Scrappy Plastic Bag Dispenser

This week, I decided to make something useful for the home… it’s the good old plastic bag dispenser. Yes they’re a little bit daggy, but honestly, they’re  a very useful place to store plastic shopping bags and they’re also a great way to use up fabric scraps... and this is our current mission, yes?


Plastic Bag Dispenser Tutorial



I made two dispensers and gave one (full of plastic bags) to my mum as she is always, ALWAYS running out of plastic shopping bags.


Plastic Bag Dispenser


Making these dispensers was quite easy to make and they can be made with yardage or can be as scrappy as you like. As I’m on a mission to empty my scrap tub, I decided to go down the scrappy route.

To make a plastic bag dispenser, start by making a rectangle of fabric measuring between 18” - 20” wide and by approximately 24” – 30” long. The length is really up to you and the space where you’re going to hang the dispenser. Mine currently hangs on a hook in the kitchen, but will move to the laundry when we move to the new house.



Sew a 1/2” seam along the top and along the bottom edges.

Pin a safety pin to a piece of elastic (approximately 8” long) and thread it through the bottom seam.

Sew the elastic to the beginning and end of the seam, to secure it in place.




Scrap Plastic Bag Dispenser






Plastic Bag Dispenser - Elastic














Plastic Bag Dispenser 1


Fold the dispenser in half with right sides together and sew the seam. Turn it out and sew some ribbon or cotton tape to the top to create a hanging handle and voila! You can embellish the dispenser further, or just go with the scrappy look and use it as is.

You now have a lovely plastic bag dispenser to keep all of your plastic shopping bags tidy and in one place.

Make one for yourself and one for a friend. Or perhaps make a couple and have them ready for gifting at Christmas time.


11 comments

  1. Pretty and practical. I may make another as my current on is getting really old

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  2. another lovely scrap busting project...
    Hugz

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  3. So funny - I was gazing at my plastic bag holder yesterday thinking that I really must replace it. The elastic at the bottom is almost shot, so the bags drop out sometimes. And, it was made during the 1980's and needs a bit of an update. Love yours - am going to do it!!

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  4. OH what a great idea everyone should try this
    From Harry

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  5. I used an old piece of material from my stash that I haven't touch for years. It is a motif of different kinds of fish on black background and the fishes are all gold/tan/light-brownish color. I decided to use one whole piece instead of using strips of assorted materials. My finished plastic bag dispenser is in my blog.

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  6. I've never seen one of these, but how handy it would be. I'd like to try it, but perhaps you can link it to articles that give directions for packing these things with plastic bags so they'll draw out neatly without pulling a bunch of other bags with it. Thank you.
    RF

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  7. How can you copy the directions

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  8. Thank yOu, I have used up my scraps and am a bit tidier...

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  9. Have been on a scrap mission, will certainly add this to my list of done projects, thanks!

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