CraftPals
dispenser for plastic bags
~~enjo posted Message 1454 in the CraftPals Sewing BB
Dated : March 05, 1999 at 14:01:33
Subject: Hanging Holder/Dispenser for plastic bags...quick&easy
HANGING HOLDER/DISPENSER for PLASTIC BAGS
*Can be hung on wall hook(s), from a kitchen/bath/utility room/workshop cabinet handle, on kitchen/bath towel racks, etc
.
*Mine holds about 50 thin double-handled plastic "grocery bags," or 20-30 of the larger, heavier white or black drawstring kitchen/yard trash bags.
*Adjust the fabric dimensions below to smaller/larger size if you want. I made mine as big as it is because most "purchased" ones like this don't hold enough bags.
*Unless you're an absolutely meticulous crafter-sewer, this takes less time to make than to read!
--For the finished size I made, about 6" wide X 27" long (not including about 6" drop of handle), you'll need:
--HOLDER BODY or tube:
Fabric piece at least 14-15" X 30" long.
Pick a strong, sturdy, close-woven fabric; I used a natural-colored solid-colored canvas-type material. Old or new denim might be cute too.
--TRIM or decoration:
For a trim like the one I made (a sewed-on strip of print fabric running length of holder like a "stripe"): coordinating fabric about 30" long X 3 1/2" wide.
Other nice trims might include iron-on appliques, stamp prints all over holder-body fabric, etc., or just leave of trim entirely! How you trim/where you place decoration might depend upon if you will need to hang the bag with handle looping front to back or side to side.
--HANDLE:
Sturdy fabric about 2-3" wide X 18" long.
To detach handle from one side of holder if desired: one large safety pin OR 2 large sturdy, tight snaps or hook+eye closures. You could also get more creative with the handle material as long as it's strong: upholstery braid, rope, jute., etc. (I just used same as body fabric).
--ELASTIC:
Piece about 4" long X 1/2" wide.
This is for bottom of holder where stored plastic bags will be pulled out when you want one.
(I just ripped maybe 10" of elastic out of something else. I'm not a very good sewer so I always need extra of everything in case of mistakes which are very probable!)
--OTHER ITEMS: any glue suitable for use on fabric; sewing machine w/ plain straight stitch; pinking shears if fabric ravels easily; thread, straight pins, handsewing needle, as needed.
1. Pink all raw edges of fabrics if needed. Using fabric glue, "hem" all raw edges 1/2" to 1/4" depending on weight/thickness of fabric. EXCEPT, don't hem one SHORT end of the holder body--this will be the bottom of the "tube", where the elastic will go. You really don't need to "hem" the short edges of the handle either, just the long edges. Let glued hems dry thoroughly.
2. Trim or otherwise decorate the body fabric if desired. If using a "stripe" of trim material: Center it on the body fabric, lengthwise, wrong side of trim fabric to right side of body fabric. Pin in place, then machine-sew it on in 2 places, 1" - 1/2" from each long edge. (I just *glued* my trim strip on.)
3. Pin the elastic into a folded-over "pocket" on the unhemmed short end of the body, gathering as needed to make a puckered opening about 5"-6" long... this will becoome a "puckered" elasticized opening 2 1/2" - 3" wide once the body fabric is formed into a tube. Machine-sew elastic in place.
4. Form the body fabric into a tube, "wrong" side of fabric out, "right" side in. Machine-sew the two long edges together. Iron seam edges open. If needed, hand-tack &/or glue down any loose ends of the elastic or its pocket. Leave tube wrong-side out for now.
5. Decide how you need the finished holder to hang: with handle looping front to back of tube or side to side. Either way, the center seam of the holder body tube should be in back.
Pin one short end of handle to the top edge of the body tube. Make sure at least an inch or two of the handle end is below the top edge of the tube. Make sure RIGHT side of handle fabric is touching WRONG side of the tube of body fabric. Machine-sew handle end to tube tightly & securely.
If using fasteners for the other end of the handle, attach them now. Hand-sew them onto tube directly across from wherever you attached the first handle end. Leave any fasteners unattached for now.
(For quick convenience I just use a large safety pin inside the tube, to attach the handle at the other side of the holder. If you want to "disguise" the straight part of the safety pin that will show, simply tie a ribbon, fabric or raffia bow, a bunch of dried flowers or herbs, etc. to the part of the pin outside the tube.)
6. Turn holder body tube right side out. Fill holder w/ plastic bags from the top; stuff down tightly. Hang holder. Pull out bags singly from elasticized bottom when needed. The more & tighter you stuff, the better it seems to work.