Make a Grocery Shopping Bag from Flannel Shirts

Tired of plastic bags? We all need to be shopping with reusable grocery bags to reduce all those plastic bags going into our landfills. And, it is spring cleaning time and I got creative.  So it is a “two-fer”!  This article will teach you how to clean out your closet and create a new reusable grocery shopping bag. Skeptical? Read on.

Things you’ll need

Flannel shirt

Coordinating fabrics to line your bags

Sewing machine

Scissors and thread

Step 1

Lay out your flannel shirt flat, making sure that the front and back are even. Cut off the sleeves. Set sleeves aside. For a square bag, cut the collar off as straight as possible from side to side. This is the top or bottom of your bag, which ever way it looks best.

Step 2

Now, from the narrowest point at the top, you need to cut straight down for the sides of your bag. You should end up with two squares the same size. At this point, straighten up your edges to make them square or a rectangular. Decide which is going to be your top or bottom of the bag. Turn the squares right sides together and sew your bottom, using a ½ to 1 inch seam allowance so to catch the entire seam. No raveling on my watch! And then sew your sides. Turn the top or opening down and pin with a ½ to 1 inch hem. You can either sew by hand like I did, or try to fit it through your sewing machine. I just couldn’t get a clean looking hem by machine.

Step 3

At the bottom of the bag, fold the fabric to match the seam line with the bottom fold line, creating a triangle. Flatten the point so that the side seam is running up the middle of your triangle. Measure 1- 2” from the point of the triangle and draw a sewing line. Turn the bag over and do the same for the other side. Now, stitch perpendicular to the side seam on the drawn lines. This gives you a nice rectangular base and the main part of your bag is done.

Step 4

Measure the main body of the bag and cut out the lining fabric 1 inch bigger to allow for the seams. Put right side together and sew the bottom and the sides. DO NOT turn inside out. Fold the top over about ¼ inch and press. Fold over again about a ½ inch and press in place to get a clean edge for the inside top of your bag.

Step 5

The straps are cut from the cut-off sleeves. Lay out flat to determine your longest points and cut out two strips that measure 5” wide and are as long as the sleeves, one from each arm. Fold in half, right sides together and sew along three edges using a ¼ to ½ inch seam allowances for each handle. Determine which is best for your fabric. Turn inside out and press the seam where it lays flat. Turn the last edge inside the handle and hand sew closed.

Step 6

Lay your main bag flat and place your handles. Make sure that you use one handle for each side and pin in place. Hand sew or machine stitch the handles to the bag. Take many stitches as you don’t want them to fail with all your groceries in the bag. Plus, the liner will help to cover them up.

Step 7

Slide the lining down in the main body and move into place. Pin the lining to the main bag at the top, carefully placing it to cover the handle stitches. Hand sew the lining into place using a blanket stitch. Voila, you are done!

Tips

Make extra bags for friends and family!

Helpful hints

Be sure to sew each handle to one side of the bag. I sewed them wrong by sewing one side of each handle to each side of the bag and you can’t get big items through the hole. I love my seam ripper!

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