Reusable bags are a useful solution to cutting down on one's use of both paper and plastic bags. While most grocery stores sell reusable bags with their logos on them for a small fee, it is easy to sometimes feel these are as disposable as paper and plastic bags are meant to be when you forget them at home after using them once. To help curb the problem, one might be more enthused about bring bags they spent time on. Here are two different ideas for craft bags:
The t-shirt bag
Martha Stewart, mogul/billionaire, approves of this bag. The instructions for the bag start at about 5:28 in the video. Basically you cut out the sleeves and neck of a t-shirt and glue (with fabric glue) or sew the bottom hem together. The ease of this project makes it approachable for almost anybody. If you have a wealth of t-shirts that you've been meaning to get rid of but haven't, you could easily use them for this project and earn extra environmentalist points for recycling. Just be sure that any wear in the shirt won't compromise the utility of what could potentially be your new shopping bag.
Crochet bag
(Source: http://theadventuresofcassie.blogspot.com/2008/03/free-reusable-crocheted-grocery-bag.html)
Maybe, instead you've always appreciated the aesthetic of macramé plant holders and would love to use something similar to carry around your groceries and other sundries. This lovely bag might be sort of complicated if you've never crocheted before, however would be a functional first project to try.
There are so many possibilities when it comes to bags you make yourself, from color to material, to shape and size. Making the bags can be a fun process and using them might also help the planet!
