How To: Make a Reusable Grocery Bag

We love reusable grocery bags, but we're sick of the ugly ones from the store with the grocer's logo on them. We've been searching the Web for good instructions for making our own.

This knitted version from The Purl Bee is beautiful, but since we're not so handy with a pair of needles, we'll stick to simple sewing. We found a great set of instructions for a bag with comfy padded bag handles at U-handbag.

If you've made your own reusable grocery bags, let us know in the comments below.

More from AT:
• Envirosax Resuable Grocery Bags

Comments (9)

I have been planning on making this bag from knitty all summer. Now that it is finally starting to get cool outside, maybe I will be inspired to knit again. Here is the link to the pattern:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer07/PATTeverlasting.html

I love this. Once I told the cashier at Walgreen's to save the plastic, and she threw the bag away. What is this world coming to?
This website has the coolest bag tutorial I've ever seen. It's animated, and really really easy to follow.
http://www.morsbags.com/baganimation.html

An interesting idea would be to take the recycling idea one step further... use the plastic bags you've already got as the fabric for a bag you sew. Instructions on how to make 'fabric' out of plastic bags can be found here:
http://etsylabs.blogspot.com/2007/05/long-overdue-fusing-plastic-bag.html

Bust magazine had a really neat project in it a few issues ago where you cut plastic bags into strips and then essentially crocheted a similiar looking bag as the one up there, but with "recycled" plastic bags. Wish I could find the link!

I made three matching grocery bags out of fabric given to me at a garage sale. Each is just slightly larger than a regular plastic grocery bag. Each bag has two sets of handles: one set is for carrying in the hand, the other set is shoulder straps. Very handy! The bottoms are rectangular, formed by stitching across the point made when the side seam is placed against the bottom seam and flattened.

@NicoleMc-- thanks for the link to that blog entry. I think I'm going to make a bag like that tonight.

I like to sew reusable grocery bags for all my friends. It's a great way to use up extra fabric I have in my studio. They make great housewarming gifts, especially if you include some eco-friendly household cleaning products or a gift certificate to your favorite market.

I made this one</a href> for myself. The fabric is pre-shrunk, the seams are reinforced and there's a gusset so it can easily accommodate two paper bags worth of groceries. The handles are strong and just long enough to go over the shoulder if I overfill the bag and it seems too heavy to carry at the wrist.

OMG it's an "avos'ka"! Aka, the TOKEN little grocery bag that Russians stood in various lines with since the 70's. Funny how it's now stylish in the USA ...

http://7682.ru/userdata/drugoe/Avoska.jpg

I've been looking at many different patterns for reusable grocery bags and I must admit my favourite by far is the U-handbag link posted in your article.

I've made this for myself and now my mother, and now my friends want it too. It can be sized up or down, but the current pattern size is perfect for market days. The padded handles are a must. I also add a pocket on the inside for whatever I might want to put in there.

THANKS to all who wrote in the comments above. This week-end is "let's make our fabric grocerybags." I've got the greatest donated STRONG fabric, the patterns...BUT I HAD NEVER, EVER THOUGHT OF PADDING THE HANDLES! This has got to be the best "addition" to our plan.

Well, off to decorate our fabric - you know us artists... We just can't leave anything alone!!
Barb