I live in Oregon, a state which recently implemented a ban on single use plastic bags at check out.
You can still get a paper bag of course, but be prepared to pay $0.05 for each paper bag you need.
But you know what's still free?
Bringing your own reusable bags!
"But I don't want to buy reusable bags," you say. "They're expensive and they tear and you can't even wash them!"
While that is definitely true for the cheap, non-woven bags you can often buy for a dollar or two, these t-shirt bags are totally different.
First, they are way nicer.
Made from durable fabric, t-shirt bags like the one I am about to teach you how to make will last a long time. And they are washable!
Grocery bags can get pretty gross after a while but you can just toss these in the wash with your regular clothes to get them nice and clean.
Second, these bags help reduce waste.
Did you know that the United States sends more than 21 MILLION POUNDS of textile waste to landfills each year! (source)
Old T-shirts make up a significant amount of that waste! Fight back by using your old T-shirts and giving them a new purpose once you are done wearing them.
By using something that already exists (a t-shirt) to meet your needs (a shopping bag) instead of creating new material from raw resources for this purpose, you:
- help keep shopping sustainable
- reduce our demands on natural resources
- keep clothing waste out of the landfill
Remember the Three R's:
1) Reduce
2) Reuse
3) Recycle
This project reduces the raw materials we need to use AND reuses something in the meantime.
When your bag gets worn out, you can even recycle it to a fiber recycling facility!
I Have Lots Of Great T-Shirt Recycling Projects!
Have a lot of shirts to use up? I've got projects to help! Check out these fun ways to upcycle T-shirts into something more useful!
How to Make a No-Sew Shopping Bag from T-Shirts
T-Shirt Shopping Bag Supplies:
Some of the links below may be affiliate links where a purchase made after clicking will support this website without costing you extra!
- Old T-shirt (note: bottom hem must be intact for this method)
- Rotary Cutter or sharp scissors
- Cutting mat to protect your work surface
- Quilting ruler or straight edge (optional but useful!)
- Large safety pin
- Scrap yarn (about 18 inches)
- Needle and thread (also optional)
No-Sew T-Shirt Shopping Bag Directions:
HOW TO MAKE A SHOPPING BAG FROM A T-SHIRT STEP 1:
Fold your shirt in half on top of your cutting mat. For the best results, fold your shirt toward the BACK.Lay your straight edge or quilting ruler at an angle (as shown) and use your rotary cutter to cut off the sleeves.
No cutting mat? No rotary cutter? That's ok!
Just use your scissors to do your best to cut a straight line from below the armpit on your shirt up to the shoulder seam.
HOW TO MAKE A SHOPPING BAG FROM A T-SHIRT STEP 2:
Lay the straight edge angled in the opposite direction to cut off the neckline.This cut does not need to be as deep as the sleeve cut but should remove the entire neckline.
Be sure that there is at least 2 inches of the shoulder seam left attached at the top.
When you open up your t-shirt after this step, it will look like a v neck tank top like this.
(sorry to change shirts on you in the middle like this! I didn't grab a shot from this angle while making the bag with the blue shirt but thought it was an important shot to include!)
HOW TO MAKE A SHOPPING BAG FROM A T-SHIRT STEP 3:
Use your scissors to snip a hole in the bottom hem of the t-shirt.Clip the safety pin onto the end of about 18 inches of yarn.
Thread the safety pin into the hole you made in the hem.
Keep going until the safety pin pops out of the same hole where you went in.
Push all the fabric together along the yarn.
HOW TO MAKE A SHOPPING BAG FROM A T-SHIRT STEP 4:
Cinch the yarn tight, compressing the fabric as close together as possible and tie it off in a square knot.Trim the ends and tuck them back into the hem if desired.
At this point, you will notice that you have a hole in the bottom of your bag.
If you don't like sewing, you can stop here.
This hole isn't big enough for most groceries to fall through so it will still work just fine for grocery shopping.
HOW TO MAKE A SHOPPING BAG FROM A T-SHIRT OPTIONAL STEP 5:
If you would like to cover the hole and you aren't scared of a little simple hand sewing (practice makes perfect!), then cut a rough circle from one of the sleeves that is large enough to cover the hole.
Use a needle and thread to attach the circle to the inside of the bag with a simple stitch like a running stitch (shown) or a whip stitch.
That's it!
Make yourself a few more (because I always need more than one bag when I shop!).
Put all your bags together inside one of the bags and hang them on your doorknob so you don't forget them the next time you go shopping!
If you love this reusable shopping bag tutorial, be sure to pin it to save it for later!
NO SEW SHOPPING BAG FROM A T-SHIRT DIRECTIONS
Reusable Shopping Bag from T-Shirts (No Sewing Required!)
Yield: 1 bag
Estimated cost: $0
prep time: 2 Mperform time: 10 Mtotal time: 12 M
Reuse old t-shirts by turning them into easy-to-make shopping bags. These bags are durable and washable. They are easy for anyone to make since this is an easy no-sew project.
materials:
- Old T-shirt (note: bottom hem must be intact for this method)
- Scrap yarn (about 18 inches)
tools:
- Rotary Cutter or sharp scissors
- Cutting mat to protect your work surface
- Quilting ruler or straight edge (optional but useful!)
- Large safety pin
- Needle and thread (also optional)
steps:
How to Make a No-Sew T-shirt Bag
- Fold your shirt in half on top of your cutting mat. For the best results, fold your shirt toward the BACK.
- Lay your straight edge or quilting ruler at an angle and use your rotary cutter to cut off the sleeves. If you don't have cutting mat and rotary cutter, just use your scissors to do your best to cut a straight line from below the armpit on your shirt up to the shoulder seam.
- Next, lay the straight edge angled in the opposite direction to cut off the neckline (or cut with your scissors). When you open up your t-shirt after this step, it will look like a v neck tank top.
- Use scissors to snip a hole in the bottom hem of the t-shirt. Clip the safety pin onto the end of about 18 inches of yarn.
- Thread the safety pin into the hole you made in the hem. Use the safety pin to help you shimmy the yarn through the full hem of the t-shirt until the pin pops back through the hole you made.
- Push all the fabric together along the yarn. Cinch the yarn tight, compressing the fabric as close together as possible and tie it off in a square knot. Trim the ends and tuck them back into the hem if desired.
Optional: Cover the center hole
- Cut a rough circle from one of the sleeves that is large enough to cover the hole.
- Use a needle and thread to attach the circle to the inside of the bag with a simple stitch like a running stitch (shown) or a whip stitch.
Copyright 2015, Creative Green Living
Did you make this project?
Tag @CreativeGreenLiving on instagram and hashtag it #CreativeGreenLiving
About the Author:
Carissa is a lifelong crafter and mom of two creative boys.
The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she is an award-winning blogger and most recently won the ShiftCon Media "Best Green Lifestyle Blogger" award in 2019.
She is also the author of several books including Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017), Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018) and The Little Green Book of Mothers' Wisdom (Skyhorse, 2020).
Her projects have been featured in magazines like Kids Crafts 1-2-3, Capper's Farmer and Urban Farm Magazine. Follow her on TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, or join the Creative Green Living Community Group.
The owner and lead writer at Creative Green Living, she is an award-winning blogger and most recently won the ShiftCon Media "Best Green Lifestyle Blogger" award in 2019.
She is also the author of several books including Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2017), Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018) and The Little Green Book of Mothers' Wisdom (Skyhorse, 2020).
Her projects have been featured in magazines like Kids Crafts 1-2-3, Capper's Farmer and Urban Farm Magazine. Follow her on TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, or join the Creative Green Living Community Group.
Do you like this post? Subscribe to our newsletter!
When you subscribe you can download our FREE Recycled Crafts E-book!
Love all the awesome creativities !
ReplyDelete