Drowning in grocery bags? - Hippymom

Tarot · 10-17-2007, 05:00 PM

betz white: this bag is not a toy

this bag is not a toy

Every time I come home from a store with my purchase in a plastic bag it bums me out. Ack! How did I end up with another plastic bag...I hate them! There are just too many of them in the world and I am vowing to stop contributing to the demand.

Luckily, there are a lot of posts popping up around blog town on ways to reuse these nuisances to society. Whip up has a nice round up of posts on the topic of fusing plastic bags together to create a "new" material. I followed the etsy labs tutorial using an iron, some bags, and 2 sheets of paper to do these experiments:

I fused blue, orange, and white bags together. I cut them into flower and leaf shapes then fused them between layers of a clear bag. Cool! I love how the light looks coming through them. You can see the one on the right isn't fully fused at the bottom. I think the bag I used was too heavy.

For this experiment I cut long wavy strips out of fused bags, layered them, then fused again into a big sheet. I made this little bag just to see how the material would sew up. It's very much like Tyvec and easily went through my sewing machine.

I don't know how safe it's be, but this stuff would make a luminous lamp shade of some sort...

I'm not sure why I am so enamored with this. It seems like a big departure from what you usually see here on my blog. It's pretty similar in concept, though, to my felting. It uses recycled materials, it's easy to cut and apply graphic shapes, and there's no raveling or need to finish raw edges. Weee!

I am definitely going to use this technique to make up a shopping tote. Next time I go to the store I will say NO NEW BAGS!

Ariel · 10-17-2007, 05:19 PM

Plastic grocery bags make me

It seems like anymore they want to double and triple bag everything too.

10-18-2007, 01:37 AM

Those are great! I'm off to the tutorials....

Cherry · 10-18-2007, 07:40 AM

Looks like they would make great gift bags too (the one you have held up to the light).

Friskay · 10-18-2007, 02:52 PM

I like those ideas.

10-18-2007, 04:26 PM

You can also wear them.

DIY: Plastic Bag Fabric: Reclaiming Plastic Shopping Bags for Good (TreeHugger)

Or make forever grocery bags out of them.

My Recycled Bags.com » Recycled Plastic Grocery Tote Bag

10-17-2007, 05:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
Tarot The Fool Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: In a treehouse, 3 feet off the ground... Sign: Virgo Posts: 42,048 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 3 Points: 1,696,274.94 Bank: 2,989,265.17 Total Points: 4,685,540.10 Donate	Drowning in grocery bags? betz white: this bag is not a toy this bag is not a toy Every time I come home from a store with my purchase in a plastic bag it bums me out. Ack! How did I end up with another plastic bag...I hate them! There are just too many of them in the world and I am vowing to stop contributing to the demand. Luckily, there are a lot of posts popping up around blog town on ways to reuse these nuisances to society. Whip up has a nice round up of posts on the topic of fusing plastic bags together to create a "new" material. I followed the etsy labs tutorial using an iron, some bags, and 2 sheets of paper to do these experiments: I fused blue, orange, and white bags together. I cut them into flower and leaf shapes then fused them between layers of a clear bag. Cool! I love how the light looks coming through them. You can see the one on the right isn't fully fused at the bottom. I think the bag I used was too heavy. For this experiment I cut long wavy strips out of fused bags, layered them, then fused again into a big sheet. I made this little bag just to see how the material would sew up. It's very much like Tyvec and easily went through my sewing machine. I don't know how safe it's be, but this stuff would make a luminous lamp shade of some sort... I'm not sure why I am so enamored with this. It seems like a big departure from what you usually see here on my blog. It's pretty similar in concept, though, to my felting. It uses recycled materials, it's easy to cut and apply graphic shapes, and there's no raveling or need to finish raw edges. Weee! I am definitely going to use this technique to make up a shopping tote. Next time I go to the store I will say NO NEW BAGS! __________________ The Wheel And so, it begins... Proud Participant in the 2010 Healthy Hippies Challenge - even if nothing has really changed except the acceptance that life is truly what keeps me moving, yet muffin-topped *Going back to superficial, because its so much easier to live one's life as if nothing really has a deeper meaning*

10-18-2007, 02:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
Friskay Trying to find my way... yet again Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Woodstock, GA Sign: Leo Posts: 21,592 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5 Points: 827,862.88 Bank: 6,213,689.97 Total Points: 7,041,552.85 Donate	I like those ideas. __________________ Proud Participant in the 2010 Healthy Hippies Challenge - and a diehard member of Team Spirit Guides! Support me and show me some love - ask me how I'm doing!! January 19 - March 15, 2010.

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10-17-2007, 05:19 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ariel Calling peace and sanity Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ohio Sign: Leo Posts: 12,124 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 1 Points: 354,378.92 Bank: 1,716,173.30 Total Points: 2,070,552.22 Donate	Plastic grocery bags make me It seems like anymore they want to double and triple bag everything too.

10-18-2007, 01:37 AM	#3 (permalink)
Nutcracker Guest Posts: n/a Points: 0 Bank: 0 Total Points: 0 Donate	Those are great! I'm off to the tutorials....

10-18-2007, 07:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
Cherry Super Mod Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: USA Sign: Taurus Posts: 13,271 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 5 Points: 11,934.44 Bank: 1,250,000.00 Total Points: 1,261,934.44 Donate	Looks like they would make great gift bags too (the one you have held up to the light).

10-18-2007, 04:26 PM	#6 (permalink)
cassandra Guest Posts: n/a Points: 0 Bank: 0 Total Points: 0 Donate	You can also wear them. DIY: Plastic Bag Fabric: Reclaiming Plastic Shopping Bags for Good (TreeHugger) Or make forever grocery bags out of them. My Recycled Bags.com » Recycled Plastic Grocery Tote Bag