will ensure the bag is durable enough to hold heavy groceries.
Instructions
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1
Cut the fabric into two pieces: one 1-yard piece, and one 1/2 yard piece. Fold the 1-yard piece in half width-wise, with right sides together.
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2
Thread your sewing machine. Sew along both sides of the fabric, leaving the top open.
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3
Hem the top of the bag by folding the top edge down toward the wrong side of the fabric about 1/4 inch, and sewing it down.
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4
Cut two pieces of twine, each 18 inches long.
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Cut two strips of fabric from the 1/2-yard piece, each 2 inches wide by 18 inches long. Fold the strips in half lengthwise with wrong sides facing. Leaving a 1/8-inch seam allowance, sew along the length of each strip. Leave the ends unsewn. Turn the strips right side out.
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Attach a safety pin to the end of one piece of twine, and feed the twine through one strip, grasping the safety pin on the inside to help you thread it. Remove the safety pin. Repeat this process with the other strip of cloth. These strips form the bag's handles.
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Turn the bag inside out again, and place one end of each handle 2 inches from the top of the open end of the bag. Arrange the handles so that they are 6 inches apart. Sew the ends in place, reinforcing the stitching and making sure that the stitches secure the twine in place. Turn the bag over, and repeat this process with the other end of each handle, sewing them into place.
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Turn the bag right side out.
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References
- Photo Credit bag image by Jan Will from Fotolia.com
