5 cents for a plastic grocery bag? Any easy patterns recommended?
11-07-2012, 05:25 AM
#31
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: West Central Texas
Posts: 2,586
This site has a pattern I've used. http://www.morsbags.com/ I made these for a crafts fair a couple of years ago out of men's shirts and sheets. They were a big hit.
11-07-2012, 05:27 AM
#32
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Wauconda, IL
Posts: 972
I lived in Poland during the 80's and most stores did not have plastic grocery bags (only for produce), so people would use net bags that would expand with the things that you put in them. I am so used to having a bag or something with me, that it's second nature to me to tell the cashier "no bag, please" Did you know that Target will deduct 5 cents off your bill for not using a bag? And CVS pharmacy has a card that you swipe when not using a bag and you will get $1.00 in extra bucks for every 4th swipe? (of course, the card costs $1 to buy, but you get the money back).
Since I usually ride my bike to the stores and don't really buy a lot at one time, I put everything I buy into my backpack
and go on my way.
Since I'm not the only one who shops, we do accumulate quite a few of those plastic bags. I reuse those bags when I take the dog for a walk and when I clean the cats' litter box. We purposely have small cans in the bathroom and bedrooms and the plastic grocery bags are used for that as well.
I'm all about recycling and repurposing as much as I can.
Since I usually ride my bike to the stores and don't really buy a lot at one time, I put everything I buy into my backpack
and go on my way.
Since I'm not the only one who shops, we do accumulate quite a few of those plastic bags. I reuse those bags when I take the dog for a walk and when I clean the cats' litter box. We purposely have small cans in the bathroom and bedrooms and the plastic grocery bags are used for that as well.
I'm all about recycling and repurposing as much as I can.
11-07-2012, 05:29 AM
#33
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: West Central Texas
Posts: 2,586
Thankfully we're not charged for plastic shopping bags... yet. I actually reuse all mine. Won't find any of them in a land fill or tangled in the fence line. But, we do live in the country and have a burn pile.
Here's a bag I made from a feed sack. It's great for hauling my quilting supplies to our weekly handquilting group.
Here's a bag I made from a feed sack. It's great for hauling my quilting supplies to our weekly handquilting group.
11-07-2012, 05:56 AM
#34
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,430
30 years ago someone gave me a lot of jeans fabric. I made large grocery bags out of them. They are still going strong. Why do grocery bags HAVE to be washed very often? Mine don't get dirty, but if something spills in it, I'll wash it. All the cashiers at our store know us when they see our bags come out. Just make a pillow case shape, as wide or as long as you want, and then turn the corners on the bottom toward the bottom center and stitch down. Make straps and enclose them in the top hem, stitching twice for strength. I also reinforce the side seams. No rips in all these years. You don't need to buy a pattern for that.
11-07-2012, 05:58 AM
#35
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Location: Barnesville GA
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11-07-2012, 06:05 AM
#36
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: S. W. Indiana
Posts: 7,484
My DS lives in the PNW and is charged 5 cents for each plastic grocery bag every time he shops! Does anyone know of a bag pattern that is quick and easy, but would be good for groceries? He eats a lot of fresh produce (dunno if they charge for those bags, yet). I'm thinking the bags should be able to be reversed, so they could be used more than once before washing. I know the pollution arguments for not using plastic, but now he'll be using water, detergent, and energy to wash these bags. Sometimes what seems to make sense...doesn't.
I make tote bags from old pants and skirts and just remenants. They are completely washable and will not cut and break like the fabric (@@) bags the stores cell. Some are lined and some are not. Easy to toss into the washer when something spills or leaks or they just get soiled from dragging around. Over the years, I've made probably 200 of them.
The last 4 I made were from a chunk of drapery fabric that I inherited. Only need about 2/3 of a yard to make one if the fabric is heavy enough.
There are gobs of tote bag patterns available. Mine only have straps (usually from the same fabric) and then boxed bottoms.
Take almost no time to make them.
11-07-2012, 06:08 AM
#37
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: S. W. Indiana
Posts: 7,484
That would work-----------maybe make a bit bigger, however. The store bags are useless in my opinion. If they get wet they tear. They can not be washed. And they will split if something with a sharp corner hits them.
11-07-2012, 06:10 AM
#38
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Northern Wisconsin
Posts: 7,991
I have almost 10 bags(the ones that I bought at the store). I love them. You can fit so much more in them and I love being able to reuse them. I wash them whenever I need to make a full load of laundry. Hopefully, I get around to making some more. I want to make them out of home dec fabric. I like using them because I would rather have less bags and they are full than 50 plastic bags with three things in it. It makes it fit nicer in my little car too. 
11-07-2012, 06:12 AM
#39
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: S. W. Indiana
Posts: 7,484
I made grocery bags from old jeans. The bigger the waist size the better around 44"- 48" makes a good size and men's have bigger pockets. They are washable and sturdy. I carry 2 gallons of milk in one all the time, I made mine about 5 years ago. Take the jeans and cut straight across a little above the crotch, I sew the zipper and waist closed. Then turn them inside out and sew the curve of the front seam straight and you can trim the bulk out. Then sew the bottom shut, I sewed the seam twice, then zz with a narrow tight stitch then went back over with a wide zz stitch. Lay one of the legs out straight and trim off the seams, fold in half and half again, the front and back make 2 handles. Sew the handles to the bag, I did a square and then an x to make them sturdy. If you want longer handles belts from a thrift store work well.
11-07-2012, 06:16 AM
#40
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: S. W. Indiana
Posts: 7,484
For me, paying the .5 is cheaper then washing all the bags and less hassle. Re used shopping bags have to be washed or sprayed after every use so the bacteria won't build up from various food packages/produce. A research showed reused shopping bags are full of bacteria after a few uses without cleaning.
I just throw the bags in the washer with other kitchen stuff and I'm ready for the next shopping trip.
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