How to Make a Reusable Shopping Bag

Many people are beginning to carry their own shopping bag when they go to the grocery store. The reasons for doing so are very clear. They want to avoid using a plastic shopping bag because of environmental reasons. As the editors at Ideal Bite, an online green newsletter, wrote, plastics were created to last forever, and now we're using them in so many disposable products that are thrown away after one use. By reducing the use of plastic, we have less waste going into landfills.

The first step to making your own shopping bag is to use a material that will last. Many people prefer canvas, but there are several fabrics that will work. You can use a cotton calico for a pretty bag, denim for a youthful bag, or even mesh for one that will hold your fruit and vegetables. There are advantages to each fabric. Denim or canvas will provide a lot of strength to hold cans or jars. The calico provides a nice appearance, but also has quite a bit of strength. The mesh doesn't hold as much weight, but it is a bit better for fresh vegetables, because it allows the air to circulate. This bag is designed to be made by those with only the most elementary of sewing skills, and advanced sewers may be able to adapt the idea to make it more suited for their own needs.

First, choose a piece of fabric you like. Wash the fabric as soon as you get it home so that it will shrink before you use it, and then draw a circle on it. You will need enough fabric to make a fairly large circle. If you have trouble making a circle, a clean trash can lid can make an excellent guide to mark around. Lay it on the fabric and draw around the edge. If you are able to accurately increase the size, you may choose to make it even larger. When it is the proper size for your needs, cut the circle out.

Then use a blanket edging, available in many fabric stores, and sew it around the end so it creates a pocket for a drawstring. You can also use ribbon, but one of the benefits of blanket edging is that it is cut on the bias, and is more suitable for going around curved edges. Whatever you use, make sure to leave an opening so your drawstring is accessible. This should be similar to a pair of sweatpants. It lets you access the drawstring through a small hole. Get enough drawstring to go around the outer edge of the circle, plus six to twelve inches. Put scotch tape around the edges of the drawstring so it does not unravel, put a large safety pin through one end to make it easier to hold, and thread it through the pocket you created with blanket edging, using the weight of the safety pin to guide it through. One other helpful hint is to safety pin the other end of the drawstring to the side of the bag, so it does not accidently get pulled through. Once the drawstring has been inserted, push the ends through a drawstring toggle, which can be found with the notions at most fabric stores. Remove the tape and tie a knot very close to the end of each side of the drawstring.

Now you are ready to use your new environmentally friendly shopping bag. When it is time to bag the items, tell the clerk that you will use your own bag. Set it back inside the cart and open it as much as possible. Put the heavier items on bottom, and stack the rest on top of it. When all of your groceries are stacked on this fabric circle, you grab the drawstring and pull. It will tighten the bag around the groceries. Then slide the drawstring toggle so that it "locks" the bag closed. Then you are ready to carry your groceries home.