Happy Earth Day! ~Reuse your old T-shirts!

Paper or Plastic? How about neither. It takes as much petroleum to make 14 plastic bags as it does to drive a car one mile. These grocery bags are made from rescued T-Shirts. They are similar in size and shape to your average plastic grocery bag and can be used anywhere! They are quite durable, keep them in your purse or your car, it just takes a little at a time to get in the habit of recycling. It’s all about making a difference one small step at a time.

So, what do you do with your favorite T-shirts after they are too small, or worn out? Why, make reusable grocery bags of course! Here’s how I do it:

First choose a t-shirt…p4170162p4170153I find that small to mediums work best. If you want to use larger T-shirts you would either have a very big bag (not a bad thing!) or you would need to cut and sew the side seams. (Confused?) You’ll see in a minute.

Lay your T-shirt out on a hard flat surface (I am using my kitchen table), p4170154then lay your template…(any grocery bag will do. Pick one that has a size and shape you like.) on top pf your T-shirt.

Match the top of the bags handles with the shoulder seams.

Trace the opening around the neckline, and around the sleeves. (don’t worry, the chalk comes right off!) :)You are basically cutting out the neck and cutting off the sleeves to make your handles.p4170155

I usually fold my shirts in half, matching up all the seams and then do my cutting…this way both sides match. We leave the original side seams intact. (One less seam to sew!) šŸ™‚ p4170157When that is done, cut off the bottom of the shirt. Again I use my walmart bag as a guide but, remember, your bag can be as big or small as you like.Ā  When you have decided on a good length, cut it, then turn the shirt inside out, Sew or serge the bottom seam shut.p4170159 (If using a regular sewing machine do a straight stitch and a zig zag to make it nice and sturdy) If desired, you can also sew or serge around the handles.

Then take the bottom seam of the bag and fold it against the side seam like this..p4170161..you will have a little triangle, measure about 1 1/2 inches from the point and place a pin. (do this for both sides) sew a straight seam from pin to pin. You can leave this on or cut it off, its up to you. When you flip your bag right side out, you should have a nice squared bottom to your bag. And, its done! Nice job!p4180001Here is your finished product! p4180003You can roll them up and keep them in your purse or under the seat of your car. You can tie them with hemp cord and give them as gifts! They’re great! Have a happy day!

Sugar Pie Honey Bun(ch)!!!

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Finished Product

“…You know that I LOVE You! I Can’t Help Myself, I love you and nobody else!…”

Oh yeah! Honey Buns are great! They are the little sister to the Jelly Roll…a sweet little package of one and a half inch strips.Ā  All from one line. All coordinated! Endless possibilities!

Today I have two fun projects for you…first the canister. You all know how much I LOVE to recycle so here is another Green project! Here is what you’ll need:

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Materials

a can…any size will do. I am using a #10 can for a canister, but I think smaller cans would be adorable too. Perfect project for kids and great gifts for teachers!

  1. Mod Podge
  2. foam brush
  3. scissors, and pliers
  4. and of course, your favorite honey bun! We are using Fresh by Deb Strain
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Be Careful!

First, make sure that your can is clean. Next, I took a pair of pliers and just squeezed around the lip of the can to make sure there are no sharp edges left.

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Unwrap a smile
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Time to get dirty
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Starting out
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Start Wrapping
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Oh Podge

Then comes the fun part…open up that jelly roll! I know its so hard to unwrap such a pretty package…but, you can do it! Choose six or seven of your favorites and line them up in an order that you LOVE! Then just start slathering on the mod podge…I started at the top of my can and folded the fabric over the edge to make a nice finished look.Take the strip of fabric and cut it where it overlaps itself. Take your time and try to line up your seam. Be sure to seal it with lots more mod podge.

Then you will want to continue coating your can with mod podge and lining up your strips until you reach the bottom of your can. I lined my final strip up with the bottom edge of the can and then added a final coating of mod podge to the entire thing.

This will make a nice sealed finish. If you want a smooth feel or a shiny look, just spray the can with a craft varnish. It will dry clear and looks beautiful!

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Looking good
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Finished

And there you have it! a lovely canister! Use these for storing spoons, scraps, buttons, toys, pencils, they would make gorgeous planters for the front porch, or a lovely herb garden…like I said before…Endless Possibilities! So very GREEN!

Isn’t it just the cutest little thing…oh, and do you see the little kleenex holder in the picture…That little honey of a project is coming right up!Ā  So, check back soon, your next tutorial is on its way! and believe me, with one honey bun…you can make a BUNCH of projects!!! Love it!