Valentine’s Day Worthy Reusable Bags

From: Valentine’s Day Worthy Reusable Bags : Blisstree – Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles.

If you’re still getting on board with my January plastic-reduction goal, here are some cute bags gathered by Blisstree’s Jennifer Chait.  I’ve reblogged, starred, and shared tons of her entries in the course of this Earthdaily blog!

Enjoy.

I’m still bagless even though the Walgreens guy looked at me kind of weirdly as I balanced all my goods on top of my Kleenex box. Once at the car, I got my purchases into my backpack with no problem, though, and so I remain steadfast on the no-bags rule.

via Valentine’s Day Worthy Reusable Bags.

Plastic bag crafts: monster-sized round-up

Update: Since this is consistently my most popular post (cool!), I thought I’d specify that I didn’t make these crafts. I just put ’em into one place for you. Please note the links at the bottom of the images; they go to the origin, or at least back to where I found the crafty goodness. Ok, carry on! Please continue thinking I’m a crafting virtuoso, by all means.

Oh lordy.  Someone said they were looking for items made from plastic bags.  Why?  How about Africa‘s war on plastic bags? Maybe they wanted to know about Craftster.org’s 2007 plastic bag challenge, inspired by Morsbags.  I dunno.  But I went out and found just one bit of the tons of cool fused, knitted, and sewn reused plastic bags out there, none of ’em clogging up landfills, blowing down streets, or choking wildlife anymore.

Here.  You.  Go.

Bags and some other things like coasters, chairs, and gift wraps:

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/02/quilted_plastic_bag.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
http://www.greatgreengoods.com/2008/03/27/this-bag-is-garbage-fair-trade/
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/04/nationals_opening_day_bag.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
http://craftgossip.com/blog/mahkacrafts-plastic-bag-creations/2008/05/16/
http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/06/16/plasticbagstory/
http://www.threadbanger.com/post/8219/weekly-diy-roundup-reusable-shopping-bags
http://greenupgrader.com/3953/bag-another-day-the-best-ways-to-reuse-plastic-bags/
http://www.cutoutandkeep.net//projects/plastic_bag_drinking_coasters
http://garbageofedendesign.blogspot.com/2008/10/diy-friday-fused-plastic-bags.html
http://www.cutoutandkeep.net//projects/plastic_bag_drinking_coasters/versions/1
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/10/recycled_plastic_bag_chai.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/11/how_to_french_knitting_tools_t.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954 (good tutorial)
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2009/01/02/the-green-shopping-bag/
http://www.cutoutandkeep.net//projects/reusable_christmas_gift_wrapping
http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2008/11/woven-fused-plastic-handbag/

Wreaths, bows, and rugs made from plastic bags:

http://whipup.net/2007/12/13/recycled-plastic-bag-wreath/
http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/11/diy-eco-happy-pom-pom-gift-topper.html
http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/12/weekly-wrap-up-diy-wreath-project.html
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2008/09/27/recycled-round-plarn-rug/

Artwork:

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/01/art_made_from_plastic_bag.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/07/virginia_flecks_plastic_bag_ar.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/08/04/joshua-allen-harris-inflatable-plastic-creatures/
http://hautenature.blogspot.com/2008/08/toni-de-roover-plastic-bag-bricks.html
http://hellejorgensen.typepad.com/gooseflesh/2008/09/the-new-generation.html Seriously check this out. She’s knitting a whole coral reef to highlight the “rubbish vortex” floating out in the Pacific.
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/plastic_bag_mandalas.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890

 

Clothing:

http://www.threadbanger.com/post/5599/recycled-plastic-bag-dresses
http://indiefixx.com/2008/10/20/guest-blog-indie-is-the-new-green-by-jessica-gonacha-wearable-recyclables/
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2007/08/plastic_bag_crafts.html

Jewelry:

http://www.greatgreengoods.com/2008/04/18/recycled-plastic-bag-bangles/
http://indiefixx.com/2008/09/12/studio-spaces-garbage-of-eden-design/

Yarn:

http://whipup.net/2008/05/10/an-experiment-spinning-plastic-bags/
http://whipup.net/2008/07/22/crochet-plastic-bags/

Want more?  Things recycled from other things, loosely related to plastic things and bags:

http://craftingagreenworld.com/2008/02/27/no-limit-holdem-make-a-playing-card-bag/
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2008/06/12/my-greenie-pot-scrubber/
http://www.greatgreengoods.com/2008/08/20/back-to-school-recycled-lunch-bags/
http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/2008/12/eco-tutorial-shopping-bag-to-shipping.html

Bags as gifts.

And after reading through the rest of the Sustainablog entry I blogged about the other day, there’s this nugget of wisdom:”Do your part this holiday season and try to use less wrapping. Try using bags that can be reused every year or wrapping your presents with old newspapers that can be recycled when presents are opened. Or, here is a novel idea: just buy less stuff this year.” Too right.

I’ve already decided to give bags as gifts this year. Oh, it’s not that bad. I’ll even post some of them. Some will be WoW-themed (16-slot bag, anyone?), some will be plain-jane canvas, some plastic (fused as well as knitted), some will be simple wraps, and then some will be hand-painted paper. I still have a painted paper-bag wrapping that a friend gave to me one year, inside of which was a matted print. I hung the print on my wall in college, right next to the brown-paper wrapping with my friend’s one-of-a-kind artwork. I liked her work of art better in the end. I’ll post that if I can find it.