Try This: Old Plastic Bags, New Again

By Susan Wasinger
Published on February 29, 2008
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Laminating four to eight layers of plastic shopping bags together makes the perfect weight "fabric" for this quirky lunch tote. The graphics on the shopping bags become transparent as they fuse and give the final product a subtle collage effect.

Each year Americans throw away billions of plastic shopping bags, which can take hundreds — even thousands–of years to break down in a landfill. Put those non-biodegradable properties to good use by turning bags into a hip, indestructible lunch tote. Use an iron to meld layers of plastic bags together into a tough, flexible “fabric” that looks cool, wears long and wipes clean.

  1. Gather four to eight plastic shopping bags from your favorite clothing stores (most grocery bags are a little too flimsy for this project). Look for a pleasing mix of colors and graphics.
  2. Cut the bags down the side seams with scissors and undo the bottom pleat to make a long rectangle of material.
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