A Different Type of Reusable Bag

I am so excited! I just found out about an awesome type of reusable bag. It is a square piece of cloth that you tie into a bag, called a furoshiki - pronounced “f’-ROHSH-kee." It originates from Japan. Here is a great video that shows you different ways of tying a bag. It is SO cool! Make sure you watch the whole thing and pay attention at the end, it is a little ironic how the furoshiki is taken home once purchased ;-)



So you can see how easy that is! And it would be so easy to make your own. All you need is a square piece of fabric, about 105 centimeters across (but any size will do, just changes amount you can carry) and then finish the edges so they don't fray. Or you could use a fabric that doesn't fray for a no-sew version. I wouldn't recommend any sheer or slippery fabrics because the knots may not hold. You could also sew two pieces together to make a reversible square. Oooh, I am so excited to try this (did I already say that?)! Off to find some fabric!

My Reusable Bags

Ok, I finally got some reusable bags sewn! I had a busy week last week, sewing curtains and getting the house cleaned up and company ready for my sis and her family. But I finally got to my bags so here is a pic of the 3 I have made so far. And I must say, I am hooked! They are so easy to make and I keep finding myself looking for any scraps of fabric large enough to make a bag out of. Check out my previous post here for more info about making your own bags. And here is the link to the Green Bag Lady's blog again.

Sew Your Own Reusable Bags

Reusable shopping bags, what a great idea right? Well, I must admit that I have not yet started using them. We mainly shop at Aldi for groceries and we just find empty cardboard boxes at the store and use them for our groceries. However, we do still shop at Kroger and Walmart and Target and other stores so I really need to use fabric bags! I have been wanting to make my own for a while but have just been lazy about it. I know, SHAME ON ME!

Well, SHAME NO MORE! I recently found this awesome blog, Green Bag Lady. She was sewing reusable bags for anyone that promised to use it instead of paper or plastic. She had such a huge response that she is now only giving bags away in contests and at Green Bag Lady events. But if you know how to sew (or know someone that does) you can make your own! She has patterns up on her site for a reusable shopping bag, produce bag and gift bag. I am so excited to make my own bags! Now that I found an easy pattern, I am motivated to get started! I will post pics of them when I get them done. I have posted the links to Green Bag Lady's patterns to make it easier for you to find them, but please visit her site too, she is doing a great thing trying to revolutionize the way we shop! She has some great tips and links and even a link to a video to help you make your bags. I think you can even submit photos of yourself with your bag.

And if you don't sew, you can still follow her blog and try to enter any contest she may have to win a bag, so head on over!

Shopping Bag Pattern
Produce Bag Pattern
Gift Bag Pattern