Just in case you missed this article on making your own reusable produce bags the first time we shared it a couple of years ago, we are republishing it. After Trish wrote this blog originally, we got an awesome response. This is one of the PYP Best Blogs!

One more way to eliminate the amount of waste coming into your home and going out to the landfill or recycling facility.
For four bags you will need one yard of tulle and 8 yards of ribbon.
These are super simple to make if you can sew a straight line.
I used tulle to keep them as lightweight and easy to clean as possible.
The yard of tulle that I purchased was 56 inches wide. I cut it into four pieces that were 18 inches by 28 inches to maximize the full yard of tulle.
Turn the long sides up about a 1/2 inch and stitch.

Turn the short sides up about 3/4 of an inch inch toward the same side of the fabric as you did the sides and stitch. This will make the casing for the drawstrings.
The side of the fabric that you turned those edges to is the WRONG side.
Fold the piece in half, with RIGHT sides together, so that the two short ends meet up. Stitch up the sides starting BELOW the casings you made previously and down to the folded edge. You need that casing to remain open to thread the drawstring through.
Repeat on the other side, exactly the same way.
Now turn your bag right side out.
Slip a safety pin onto the end of one yard of ribbon and thread it through one side of the casing and into the other, coming back out where you started.

Tie those ends together in a knot.
Attach the safety pin to another yard of ribbon and feed it into the casing on the opposite side as before. Take it through the casing on one side and into the other, coming back out where you started again. Tie the ends together in a knot.
This makes the drawstrings cinchable.

That’s it! You’re done!

I made four bags in just under an hour. I spent only $1 on the yard of tulle. I had the ribbon and thread on hand.

Here are the comparisons between the plastic and reusable bags.
The plastic bag from the grocery store weighs 1/10th of an ounce.

The reusable bag weighs 2/10ths of an ounce.
My scale is pretty sensitive and couldn’t decide between .1 and .2.
I snapped the picture at .2.

When fully opened, the size of the plastic bag is about 14 inches by 14 inches.

The reusable bag is about 13 inches by 16 inches.

Plastic bag: Can possibly be reused once or twice. Then it goes in the garbage. OR to the recycling bin where it will go to a recycling facility which may or may not be in the U.S. and will consume energy in the recycling process.

Reusable bag: Keep it and use it over and over again.
Tulle can be machine washed and tumble dried on low according to the care label on the bolt of fabric.
I think it would be just as easy to wash the bags in a sink full of soapy water, rinse, and air dry. Which won’t take long at all for the tulle.

Some of my reusable grocery bags have a zippered pocket inside them. I’ve never had a use for that pocket but now I think it will be the perfect place to store my produce bags until I need them in the store. 🙂
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