Eco Friendly Re-usable School Lunch Sack Craft

Send your kids back to school with a fun, crafty lunch sack that will make the environment, and your wallet, a little greener. Re-usable grocery bags and shopping sacks are the latest eco rage and you can use the same idea to save money and paper instead of using disposable paper school lunch sacks.

Older kids can make their own reusable school lunch sacks with a little adult supervision. Younger children will have fun decorating their fabric bags after a parent or adult does the tricky sewing and cutting first.

Gather sections of fabric in a fun color and design. Look for sturdy fabrics like corduroy, denim, or stiff cotton broadcloth. If you can only find the color and design you like in a thin fabric, just use cut the main section and the bottom piece twice as large and fold them over before sewing to increase the strength.

Cut a section of fabric about 14 inches square. Spread out the fabric on a craft table face down. Fold a one inch hem down along the top side and pin it in place. Sew the flap down to create a long, hollow pocket open at each end.

Thread a 24-inch section of ribbon, decorative cord, or thin rope through the hollowed pocket. Leave a few inches hanging out of each end.

Fold the left and right ends of the fabric together to form a cylinder with the cord running around the top. Sew the edges together up to the openings where the cord is coming out. Cut a piece of fabric slightly larger than the bottom opening and sew it around the edges. Remember to double the layer of the fabric for extra strength on the bottom to hold all those school lunch items.

Use colorful buttons, patches, pins, and other fabric scraps to decorate the reusable school lunch sack. To save time use fabric glue or Mighty Mend-It to attach decorative items to the eco-friendly craft instead of sewing. Consider using buttons or crafty fabric paint to spell out your child's name, or let her collect pins and patches from her favorite bands and musicians. Use fabric in your child's school colors or for their favorite sports team.

Fill the lunch sack with your child's lunch each morning and pull the drawstring top closed. To keep this green craft smelling fresh and clean, use Febreeze or a similar fabric freshener once a week. These eco-friendly reusable lunch sacks can also be washed by hand and air-dryed or tossed in the washing machine on gentle cycle. For best results, flip school lunch bag inside out before washing to protect the crafty decorations on the front.

If you are feeling really crafty, go green for your child's regular school book bag as well. Make a matching set of book bags and school lunch sacks for your kids to save money. These eco-friendly reusable school lunch sacks are also easy, cheap party favors for a back-to-school party. Recycle fabric from old jeans or blouses to preserve favorite clothes. For your eco-conscious adult friends with a crafty sense of style, use fabric pieces 24 inches tall and about 12 inches wide to make reusable wine sacks.