As we all work towards a greener earth there are many little things we can do so that we can say we did our part. Recycle as much as possible, don’t waste, and let’s all quit with the plastic bags already. Anyone who is concerned at all with the welfare of our beloved earth has, by now, switched to cloth shopping bags rather than those plastic bags you see at nearly every store. Cloth bags, which can be used over and over again, are a much better alternative. And, even though they’re not expensive, you don’t have to run out and buy some. You have plenty of them already, right there at your house.
Old t-shirts work great for making cloth shopping bags whether you’re heading to the grocery store, a discount department store, or elsewhere. Take along your own t-shirt bags and you’ll do your part at eliminating all those plastic bags on our earth.
You can make assorted bags by the sizes and colors of t-shirts you choose. A child’s shirt will make a very small bag but an adult’s shirt will make a much larger shopping bag. There are no limits to the type of t-shirt you use. Ones with graphic images, writings, pockets, or other embellishments are fine.
Turn a t-shirt inside out and lay it flat in front of you so that the hem is facing you and so that the front of the shirt is facing upwards. Cut horizontally across the bottom of the shirt to remove the hem from the front and back of it. Cut both sleeves off of the shirt. Cut from the underarm area, up to the shoulder, staying on the shirt side of the original sleeve seam so that, when you remove the sleeve, you take away the over-lock seam as well. Cut the neckline off of the shirt and, ideally, cut the neckline much larger than it actually is.
With the shirt still inside-out, align the two bottom fabric pieces and sew straight across to seam them. Turn the shirt right-side-out. Turn the collar area under a quarter-inch, then again, and sew all the way around it. It will be helpful for most people if they pin it first. Around each armhole, turn the fabric under a quarter-inch, then again, pin, and sew around it.
The t-shirt bag is unusual and useful. It can be used as more than just a shopping bag. Make one and use it for an overnight bag, another to use as a makeup bag, and another as a toy bag when traveling with kids. They’re handy, really easy to make, and they help you do your part towards a greener world.