Are you into green living? Do you prefer to forgo plastic bags whenever you can help it? Today’s post is for you. Plastic grocery bags are often used once and then tossed into the trash, which means they head straight to the dump. If you’ve ever thought that there has to be a better way, there is! Here is how you can make your own reusable produce bags.

A lightweight cotton material is best, but some people prefer to make their bags see-through. In that case, there’s nothing wrong with using a see-through fabric such as tulle or the fabric used to make sheer curtains. Supplies needed:

• one yard of lightweight cotton or see-through fabric
• colored cord for a drawstring, approximately one yard per bag
• thread to match the fabric
• safety pins

1. Wash and dry your fabric before making your reusable produce bags.
2. Cut your fabric to the preferred size. For a standard sized bag, you’ll need 2 pieces of 12″ x 16″ fabric. Iron one short side of each piece under 1/2″.
3. With right sides together, mark 2 inches down from the sides you ironed under. This will be the top of the bag. Mark both ends of this side with a safety pin. This will help leave a casing to make the drawstring opening for your produce bag.
4. Start from one safety pin and sew 3 sides of the bag together, ending at the other safety pin. This will leave the top of your bag open for the casing.
5. Now remove the safety pins, and turn the bag inside out.
6. Using the seam allowance you ironed under, stitch just the outside edges of your drawstring casing on both sides.
7. Hook a safety pin to one end of your cord, and use the pin to help pull the cord through the casing. Knot the ends to keep them from pulling all the way through.
8. If you like, attach a colorful bead to the cord before you knot it. This can help hold the bag closed when you purchase produce.

Thanks to Dora’s Daily Dish for the inspiration!