This goody bags—used to pack simple snacks and lunches for your kids, for lunches, or when you're on the go—has to be one of the most unusual ways of reusing old magazines that I've seen.
These DIY snack bags come courtesy of Esther, and they seem pretty simple and straightforward to make.
You first start out by cutting out 6"×6" squares out of pages from a magazine. Then, you glue the outer ends together to make a tube. Once this is done, it's time to break out the sewing machine. You sew together one end. Then, you proceed to fill up your improvised bag with some goodies, like a mix of raisins, cereal, and nuts. All that's left is to rotate it by 90 degrees and sew together the other end. That's it.
A word of caution, though, and something that gave me pause: some ink can be poisonous, so it'd be best to use pages with less ink or just office paper that you're about to recycle. An improvement on this idea would involve still using magazine paper for the outside, but in the inside could use office paper. In order to do this, just use two layers of paper.
But then again, who really knows where these magazines or paper have been! Should we even be putting food in them?
What do you think?
(Babyccino Kids via Swissmiss, photos by Esther and Vlijtig)
Must-See Small Cool Homes: Week Two
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How to Bake a Potato: Three Easy Methods
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
ummm correct me if I am wrong, but I think the vivid high-color inks used in magazines have all sorts of crazy metals and chemicals, not really intended to be eaten off of....
I'm not quite seeing why the sewing machine is necessary. Since you're already gluing it some, why wouldnt you just glue the whole thing?
The inks and glue are definitely a concern for me on this one too. And wouldn't it be better to just give the kids a fun reusable container?
Eww, I agree with the fact that the ink may rub off on the snacks, and also, where has this magazine been? Through the mail? In a doctor's office? Just eww.
I love the look of these little packets ... but, using these to hold food? That's recycling gone too far ... wrong or just nasty!
These cute containers would be wonderful for gift-giving ... as wrapping for small gifts or party favors for the holidays hung as an ornament from a mantle or a tree.
My sewing machine is usually readily accessible but I still can't imagine sitting around sewing up paper sacks, carting them to the kitchen to fill and then bringing them back to the craft room to sew shut. plus, as another commenter said, wouldn't it be better (and easier) to use a reusable bag or container? (I won't even get into how quickly you would dull a sewing machine needle by sewing magazine pages!)
really cute idea, but i agree, not for food! fun for kids party gifts, grab bag prizes, fortunes and wrapped treats, etc.
I completely agree that I wouldn't put food in them...and it's a lot of work for a daily treat. I do love the idea though for wrapped goodies and maybe adding a loop of ribbon would make it a lovely party favour to hang on a tree. I found a brilliant re-usable and safe snack pouch and wrote about it today here..
http://snickerdoodles.typepad.com/snickerdoodle_life/2010/11/bannish-baggiesloving-lunchskins.html
That's what I am ordering for our kiddos and moi.
I just created an account so I could agree with all of these comments.....I read apartmenttherapy all the time, but never have had an account.
Magazines have sooooo many germs!!!!!!!!!
Kids snack bags, oh, but they might be POISONOUS!??! So use pages with LESS INK!!? Seriously, AT? Storing food in magazine pages and glue sounds like a horrible idea! I can't believe this was posted.