Basketball Jersey Produce Bags

Basketball Jersey Produce Bags
By Future Craft Collective

By now most of us have figured out our reusable bag system for going to the grocery store. I know in the back of our van we’ve got myriad choices for small, medium, or large shopping outings.
What we hadn’t figured out, however, was what to do for our produce selections. We ended up using the plastic bags offered because we hadn’t yet thought of a better choice. It would have to be something that breathed, could be easily washed, and didn’t weigh too much. It seems these same requirements are in order for any kind of sporting apparel. So we turned once again to the modern day tech fabrics — this time in the form of a basketball jersey. We created these very cool, very utilitarian produce bags to be used over and over again, thereby kissing the plastic bags goodbye.

Materials

Basketball jersey
Drawstring
Sewing machine
Thread
Needles
Scissors

Directions

Step 1: Lay your jersey out flat on the table. Any size will do, as the bags can be made any size.
Step 2: Cut off the shirt below the armholes. This fabric has many attributes, including the fact that it doesn’t unravel.

Step 3: Cut right down the middle of the shirt, straight up from bottom to top. You will now have 2 rectangles of fabric, each with a fold along the side. You can cut these in half again from side to side depending on what size bags you want to make.

Step 4: With good sides together, sew along the bottom and up the unfolded side until you reach 1½” below the top of the bag.

Step 5: Fold down the top of the bag to create a tunnel for your drawstring. The top of the bag should meet up with the point where you stopped sewing up the side of the bag.

Step 6: Feed your drawstring through the drawstring channel.

Step 7: Make dozens more. If you’ve got a double-layered jersey, you can make twice as many with just one shirt. These bags are so easy and so practical you will definitely want to make oodles. And be ready to be complimented in the produce aisle or at your local farmer’s market.

About the Authors:

Future Craft Collective is brought to you by Kathie Sever and Bernadette Noll. Kathie is an accomplished seamstress, creator of Ramonsterwear Custom Western Wear, artist, and mother of two. Bernadette is a writer, co-founder of Slow Family Living, and mother of four. They have found renewed energy in their collaboration and are continuously amazed by the ideas, inspiration, and a-ha moments that have come from this shared effort.