Thursday, January 6, 2011

Going "green" tutorial


Have you seen the eco friendly snack bags everyone is selling now?
Why not use up a few of your scraps and make your own?

Here's my version....



I wanted mine to have a lining and no raw edges inside - here is what I came up with.
My measurements are for a small bag. You can make yours any size you like.
I used  1/4 seams for all.

Cut 2 pieces for your outside fabric - 6 1/2" X 6"
Cut 2 lining pieces  - 6 1/2" X 6"
Velcro - 5 1/2 inches long - cut in half lengthwise


With right sides together stitch a piece of lining and outside fabric together across the top.


Repeat for the other two pieces.


You should have something that looks like this.
Pressing the seams open.


Measure in 1/2 inch from each side on the lining piece for the Velcro placement.
(I use spray adhesive to hold the Velcro in place while sewing)


You will be sewing the rough hook surface to one lining and the fuzzy hook surface on the other lining.
Zig zag all around the edges of the Velcro to hold it in place.
The Velcro should be centered from side to side on the lining side.


With right sides together and matching up your seams, stitch all the way around leaving a small opening in the lining side for turning.



Turn right side out, tuck in the 1/4 seam you left open and press.


Sew across the bottom of the lining - sewing the opening closed.


Tuck the lining inside


Press and topstitch around the top of the bag


Stitch another seam 1/4" down from the topstitch; this will  make it easier to open and close your snack bag.

Your finished bag should look like this...


And the inside....


YUM.......


If your not into snacking....




36 comments:

Debbie said...

Ooooh, maybe I could do those!
You know how I need 'easy peezy, lemon squeezy'!!

Polly said...

so cute!!

KimMalk said...

How cute, I really like all of your detailed instructions. I would have made it more difficult :/.

Rachael@Lovely Crafty Home said...

CUTE!!! I might try my hand at this project. I hope you'll share it at my linky party tomorrow!

Crafts a la Mode said...

Nice tutorial. You make it look easy. These pouches could be very useful for many different things. Linda

Unknown said...

awesome. I have been looking for a tutorial like this

Terri said...

Great idea, Lucy...kudos to you for going green!

Mel Creates Often said...

Those are great! I use tupperware and wind up having them all over the car. These bags would save a lot of room when my kids need snacks. Love them!

Rachael@Lovely Crafty Home said...

Thanks so much for linking up at my party!

Susannah said...

Great idea! If only I knew how to sew, or ate snacks :)

I'd love for you to check out my blog!

www.uvinyl.blogspot.com

Sarah @ Scissors and a Whisk said...

Cute! I made something similar, but mine has a ziploc bag inside so it's easy to clean. :) I also made one to wrap my sandwiches in! Maybe I'll do a post about that on my blog.

So Scraphappy said...

I love these! Great job! I can' t wait to make a few.

Catherine @ Cat on a Limb said...

Love this idea! I had been wondering how to go about it to get no raw edges inside. Thank you for solving it for me!

Unknown said...

I love this idea! So much better than using tupperware to pack snacks (I don't use baggies). I'm not much of a sewer but this looks simple enough. Thanks so much for sharing!
~Mary
www.thecraftygals.blogspot.com

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

Hi Lucy! This is such a great idea - I need a few of these! Thanks so much for the great tutorial and linking up to The Sunday showcase party - I have featured this today. Stop by and grab a featured button if you like. Hope you have a wonderful week ~ Stephanie Lynn

Melissa said...

Great tutorial!!! I made two of these tonight out of scraps, and they were soooo easy. I am going to make a few more so I can through them in the wash when needed and still have some to use. Thank you!

Melissa said...

Here are some pictures of the bags I have made so far. I plan to make a few more tonight or this weekend. :)
http://thecraftyclown.blogspot.com/2011/02/reusable-snack-bags.html

AmyD said...

Cute idea -- and I think I could try this. I am a beginner at sewing and have to figure out my sewing machine -- it does have an instruction book, I just need to read it. And I am going to try this. I will post when I get it done. Thanks for the great instructions.

Lisa @ Organized Chaos said...

I love the owl fabric you used! if only I knew how to sew...I'd get right on these..lol~ So cute!

~lisa @ www.organizedchaos-lisa.blogspot.com

LivingSoAbundantly said...

LOVE that idea! You really explained it well. =D

Living So Abundantly, new meme this coming Thursday, Give Back Thursday: http://livingsoabundantly.blogspot.com/2011/06/announcing-give-back-thursday-new-meme.html

Laura @ Laura's Crafty Life said...

This is an excellent tutorial. Thanks for posting!

Karla said...

Great tutorial! Do you have a fabric suggestion for making them cleanable with a wet wash cloth (I'm thinking for cheesey snacks, like Doritos or something similar)? I have been thinking about attempting something like this but don't really want to have to add a bunch of laundry--we go the the pool like 3x a week in the summer, so I need something quick and easy to clean and repack. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I would love more information on the type of fabric you used.

Becky

bdposten @ yahoo.com

Heather said...

@Karla, You could use PUL. It's commonly used for cloth diapers and you can find it online and at some JoAnn stores.

Tasha said...

I just found your site. I love this snack bag. Do you have a tutorial for the "pin catcher" in pics 3 and 4 from the bottom. Can't you hear my machine begging you for it?

Melissa said...

I have another tutorial for these bags printed and I am glad I have not gotten around to these bags yet, your instructions are much better. Thank you for sharing this process.

Loving Motherhood said...

Do you think the snacks would become stale?

Unknown said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hate spending the big time bucks it seems these thing cost, but I have really been wanting some. (And I knew that I could make them, but having a tutorial will make my life SO much easier!)

Can I ask, what kind of fabric did you use?

Unknown said...

What kind of material did you use for the outside and for the lining?

Anonymous said...

Karla...I make these as well but use PUL or vinyl as my inside fabric. (like a wet/dry bag) makes it easier to reuse by just wiping it out, and keeps foods fresher longer, but it's also washable for when it gets nasty. I had the idea after making a diaper wet bag...these are great and this tutorial makes it look super easy (which it is, even for beginners)

-Courtney
Blog.courtlynn.com

FlyAwayHome said...

WOW! Thanks for all the interest in my eco-friendly bags. I will try to answer a few of your questions. I used unbleached muslin for my lining because there is no dye in the fabric to harm your snacks. The outside fabric is cotton. A few have asked about other "wipe clean" fabrics. I had suggested oilcloth but someone also suggested PUL. I have never tried either but I am sure they would be fine. To answer the question about the snacks getting stale.... Mine are never in there long enough to get stale *LOL*. Seriously, though these bags are just for little snacks for the day. I find things like dry cereal, pretzels,Goldfish crackers are fine and don't seem to get stale. Thanks again for visiting.

Laura said...

Thank you so much for this great tutorial! I am a very novice sewer, but your instructions were so clear, concise, and easy to follow. I was able to make the bags with no problems, and I feel like that will help boost my seeing confidence. :-)

Lisa said...

Thank you! I think I might actually be able to do this. I saw this on Pinterest. :)

Mickey W said...

How cool! Way cheaper than buying ziplocs all the time! A lot of the time my boyfriend will use 5-6 ziploc bags for his snacks he takes to work. Its way nicer than cleaning Tupperware, but becomes a little pricey. this is a must for anyone who makes their own lunches. I will be posting these on my website when I'm done! Annnd credit will go to you. Thank you so much!

Lacey Klassen said...

What a great tutorial! I was able to make my first one in about 5 minutes. Thank you!!

Cassie said...

What fabric is the interior lining?