Organizing plastic bags

Plastic grocery bags generally take over our pantry closet, and I've finally gotten around to doing something about it!

Here is how they are usually kept (this actually looks better than normal)

(Hubby uses them as lunch bags, that's why we keep them)

And here's how to make a plastic bag organizer for those annoying grocery bags that pile up so quickly:

1) Recruit some help (only kidding, I had no choice... )

2) Cut 2 rectangles of fabric (mine were roughly 22" long by 7" wide)

3) Sew the two rectangles together lengthwise. (put the fabric right side together and stitch along both long sides, leaving the short sides open)

4) Sew casings on both the top and bottom edges

5) Thread a piece of elastic (mine was roughly 4") through the bottom casing and sew shut.

6) Thread a piece of ribbon through the top casing (the ribbon should be large enough that the top can open entirely up)

7) Flip the bag organizer right side out

8) Fill the bag organizer with those annoying plastic bags

9) Hang the bag organizer somewhere accessible yet out of the way.

A bakers dozen worth of bags fit nicely into this size of bag organizer. We're doing a trial run to see if this is big enough for Hubby's lunch bag collection. If it is... the extra bags that didn't fit in here can finally be recycled :)

This post is linked to:
The DIY Show Off
The Creative Girl