Recycled Crafts

Creative DIY Projects That Turn Trash Into Treasure

7 Ways To Reuse Shopping Bags

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ho doesn’t have a stash of shopping bags hanging around their house?  Whether you keep the nicer paper bags from certain clothing stores, or keep a supply of plastic bags from the grocery store, these 7 ideas are a great way for you to repurpose those bags into a nice craft project.  I’ll be adding some of them to my to-do list.  How about you?

Did you know you can buy Plarn?  A ready-made plastic bag yarn. 

Why should you make your own shopping bags or totes?  Plastic bags are from the same source as all plastic: crude oil. So what is wrong with crude oil? The manufacturing process emits considerable amounts of pollution, and the product is not biodegradable. On land, plastic bags are one of the most common types of litter worldwide. As plastic bags are lightweight and float easily, this means they can travel long distances when picked up by the wind this includes landing in the ocean. Then wildlife gets tangled or ingests the bags, both in the sea and on land.  Make a difference and make your own shopping grocery bags.  Have plastic bags you need to re-use? Consider making these DIY upcycled plastic bag crafts.

 

subwayart

 

1- Shopping Bag Subway Art from In My Own  Style

outdoorpillow

2- Outdoor Pillow From A Reusable Shopping Bag from Thistlewood Farms

bagwreath

3- Plastic Bag Wreath from Crafts and Coffee

frames

4- Shopping Bags Framed Art from Bromeliad Living

coasters

5- Crocheted Plastic Bag Coasters from Country Woman

skeleton

6- Skeleton Made From Plastic Bags from Instructables.com

bows

7- Shopping Bag Bows from Splash of Something

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Comments

  1. Great ideas! Pillows and skeletons from plastic bags? Genius! Thank you for including the plastic bag wreath from CraftsnCoffee.com

Have you read?

Come On Baby, Start My Fire – DIY Firestarters

I stumbled across this brilliant little project the other day from one of my favorite upcycling bloggers, Sadie Seasongoods, and I had to share it. 

The firestarters Sadie makes are crafted from dryer lint, wax, and the cardboard bottoms of egg cartons. She even pretties them up with some dried herbs and flower petals, which honestly takes them from “I made this in my garage” to “Pinterest Queen Energy.” What I love most is how simple and budget-friendly they are. I mean, who doesn’t have dryer lint, an old candle stub, and a toilet roll lying around?

She walks you through the whole process with her usual clear instructions the end result looks more like a rustic gift item than something you’d toss into a fire pit. It’s the perfect kind of project for anyone who likes camping, cozy backyard firepits, or even just prepping for winter in a crafty way.

Other DIY Firestarter Ideas I’ve Tried (and Loved)

Feeling inspired by Sadie’s creativity, I thought I’d toss in a few of my own favorite DIY firestarter methods—because once you make one, you kinda want to try them all!

Pine Cones Dipped in Wax

This one’s a holiday fave. Gather some pine cones, melt some candle wax (crayons work too!), and dip them until they have a nice coating. You can even add a few drops of essential oils for a nice scent as they burn.

Cork Firestarters

Soak used wine corks in rubbing alcohol for about a week. Keep them in a tightly sealed jar and pull one out when needed. They light up like magic (just be safe—these burn hot and fast!).

Orange Peel Twists

Let orange peels dry and twist them into spirals. They’re flammable and naturally full of oils that help them catch easily. Plus, they smell amazing when burned!

Paper Muffin Liners + Wax + Sawdust

Pour melted wax into muffin liners filled with sawdust (or wood shavings, or even coffee grounds). Let them cool, and you’ve got sturdy little fire cakes ready to go.