Late to the Party???

Yes, I am late to the party. I am aware that Earth day was last Friday not today. I had the best of intentions to post this last Friday but life got in the way. However I thought this was such a good thing that I am going to go ahead and share it with you now, even if it is late. What is it? Well by now I assume a lot of us are bringing our own reusable shopping bags with us to the grocery store, but what about all those plastic bags we use when buying our fruits and vegetables? I know most people are still using the plastic bags provided at the grocery store and if you are anything like we are, they just get thrown away, they aren't good for anything else that I know of. I felt bad that it was such a waste so I got to thinking of a way to make a reusable produce bag and here is what I came up with. This idea is so simply and an idea that I am sure others have thought of so I am a little embarrassed to show it to you but if I thought it was cool and something very useful to help us cut down on waste, I am sure someone else will to so here you go, Reusable Produce Bags.

What you will need:
Tulle
ribbon or cording
thread

To make the bags cut out a rectangle of tulle that is 12 1/2 inches by 28 inches. Fold the bag in half so that you have a rectangle that measures 12 1/2 x 14 and sew up the side seams using a zig-zag stitch. I shortened my stitch length and width just to make sure I had a good solid seam.

Trim your threads and fold over the top about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch and sew around the top again using a zig-zag stitch.

Trim your threads again and cut 2 small slits right next to each other, through one layer of tulle on the top hem you just created. This is so you can thread a ribbon or cording through and cinch it up so that none of your fruits and vegi's fall out.

Next heat the ends of your ribbon or cording using a lighter or match just until they begin to melt a little, this will keep the ends from fraying.

Then stick a safety pin through one end of the ribbon/cording and feed it through the small hole you just cut, going all the way around the top hem and coming out the hole right next to the one you went in through.

Tada!!! You are done and you bag is finished, go fill it up and feel good that you aren't wasting another plastic bag. An added bonus, you can wash your produce right in the bag since it is mesh the water will drain right out, making putting away my produce much faster. These bags were so easy and dirt cheap to make. out of 1 1/2 yards of tulle, I was able to make 8 bags. Using my 50% off Joann's coupon I was able to get the tulle for $1.12 which makes that bags roughly .14 cents a piece since I had the ribbon and cording already laying around from another project. Pretty cool and frugal if you ask me, even if it is a simple idea.

I was just thinking, how great would these be to give as a hostess gift or a house warming gift, alongside a couple of reusable shopping bags. A perfect easy, usable gift, the best kind and something I am going to do.