Shopping Bag Holder Tutorial

So I have a secret. You know how everyone has one place in the house where there is just loads of mess that really needs to be sorted out? Well I have a few places like that. But one of them in under my kitchen sink. See I have this problem with grocery bags. First and probably the most serious problem is the fact that I keep forgetting to take my reusable bags to the store with me. I know I am evil my 5 year old keeps reminding me how I am DESTROYING the environment. But the second problem is that I keep all the silly bags I get from the grocery store. I fold them up into a tidy little ball and throw them under the kitchen sink if a box which is designated for them. Ok so it isnt a tiny box either it takes up half the under the sink cupboard. So this week I decided I have had enough of them all falling out on me everytime I open the door. So I made a Shopping bag holder. All other bags which wont fit in the shopping bag holder for now on are going in the recycling box to be taken back to the store. Well I am going to try and take them back. I have a hard enough time remembering to take the bags I am supposed to let alone the bags I am not supposed to :) Anyway I thought I would share an easy way to make a simple fabric bag holder.

Here is what I used:



A Dish Towel (I love using them because they are the perfect size)
Elastic
Ribbon
Sewing machine and various bits to sew it

Step 1: As Always wash and iron the Dish Towel. You dont want it to shrink when you wash it.



Step 2: I had a lot of spare ribbon and wanted to decorate mine a little so I sewed on Ribbon to the top and bottom of my dish towel. The same way I had done with the previous Apron.



Step 3: I then sewed elastic to the top and bottom of the dish towel just under the ribbon. It is important to NOT sew the elastic too close to the top or else it will show when it is done and look a little silly!



Step 4: Take an 8" piece of ribbon and fold it in half. Sew this to the top of your Dish Towel on one of the sides. It will need to be sewn on the back of the dish towel so that when it is finished you dont have the seam showing on the outside of the Bag holder.



Step 5: With the right sides facing each other sew a straight line down the long edge of the tea towel.



Step 6: Turn it right side out and fill with shopping bags. The picture above is rubbish I should take another one showing the bottom which looks exactly the same as the top..

Happy Sewing!!