No Sew Grocery Bag Tutorial

This is a Guest Post brought to you by Katey at Having Fun at Home.

Do you have an old t-shirt lying around that doesn’t fit anymore, but that you don’t want to part with?  Why not upcycle it into a reusuable grocery bag?  All it takes is a pair of scissors, a large safety pin, and about 10 minutes of your time.

Lightweight undershirts work really well because they stretch easily.  (You can make your bag extra fancy by decorating with this fun sharpie tie dye method).

First, cut off the sleeves of the t-shirt.  (Make sure you cut off the seams). These will be the handles. Then, cut out a piece of the neck in both the front and the back.  This will determine the size and shape of the opening for your bag.

Take one of the discarded sleeves and cut a half-inch wide strip of fabric from it.  Tug on the ends of the strip a little bit to get the edges to curl up.  Pin a safety pin to one end of the strip.

At the bottom of the shirt, cut a small slit in the hem.  Don’t cut through the stitching.  Insert the safety pin into the hem and inch it along until you make it all the way around the shirt.

Cinch tightly, and tie the two ends of the strip of fabric into a tight knot.  This will leave you with a small hole at the bottom of your bag.  The hole shouldn¹t be a problem if you are using it for groceries, but if you would like to make the hole smaller, try the method described here.

Enjoy your new cheap and earth-friendly grocery bag!

Thanks to Leethal! Do Stuff for inspiring this tutorial.

Katey loves all things quirky and creative.  You can read about her inexpensive children’s activity ideas at her blog Having Fun at Home. You can also follow her on Pinterest or on Facebook for more fun ideas.