Tutorial:
T-shirt Tote Bag
The Inspiration:
Want to be part of the BIGGEST global trend you can’t do
wrong?
Recycle. Reuse. Reduce.
Many progressive cities have banned the use of plastic
shopping bags and others charge a fee for paper ones. So what’s the
alternative? Reusable fabric bags. It’s not so much to save money, celebrities
are using them too, but to stop the production of these 100 billion plastic
bags we use every year, most of which end up in landfills.
Reusable bags are now sold everywhere ranging in price from
a few cents to double digit numbers. You can also make a bigger contribution to
mother earth, especially for her “birthday” next week (April 22nd) by
making your own out of an old t-shirt.
Materials
1. Heavyweight Cotton T-Shirt
2. Marking Tool (pen, chalk, etc.)
3. Scissors
4. Straight Pins
5. Sewing Machine or thread and needle
Step 1:
Get your
t-shirt and smooth it out flat on a table.
Remove the sleeves, cutting close to
the seam but not through it. Keeping the seam will keep your handles strong.
Step 2:
Now using
your marking tool, draw about 1-2 inches along the neckline and cut the band
away.
Step 3:
Now turn
your shirt inside out and pin along the bottom, making sure to line up the hem
Step 4:
Now using either
your sewing machine or a needle and thread, stitch along the bottom, close to
the actual hem stitching. This will be the bottom of your bag, so stitch over
it again just for reinforcement.
Step 5:
This step
is optional, but you can also reinforce the edges by sewing diagonally on the corners.
Step 6:
Now turn
your shirt right side out and viola! Your very own machine washable, reusable
bag. These bags are very sturdy and since the fabric is stretchy, it can hold several pounds of fresh fruit, loafs of bread or whatever it is you are shopping for.
Shoes anyone?
Final Result
Good luck, have fun, & enjoy!
xoxo,
Elizabeth Moreno
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