The plastic bag organizer is a great kitchen accessory that allows you to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
Handy loops mean that you can hang this pretty organizer anywhere, from the kitchen to the garage to the camper. Elastic cuffs on the top and bottom hold the bags securely inside, while at the same time allowing easy access.
Read below for these "green" and free project instructions!
Supplies & Materials:
Supplies Needed:
- 1/2 yard light-weight home decor canvas
- Medium weight cutaway stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive
- 14 inches of 1/2 inch wide knit elastic
- Air-erase pen (or other marking tool)
- Safety pin
- Iron
Finished size:
8 1/4 inches wide by 17 1/4 inches long
Design used:
This design is also available in the following design packs:
A Creative Expressions II Design Pack - Md
A Creative Expressions II Design Pack - Sm
Project Tip:
The Plastic Bag Organizer will make a great gift set when given with the Handy Loop Dish Towel. Use coordinating colors and fabrics to make this gift set one of a kind!
Gather Materials:
First, prepare the fabric for the bag. Cut a piece of the light-weight canvas 18 inches wide by 21 inches high.
We will place the embroidery design in the middle of the fabric.
To find the center, measure and mark (using an air-erase pen or other marking tool) the middle of each side of the fabric (measure each side and divide by two). Draw lines to connect the marks - where the lines meet is the center point of the fabric. These lines will also be used as guidelines for hooping.
We chose a smaller design (3.86"(w) x 3.54"(h)) so the design was centered perfectly on the organizer.
Once this design was centered, there was about 7 inches of space on the left and right side of the design.
Next, spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive.
Smooth the stabilizer on the back of the fabric directly behind the center area to be embroidered.
Start Embroidering:
Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together by aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric.
Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design.
Position the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point on the fabric.
Embroider the design.
Once the design has finished, unhoop the fabric and trim away the excess stabilizer.
Leave about 1/2 inch of excess stabilizer around the edge of the design.
Next, fold the top edge of the embroidered fabric over 1/2 inch to the wrong side and press in place with an iron.
Then, fold the top edge over 1 more inch to the wrong side and press in place (you will have folded the fabric a total of 1 1/2 inches).
Repeat the folding and pressing process on the bottom edge of the fabric.
Sew a 1/8 inch seam along the inner fold of the top and bottom edges of the fabric.
This will create pockets for the elastic.
Next, fold the fabric right sides together with the left and right edges aligned. Pin in place.
Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the pinned edge. Do not sew over the top and bottom folds as it will close the pockets for the elastic.
Also, sew a zigzag stitch along the outer edge of the seam to help prevent fraying of the fabric.
Next, cut two 7 inch pieces of elastic. Attach a safety pin to one end of one of the pieces of elastic. This will make it easier to pull the elastic piece through the pocket.
Starting with the top pocket of the bag, insert the safety pin in the right side of the pocket and pull through to the left side until there is 1/4 inch of elastic remaining on the outside of the right opening.
Pin the remaining 1/4 inch of elastic in place at the opening of the pocket.
Continue to work the safety pin through to the left side opening of the pocket. Hold the elastic in place with about 1/4 inch of excess extending out of the left side pocket and remove the safety pin.
Pin both ends of the elastic in place at the openings.
Align the ends of the pockets together and continue the previous 1/2 inch seam along the folds and the ends of the elastic.
Add the other piece of elastic to the bottom edge of the bag by repeating the previous steps above.
To create the loops, cut two pieces of the canvas 2 inches wide by 10 inches high.
Fold in the long edges of the fabric so they meet in the middle with the wrong sides facing each other. Press in place.
Then, fold the fabric again with the long edges aligned together and press in place.
Repeat the folding and pressing process for the second loop.
Sew a 1/8 inch seam along both sides of the long edges on each loop.
Add a loop to both the top and bottom of the organizer by positioning the ends of the loops next to the back seam.
Place one end of the loop on the inside of the organizer and one end on the outside. About 1 inch of the loop should be attached on both sides.
Pin in place.
Attach each loop to the organizer by sewing a seam around the edges of the inside of the loop.
Repeat these steps for the second loop.
The plastic bag organizer is now complete!
Insert the plastic bags through the top opening and...
..pull them out from the bottom!
The plastic bag organizer holds dozens of bags, fits in small areas, and easily attaches to hooks on a wall, a door, or in a cabinet
