DIY
How To Make Your Own Reusable Eco Bag From An Old T-Shirt

How To Make Your Own Reusable Eco Bag From An Old T-Shirt

As you may have read in my last blog post, The Case for Reusable Shopping Bags, reusable shopping bags are the newly popular alternative to plastic grocery bags you get at the supermarket. However, if not used properly, (i.e. used at least hundreds of times) they can actually be WORSE for the environment than if you just used plastic grocery bags!

Plastic grocery bags are bad, but reusable bags can be WORSE!

In short, reusable grocery bags have an impact on the environment in two places:

  1. When they are made
  2. When they are thrown away

The environmental impact of creating reusable shopping bags is HIGHER than for plastic grocery bags, and they take LONGER to biodegrade after they are thrown away. This means to make up for those environmental impacts, we need to use a reusable bag a LOT more than plastic bags. Like, hundreds of times more. (How many times depends on what your reusable bag is made out of)

I LOVE my Trader Joe’s bag. I’ve used it literally hundreds of times. (Note: this one is NOT mine. Mine is way more stained and has a couple holes…=P)

One of the best solutions is to get a reusable bag that is made of recycled material. Because a recycled bag reuses material that has already had it’s production environmental impact, the number of times you need to use your reusable bag to make it better than plastic bags becomes significantly less. It means you’re hitting two of the 3 R’s! Reuse AND Recycle!

BUT! We can do better. If you’ve already used the reusable eco bags in your home to death, DON’T BUY MORE. If you can, use some recycled materials in your own home to make more!

“But I don’t have cloth! I can’t sew!” You say? Say no more.

Here are the step by step instructions you need to turn an old T-shirt into a reusable eco bag!

Step 1: Get an old T-shirt and some scissors (preferably fabric scissors)!

I definitely don’t need this shirt anymore.

Step 2: Fold the shirt in half and cut off the sleeves.

Cut it right around the seam.

Step 3: Cut a wide square around the neck.

This will be the opening to your bag, but don’t make it so big that your handles rip easily!
Ta da.

Step 4: Flip the shirt INSIDE OUT and cut 3-4 inch (7-9cm) slits in the bottom of the T-shirt, making “tassels.”

MAKE SURE YOU FLIP IT INSIDE OUT FIRST!
Sexy t-shirt or eco bag in the making?!

Step 5: Tie the cut tassels together. No need to knot yet! Just one tie.

Just like the first step in tying your shoes. You don’t need to knot it yet.
There are still going to be gaps between the ties!

Step 6: Tie “neighbor tassels” together to close the gaps. NOW knot them well!

Find all the gaps and close them by tying neighbor ties!
All the holes are closed up!

Step 7: Flip the inside out again so the tassels are on the INSIDE of the bag, and enjoy your new eco bag!

BOOM! Reusable eco bag!

Keep in mind that the strength of the eco bag will depend on the strength of the T-shirt! Try to use one that isn’t too stretchy or rips easily. Now you have a nice new eco bag!

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