Tutorial: How to Make Environmentally Friendly Reusable Sandwich/Snack Bags
In my house, we (and by “we,” I mean me and my uninterested husband and kids that I am forcing this on) are doing our best to be better stewards of our environment. So when Dot asked me to be a guest poster on Dabbled while she sunbathes on an exotic beach being served fruity cocktails by 22-year-old buff cabana boys (I am now thinking I got the raw end of this deal), I immediately racked my brain to come up with a crafty “green” project.
And thus, the reusable sandwich bag project was born. Here in the South, school starts ridiculously early – like next week. So since we are heading back to school, I thought it would be the perfect time to make these bags. These bags are the perfect size for holding sandwiches, cookies, crackers, chips, apple slices, grapes and all the other lunch staples. And while you might not want to store watermelon or last night’s pot roast in them, they work really well. Not to mention, they are simple to clean and can keep untold amounts of plastic bags out of the landfills. So without further ado . . .
Reusable Sandwich Bags
Materials for one sandwich size bag
- 7”x 15” piece of plastic or vinyl lining (This is located in the home fabrics section of most craft stores. This is a much easier project if you buy the plastic lining that DOES NOT annoyingly sticks to itself.) If you want to make snack size bags, cut your plastic into a 7” x 8” rectangle.
- Construction paper/cardstock/heavy duty paper template – 6.5” x 10” will work
- 7” piece of sew-on velcro
- (2) 7” pieces of Decorative Ribbon
Step 1. Place your vinyl right side up on your working surface. On each of the short ends, you will sandwich the vinyl between a piece of velcro and a piece of ribbon(ribbon on outside or right side edge, velcro on inside edge). Pin in place.
Step 2. Stitch the ribbon/vinyl/velcro together. The end product looks and works best if you hem both the top edge and bottom edge of your velcro.
Step 3. Fold the vinyl in half (wrong sides together) so that you have a 7” x 7.5” rectangle (7” x 4” for snack size bags) with the velcro on the inside. Place your paper template inside the folded plastic so that ¼” overhangs both sides (template will overhang top).
Step 4: With your iron set to a medium heat, fuse the vinyl together on the edges using your paper template as a guide. DO NOT place the iron over the entire piece of plastic. Instead use the tip of the iron to seal the edge. When you’re done, let the pouch cool for 30 seconds and then remove the template.
Step 5: Stitch the now sealed sides using a 1/8” hem. Be sure to hem the entire length of the bag, including the ribbon/Velcro portion (I suggest backstitching this portion as well) to ensure your bag can endure repeated use.
This project is easy, fast and cheap. You can easily make a dozen bags in an hour, and when all was said and done, the cost for each bag comes in at just under 30 cents. And best of all, most vinyl is dishwasher safe on the top rack (test a single bag first to make sure). Enjoy!
These might be related posts, too:
- Tutorial – Fusing Plastic (or how to make disposal plastic bags into keepable stuff!)
- Tutorial: How to Make a Fabric Basket, perfect for Easter!
- Freezer Paper Stencils Tutorial (Re-run)
- Freezer Paper Stencils – (Cute Training Pants!)
- Cool Techniques: Fuse those plastic grocery bags…
Wow!!! I can’t believe I didn’t think of this. What a great idea. I like plastic bags, but loathe the fact that they get thrown out. I’m going to make these for the Hubby’s lunches. THANKS!
Hi! These bags are really cute, but you might want to check to make sure that the vinyl you’re using is not made of PVC (which it most likely is). PVC is brimming with phthalates which you definitely don’t want in contact with your food. Toys have been recalled for containing PVC and so forth. It is not among the friendly chemicals of the world.
That’s a great point Jo and one I should have covered in the post. I did use food-safe plastic for my bags and encourage anyone who makes these to make sure the plastic they use is food-safe.
This is brilliant!!! Definitely getting added to my “must sew” list! I posted a link to your tutorial on Craft Gossip Sewing:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-reusable-sandwich-bags-for-back-to-school/2009/08/01/
–Anne
How do you figure out which kind of plastic you are buying at the fabric store is safe for food?
Most fabric stores have an information tag on each fabric – it should give you a breakdown of the materials used to make the plastic. If you’re not sure, ask the salesperson. Also, if you use ziploc bags, you will most likely feel comfortable using many of the plastic materials they sell for tablecloths in craft stores. Any plastic, including store-bought bags, will have chemicals and it is a personal decision. You could also use PUL fabrics (search online for these), which are considered food-safe or just plain muslim if you want to avoid plastic all together.
Ciao
ho fatto un post sul mio blog x il tuo fortissimo tutorial
a presto Moni
http://monicc.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/bust-porta-sandwich/
Are ribbon and Velcro dishwasher-safe?
Thanks so much for this great idea. I remember I have a brand new, clear plastic table cloth that was given to me. Now I know just the reason I still have it! It says on the label that it is 100% crystal clear vinyl…still wondering if this is safe for foods. But, oh, the savings on ziplocks! I don’t like throwing out something we’ve used once…..
@ Lisa – I have washed mine several times now and have not had a problem with the ribbon or the velcro. I would try one in the dishwasher first and see if it comes out ok.
@Lori – most vinyl does contain PVC, so you may want to find a different plastic if you are concerned about food safety – but you could use the vinyl for storage bags you don’t plan to use with food (I put my kid’s craft supplies in baggies as well.) I used a plastic sheet that said it was PVC-free, but I also have vinyl bags and do use them for some food stuff occasionally. You can use PUL fabric or a PUL sheet to laminate the fabric of your choice. ALL plastic has chemicals though, so if you use zipper top bags, you are probaly already exposed to many of them.
is PUL food-safe, though? I thought it wasn’t… but I could be wrong about that.
From everything I have read PUL is considered food safe – of course, many times, what they say is safe today could be changed tomorrow. If you are concerned you could try muslin.
Lovely idea, but try as I may, I could not find food-safe clear plastic. So, I found blackout liner at a chain fabric store for just $6.99/yd. It’s a cotton/poly blend, wipes clean easily and is machine washable. I stiched it back to back with some cute fabric and voila! It’s not clear, but it is still good for the environment and no chemicals!
I was so excited to make these bags and when I went to sew them they looked horrible b/c the vinyl kept sticking to my sewing machine. Any tips??
@Chantell – You probably are using plastic that is too thin. Try a thicker (heavier gauge) plastic. Make sure that it is not tacky. If it sticks to itself, it will not run through your machine. You could also try putting ribbon on the edges if you want to work with what you have already.
Hi There
What a great idea – and simpler than other patterns I have
found. Wondering if you could post some web sites where to order the
fabric.
I’m finally getting around to making these! So excited! A couple of quick questions:
1) how do I tell which is the right side of the vinyl or does it matter?
2) do you hem the top of the ribbon over the vinyl? Or do you leave the edge of vinyl exposed under the velcro?
Thanks again for the lovely instructions!!
Annie
@Annie – There really is not “right” side for the vinyl. As for the top edge. I just sandwich the rough edge between the velcro and ribbon and sewed it together – nothing special was done.
I am wondering where you found foodsafe vinyl? I can not find it anywhere. Love the clear but not the PVC!
Consider using nylon fabric. It isn’t see through but doesn’t contain any PVC. It is also machine washable.
Thanks for the tip!
I love those bags – I made some using rip stop nylon which is said to be safe for food and it’s waterproof. I wouldn’t use vinyl, but then again, I’ve been using baggies forever and you never know what they line tin cans with. Rip stop nylon comes in all colors and wipes away clean. You can also toss them in the washing machine (don’t forget to use organic detergent).
I just wanted to add….I reuse those plastic “bags” that sheets, comforters etc. come in. I cut them to my desired sizes for different size bags. Sew up the sides and you can use velcro or snaps or zippered closures. I do not use them for food however, just little do dads and trinkets and stuff.
The ladybug vinyl looks just like the stuff Walmart sells. How do I know if Its food safe? There was a tag on the roll but it didn’t really say what it was. The craft lady there had no idea if it was food safe.
This question keeps coming up. If you are not sure whether your plastic is food safe, and are concerned, don’t use it or buy from a supplier who can assure you of food safety–if walmart staff is uninformed, try a speciality store or order online. Some people say that not even ziplock bags are even food safe, so honestly there is a ton of conflicting info out on the web. (Here’s one I found: http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/2007/04/pul-wrap.html)
In any case, if you are concerned about plastics, just make the bags out of fabric.
Okay from my understanding the stuff at walmart is Vinyl which is not really food safe.
Leave your response!
Recently Popular
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Support Dabbled!
Dabbled Flickr!
Sponsors
Want your ad here? Contact Dot!.
Twittering..
Tags
Recently Popular