Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Save the planet and some room in your cupboard

Every time I come home from grocery shopping, I get annoyed at all those plastic bags. Do I throw them away or stuff them into a cabinet? Here's a great idea I found in a Martha Stewart magazine for reusable shopping bags. It's better for the environment, plus I found a new use for all of those t-shirts of my husband's he doesn't wear anymore.

You will need:
a sewing machine
disappearing ink fabric pen
9 inch diameter bowl
heavyweight cotton t-shirt
scissors



1. Turn t-shirt inside out and sew the bottom closed over the existing hemstitch. Turn right side out, and lay on a flat surface with seams aligned.
2. Invert bowl, and place it over the neck so that only half the bowl is covering the shirt.
3. With pen, trace the rim of the bowl onto the t-shirt.
4. Cut along the traced line through both layers of fabric to make opening. Then line up sleeves and cut each sleeve off to create handles.



Voila! This was so easy. I made several in just a few minutes.

4 comments:

Jodi said...

Wow Shelly, that's a great idea! Now, to find a husband so I can use his old shirts ;-) I miss you guys alot!!!! (and that idea really is superb. Is that Jo modeling the bag in the pic?)

Shelly said...

Ha! We miss you too. I'm glad you like the idea. I only wish I had thought of it. And the little lady modeling is Isabelle. I'm excited to use the bags at Wal-mart; John says he won't use them. Guess he doesn't care about the planet like I do.

Jodi said...

We all know he doesn't and is secretly planning to cut down all the trees within his grasping reach. Or, maybe he's afraid people will notice that they're his shirts if he's carrying them =)

gina said...

i love it! i am saving up all your ideas for when my energy returns. also, my husband owns more t shirts than a 31 year old man should ever admit to! maybe i acan talk him into "purging." jodi, i miss you! have i mentioned that somewhere else?