The Renegade Seamstress

Are you ready to join the zero-waste movement? Have plastic grocery and produce bags been trying to take over your home? Have you been shoving these plastic bags into closets and cupboards for years now so they fall at your feet each time you open up your pantry? Do you feel guilty throwing away those sandwich bags after only one use?

Sounds like it’s time to make the switch to reusable bags and covers.

Not only can you make these eco-friendly bags and covers from fabric you already have, but thrift shops are filled with material, curtains, or dish towels just waiting for a new lease on life.

1. How to Make Washable Fabric Bowl Covers

Summer is the perfect time to head to the lake, the park or the mountains and share a meal with people you love. The last thing you want though, is a swarm of bugs getting to your salads before you do. You can bring some environmentally friendly style to your picnic by ditching the plastic wrap and creating some reusable fabric bowl covers instead. Make them for any size bowl to coordinate with your picnic ware. Just find some fun fabric, a little elastic and you’re on your way to creating these cute washable fabric bowl covers.

Click here for the tutorial.

2. How to Make a Reusable Snack Bag

Snack time is a special time of day — after all, the break could include the likes of cookies, energy bars or good ol’ fashioned fruit — but the plastic bags that usually hold your treats are far from exciting. Swap them out with these DIY, reusable snack bags instead. The iron-on vinyl makes them wipe-and-go ready, so you can “eat it all” while on the move, too. Now snack time will be a feast for your eyes, as well as your mouth, with these cute bags.

Click here for the tutorial.

3. How to Sew an Insulated Lunch Bag

Who doesn’t look forward to a lunch break? You get to relax, visit with friends and recharge with great food: it’s exactly what we all need in the middle of the day. But, sometimes a crumpled brown paper bag or a sorry canvas sack can put a damper on our slice of afternoon freedom. Ditch those boring excuses for containers and bring some cheer to your noon-time meal with a colorful, insulated lunch bag that you made yourself. Fill it with equally adorable snack bags — which you also created, of course — and totally on-trend eats, and you’ll be the talk of the break room.

Click here for the tutorial.

4. DIY Reusable Produce Bags

This reusable bag was made from a thrifted dishtowel which I fell in love with the moment I saw it and all of it’s orange goodness.

Click here for the tutorial.

5. How to Make Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps

If you want to bee the life of your next party, show up carrying your salad in a bowl covered by a homemade beeswax cover. Everyone will be asking for the name of the hip new marketplace selling them. You will definitely create a buzz when you tell them you made them yourself. It’s a beautiful way to reduce daily plastic waste and be more eco-friendly. These reusable covers are washable so they’ll last up to a year and then all you have to do is re-wax them. Sounds like you’ll get a double re-use score when you make and use your own beeswax food wraps.

Click here for the tutorial.

6. Reusable Microwave Popcorn Bag

Popcorn—not only does it tastes great, it also connects us to people we love and good times. From snuggling up together on a couch watching movies to cheering on our favorite team, popcorn plays a big part. But, if you’ve been trying to create less waste and eat a bit healthier, you can ditch those greasy, chemical-laden, store-bought microwave popcorn bags and make an earth-friendly, reusable, healthy alternative. These reusable microwave popcorn bags are a snap to make and are even a great learn-to-sew project.

Click here for the tutorial.

Happy eco-friendly sewing!

Beth

For more sewing and refashioning inspiration and tutorials, click here.