In my effort to try and reduce the amount of plastic we use in our home, I made these reusable snack bags. You can find a tutorial for how to make them here, at the Angry Chicken. They are SO easy to make and you'll find the tutorial is very simple (and funny!).
I used only what scraps I had on hand (you've probably noticed many of my handmade items look alike!) and only washable cotton. They are not lined. I made a variety of sizes, but the larger bags are surprisingly roomy - I was able to fit quite a lot into the orange bag, which is the size suggested in the tutorial.
Since I do not have a sewing machine, I had nothing like a serger to stop the fabric from fraying. And since I'm not a fan of the smelly Fray-Check stuff, after some trial and error, I found my best solution was to use pinking shears along the sides (and bottom when needed) and to create a folded hem along the tops. I think each bag took me about half an hour to do by hand. I suspect a sewing machine would cut that time in half... sigh, if only Santa had brought me a sewing machine. :)~Thank you for your comments!~
cute! this has been on my to-do list too, never got around to it because I was thinking of making them lined but I see unlined ones work too and are great for washing, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love those! Thanks for sharing! I even have PUL lined fabric that I used to make cloth diapers with. This will be a perfect use for that leftover fabric. :) Holly
ReplyDeleteso fun!! Thanks for sharing the tutorial I am going to go check it out!
ReplyDeleteWe must be thinking alike, I just started sewing a few this weekend with the same tutorial. I find all those little plastic bags everywhere. Good work, I"ll post mine soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen
I've seen versions of these in cloth diaper stores that are similar to wetbags. They are made with PUL lining and zippered tops, so they really stay shut and you can wipe them clean.
ReplyDeleteSilly me, though, I can't get over that you can't see into the bag. And I still don't know why not use a plastic container? Almost all my son's snacks are in those, and they are easy to wash and reuse. The primary purpose for ziplocks at my house is storage of raw meat in the freezer...
A couple of years ago I made a bag for each kid in my son's preschool class for Valentines Day. He loved picking the fabrics and filling them with little treats :)
ReplyDeleteSanta didn't leave you a sewing machine?! For shame...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this link. I had cut out some fabric to make bags (complete with some rip-stop nylon to line them with) and it got too complicated for me....so I only made one bag. I can go back and finish them now! (and maybe not make it so complicated)
Thanks for the inspiration!
Love them! I made a boatload this morning. I will post them on my blog later.
ReplyDeleteCute and very eco-friendly!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!
ReplyDeleteWhat neat little bags. Thanks for sharing the tutorial for this eco-friendly project:) Colleen
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog tonight and I LOVE it! You have a ton of great ideas. I look forward to reading more.
ReplyDeleteI am going to make some of these for my Kindergartner's lunch box. She always wants a smorgasbord of half a dozen items and then her box gets to crammed full and won't shut. I can use these and get rid of all the big bulky plastic containers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the idea!