Make Your Own Plastic Bag Holder!

Why have a boring store bought plastic bag holder when you can make an awesome one in the fabric of your choice!

Posted by Queen A.

About

I think plastic bag holders (aka 'bag bags') are a great way to keep all those pesky plastic bags organised, but they tend to be done in a country charm style with a chicken on it or something - ick! So I worked out a way to make my own in a fabric that would suit my kitchen!

My measurements (45 x 58cm) are just a guide, you can of course make it as long or wide as you like.

You can make this out of any fabric, though good, strong, printed cottons are the best (quilting fabrics are great as they are good quality and their is heaps of pattern choices).

Note re stretch fabrics:
You can make this out of a patterned stretch fabric if you like, but I suggest you use a lightweight fabric (like Poplin) as a 2nd layer on the inside. If you don't the fabric will very quickly stretch out of shape once you shove a pile of plastic bags in.

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You Will Need (4 things)

  • Fabric Of Your Choice
  • 1 Keyring
  • 45 cm Flat Canvas Ribbon (i.e. heading tape)
  • 20 cm 6mm wide Elastic (or whatever elastic you have handy)

Steps (13 steps, 60 minutes)

  1. 1

    Cut out your 45cm x 58cm piece of fabric (or whatever size you are doing it to)

  2. 2

    Put the WRONG sides together and pin and sew together with a 0.5cm seam allowance.

    Why? We are doing what is called a french seam. It's so we create a neat enclosed seam with no fraying fabric to catch on the plastic bags (plus I'm a neat freak lol). If you have an overlocker you can just skip this step and under step 3 just pin and sew up with your overlocker instead.

  3. 3

    Flip it inside out so now the RIGHT sides are together, then pin and sew up with a 1 - 1.5cm seam allowance (just make sure the stitching done in step 2 is totally enclosed by this lot of stitching).

  4. 4

    Elastic time! Take your 20cm of elastic, make it into a loop with a 1cm overlap and hand or machine sew it together (I find hand sewing is easier with little things like this).

  5. 5

    Now this is the trickiest/fiddliest bit! With your fabric still with the right sides together, put the elastic loop over so it it on top of the fabric. Then start preparing the hem by folding the end over so its inside for neatness and pin down (see image).

    Because the elastic will trying to scrunch the fabric up, the best way to do this it to stretch the fabric and elastic when you are pinning. Do this till you are the whole way around and then baste (if you want to).

  6. 6

    When you sew it up, do the same thing as you did above - stretch the fabric and elastic as you go through the sewing machine.

    Also try not to sew through the elastic.

  7. 7

    Right, so that's the bottom down, now for the top!

    First step to to make appx 2.5cm wide hole about 4cm from the fabric edge for your canvas ribbon to come through. I do this using the buttonhole tool on my sewing machine (because as I said before I'm a bit of a neat freak!) but you can just cut it or find your own way to do this.

    TIP: I suggest you do this on the seam, that way the seam and the hole end up at the back, keeping it all neat.

  8. 8

    Like you did it step 5, prepare the hem by folding the end to the inside for neatness, and pin down (and baste if you want to) and sew.

    TIP: Make sure the hole you created in the step above it sitting in the middle of the hem and you don't sew over it or anything

  9. 9

    Time to put that canvas ribbon into the hem you just sewed! Easiest way to do this? Attach a safety pin the end of the canvas ribbon/heading tape (or whatever flat, sewable material you are using).

  10. 10

    Shove the safety pin and ribbon though that you created in step 6, feeding it through till...

  11. 11

    It comes back out the other side!

  12. 12

    Then put the 2 pieces of the canvas ribbon together, fold over the key ring and pin, baste and sew.

    TIP: If you aren't using a key ring then you can just sew or knot ribbon ends together (though I like the key ring because it makes it easier to hang).

  13. 13

    And you're done! Time to shove all you plastic bags in it and hang it up!

    Hope this all made sense and was a fun project for you! :)