Turning Clothing Donations into Beautiful Creations!

The goal of the Bag For Nature project is to recycle old clothes into attractive shopping totes.  We hope having such a nice alternative will inspire people to bring their own bag rather than use paper or plastic bags when they shop.

This will help the environment by reducing the need to cut down trees for paper, run polluting paper mills, or use petrochemicals to make plastics that do not readily environmentally degrade.

Here at our website, you can find out how to donate clothing, order a Bag For Nature, and use our pattern to sew a Bag For Nature of your own.  Our quality bags are sturdy, spacious and attractive, and the fabric is 100% recycled.  If you donate at least 5 pounds of usable fabric, your first Bag For Nature is free!

We are a group of Cascadia College student in Bothell, Washington, and we have started this non-profit project to raise awareness regarding recycling and sustainability.

Order a Bag For Nature

How To Donate Clothing

Would you like to donate clothing, which will be turned into a beautiful fabric shopping tote?  There are three ways to make a donation:

• Drop off your donation in a donation box at Cascadia College.  Donation boxes will be placed [near the doors of the CC1 building on the first floor, and in the atrium near the stair on the second floor].
• Come to our Donation Drive on [to be announced] at Cascadia Campus.
• Mail donations to [123 Example St, Bothell, WA, 98072].

Anyone who donates 5 pounds or more of usable fabric will receive a free tote!

Sewing Pattern

Materials

 

• Two old t-shirts (or clothing of similar size and durable fabric)
• Cotton webbing
• Thread

 

Make the Bag

1. Trim the fabric to two pieces that are 14″x 18″.

2. Take one piece of cotton webbing and line up each edge with the top edge of the panel– 3″ in from the edge (measure from the side of the webbing closest to the edge of the panel)– slightly overlapping so that the webbing just sticks out past the fabric panel. Baste.

3. Take your two completed fabric panels and place them right sides together and stitch around the three sides that do not have the straps attached using a 3/8″ seam. It will be easier to get an even stitch if you pull the straps up and out while you are attaching the panels (not shown.)

4. Pinch the sides together of the corner of one of the bottom edges as shown and mark a line 2.5″ from edge of the corner (I use a Hera marker to do this which is hard to see in the photos). Measure from where the two fabrics are attached, not from the tab edges. Sew from end to end (I like to do this twice to make it a bit more secure). Then cut off the excess leaving a 1/2″ seam. Repeat with the other corner.

5. Cut a 6"x6" piece of fabric to make the pocket.

6. Fold edges of fabric inward and pin.

7. Sew pocket to center of one side of the bag.

8. Cut 3" wide strips of fabric to use to make handles.

9. Fold in thirds, and sew down center of strip.

10. Pin strips onto bag so that they form loops at the top and go down the sides of the bag and reinforce the bottom.

11.  Sew strips onto bag with along each edge so that is is very securely attached.  Reinforce joining of the strips to the top edge of the bag by stitching "X" shapes.

You're finished! 

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