Grocery Bag Holder
Where do you put all of your bags? Need a tutorial for one? Well, here you go.
Now, I know no one really sees these if they are tucked away in a closet…….but maybe it’ll make you smile every time you see it, if you pour your little heart out while making it. Go on and make it with some darling fabric to brighten up that dank closet. Just an idea.
You’ll Need:
- If you want your holder all one color – 1 piece of fabric, 20 x 25 inches. If you want strips like pictured here, you’ll need 9 pieces of fabric, 20 x 3 1/2 inches.
- 2 pieces of narrow elastic (1/4 wide or smaller). 11 inches and 6 1/2 inches.
- 1 piece of ribbon – 14 inches long.
- Thread
Then, make a casing for your elastic at each end. Turn over the fabric about an 1/4 of an inch and then fold it over again about 1/3 of an inch. Sew really close to the fold so that your 1/4 inch elastic can still fit. Do this to both ends.
Now, thread your elastic through each end and sew each end of the elastic securely to the opening of each end of the casing. Keep in mind, the larger piece of elastic is for the top of your holder (so you can shove many bags in) and the smaller piece of elastic is for the bottom (so that you only pull one bag out at a time).
Next, turn the holder right side out and pin the ribbon (I turned the end under once) into place, about 3/4 of an inch from the top. Sew the ribbon into place several times, making it secure.
Lastly, sew the 2 long sides together, with right sides together.
Hang…………….and stuff.
My grandma used to make these using dish towels! Great work!
So dang cute! I will be making me one of these as soon as I find some spare time!
where do you get your cute fabric from??? –ashlee
You can pick up fabric at joanns.
This is adorable!!! I wish I knew how to sew!
I love it. Right now my bags are in a old bucket under the sink but I always need bags upstairs…thanks for the cute idea.
I have an ugly one I got as a gift from someone, they bought it at the farmers market and it is all one hideous pattern, you’ve inpired me to spice up my closet!!
thank you so much I have been wanting to do this but just was quite sure how to pull it off. I love the stripe idea. When I saw this tutorial I gasped. Yea!
I meant I wasn’t sure how to pull it off.
Love this idea! I bought five different fat quarters and had enough for three holders. one for home, one for work, and one for give away! Thanks for all the great ideas :)
Made one today and it turned out great! Thanks for the tute.
I made one of these yesterday for my boys room! Its hanging at the changing table ready to take out yuck diapees! :) Thank you so much for posting this tutorial! It was perfect!
~Melissa
I was just thinking about making some of these.
I was excited to discover this project link, however, my husband is even more excited. It will be nice to get our bags tucked away.
LOVE it and love this blog. Guess what our moms are getting for Mothers’ Day!
I love this! You have great ideas! Thanks so much!
I did it! I love this idea, it was so quick and easy, thanks!
I made this tonight, come stop by my blog and check mine out!
Just made some. I changed it slightly to use just two fabrics. Thanks for the fun tutorial. I linked to it on my blog http://teaginnydesigns.blogspot.com
I am new to sewing and I am trying to get the elastic in the case.. I can't get it.. I know it says to "thread" it but what does that mean? is there a special tool?
Safety pin!!
Hollie, threading it through means to slide the elastic through the casing. People have their own technique but I just shove a safety pin through one end of the elastic and try making it's way through the casing to the other end. Does that help? If not, or if you have any other questions…..email me at:
makeitandloveit@gmail.com
Ashley
Hey I know this is a pretty old post, so you may not ever see this comment, but I thought you might want to see the grocery bag holder I made from your tutorial.
Thanks!
Dani
http://craftrookie.blogspot.com/2009/08/grocery-bag-holder.html
http://powells101.blogspot.com/2009/08/craft-day.html
I so needed one.
k I have NEVER sewn anything before, and thought this looked like a good tester for the machine my hubs bought me during christmas ( I know, I barely got it out of the boz) anyways I LOVE it! I totally did it without messing up anything horribly ;) thanks for this fun little project for dumbs like me ;)
love this idea, my parents have one that my mom made but I never got around to asking her how to do it. thanks for the tutorial!
I've only looked at a few of your posts today, but everything I've seem is totally amazing!
i did it it's great idea tnx
here:
http://magichappensnow.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/sewing-grocery-bag/
I am a total beginner at sewing but I whipped this up yesterday for a original x-mas present. It turned out so cute, thanks for the tutorial!!
I love these. I've made 2 now as gifts and plan to make many more. I also added a fabric flower. You can see it on my blog at http://lifeofamormonhousewife.blogspot.com/2009/12/grocery-bag-holder.html
Thanks for all your great ideas and detailed tutorials.
I just finished my own grocery bag holder and love it. I posted a pic on my blog. You are so creative! Keep posting and I'll keep following! Thanks so much!
I just LOVE this!!! It was so easy to make, and I made TWO right off the bat! I plan on making more as gifts. AND? I got to clean out the cluttered up mess of grocery sacks under my kitchen sink! Yay! Thanks for posting this!
Just made this, loved it!
THANK YOU — I was dying for one!! I used your tutorial and made it. http://www.makinmommabproud.blogspot.com
Very cute. I love the stripes! Thanks for sharing the pattern.
Great tutorial and just perfect timing! I just moved and I don't have anything to stuff those thousands of plastic bags I have lying around. I did have an ugly plastic one but that one is history. Thanks for sharing!
love this idea!! i NEED to make one of these! thanks for sharing :) i'm going to post this on my blog tom!! linked back to your blog of course :)
Love this! Your fabrics are so cute! I don't know why I haven't seen this before.
I posted a link on my blog: http://ificould-ificould.blogspot.com/2010/06/plastic-bag-holder.html
Thanks!
I love this..I am tweeting this idea out. My sister knitted me one and I was wondering how I could make a similar bag holder without knitting (since I can't).
Very cute and looks easy enough! Thanks for the tutorial!
Oh my gosh! I think I can handle this.
what a great idea! I am with @Rose, I have seen so many ugly ones. This one I would be proud to have in the view of others. I am on an Enviornment Board and they were very impressed with your work as well. thanks!
I did one today following your instructions. Your instructions were simple and easy to follow and the pictures definitely helped. Thank you so much.
Believe it or not I'm making 2 of these for my sister-in-law for Christmas; per her request. Now I just need to find the perfect fabric.
So cute! I made one using scraps from a recent project! Thanks for sharing!
i like your attitude, it's sparky and spritely, and now i'm going to sew a bag holder to jazz up my closet brightly! thanks!
Hello!
Your blog is fantastic! I have been inspired to start so many new projects. Thank you! Would you mind if I linked this article to my blog? I made something based on this, and wouldn't want to take credit for it myself! Thanks.
Claire
Claire -
Sure, link away!
I would like to make a smaller one (for the car). I'm new at sewing so what measurements should I use. Thanks. Sorry such a dumb question.
Christmas gift idea!!! My parents just moved and need some new things for their kitchen, I think this will be perfect.
I'm excited to make this and use for Christmas gifts as well. I don't know about your grocery stores but ours (Kroger) will give you $.03 off your total for every plastic bag you bring back and re-use. How easy would it be just to grab this off the hook on your way to the grocery store and then you have savings there too??? Also, many stores recycle their plastic bags so you could take bags with you and then ditch the extras in their recycling bin!
Love it, just made a couple tonight, thanks for the measurements! Going to try and make one with different fabrics next time I have the urge to make one of these babies!
perfect Christmas gifts–thank you fort posting the easy pattern!
EXACTLY what i needed! Thank you!!!! and yours is cute!!!
This is awesome – thank you for the super easy tutorial!!! I will be making one of these today! Was going to use some plain ol' fabric, but your stripes look so good, I think I'll do that instead and really perk up my pantry :)
Thanks so much for the inspiration! I saw this post and went right to my sewing machine and whipped one up. Yay! Now my plastic bags are looking good.
The only thing I've ever sewed in my whole entire life was bean bags. I did a google search, and your site was the first one to come up. This was not too hard, and I love it! Thanks so much. I'll have to learn to be as creative as you someday. :)
looks like a great bag, off to make one now. I keep promising the honey that I will get the bags out from the pantry and into one of these! Have a great day!
I always wanted to make one of these and this tutorial makes it look easy. I'm off to the store for some elastic now and I'm going to make that my project for the night. Thank you.
I made this using your tutorial! Here's the blog entry. And I linked you back.
http://beebeebellies.blogspot.com/2011/05/ikea-fabric.html
Fabulous! Your striped one is very inspiring, just made one. Thanks so much!
http://girlsrunthisshow.blogspot.com/2011/05/inspired.html
I totally just made one of these in all pinks for my baby girl's changing table..I put her dirty diapers in bags so it's so nice to have them handy now!! Thanks a ton, great tutorial! I am going to blog it, I will give you the link when it's blogged. Thanks again! LOVE your blog!!!
I just made one using your tutorial. thanks so much!
http://joyusdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/05/grocery-bag-holderdispenser.html
So much cuter than the ones you can buy off amazon or something. Thanks for the idea!
I love it- thank you for the inspiration!! Here is one that I made: http://fromonemommatoanother.blogspot.com/2011/06/plastic-bag-holder.html
Thanks so much for the great idea and step-by-step tutorial. I just made four of these as gifts using your instructions, and everyone LOVES them!! This is definitely a keeper.
Thank you! The answer to all my plastic bag nightmares.
Such a simple design and so well explained that a sewing machine novice such as me managed it!
Does anyone have the pattern to the plastic bag holder made form fabric that looks like a little sunsuit.
It’s called baggy britches. Has elastic around the edges of the legs to make a ruffle.
I made this today!! I used 1 piece of cream linen and buttons to decorate the outside. It was my first sewing project ever!! Thank you for the inspiration! (And SUPER easy tutorial!) :)
haha…i just made this and totally forgot to set the strap on before i sewed the tube…i’m such a dork!!
Thanks for sharing! This has been on my to-make list a long while and I finally made it this morning. It came out too cute and works perfectly…only one bag pulls out at a time. :) Great tutorial!
Thanks! My only problem was making sure my elastic was well stitched. It slipped twice. :)
I loved this tutorial! I made an adorable chicken one for my mom for Christmas and she loved it. Thank you. You can see mine on my blog: http://simplejoycrafting.blogspot.com/2011/12/plastic-shopping-bag-holder.html
This was my first sewing project with my first sewing machine (besides hemming some slacks). I bought fat quarters and did only 6 strips a little wider – it came out great! A great project that has quick results for those a little less patient and not too intimidating. Thanks!
I would happily pay someone to make this since neither my wife or I can sew
I’m a newbie at sewing & I just tried this tutorial. I loved it! I love being able to make something that is so useful in the house! Thank you so much for this tutorial. It was put together so clearly. I appreciate your work! :)
Heather Hughes
thanks for sharing .. do you by chance have a tute for a clothespin bag?
I am SO making one of these! LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing!