DIY Plastic Bag Holder Pattern – 10 Minute Organizer

When I opened my sink cupboard last night, a bundle of loose plastic bags came tumbling out! And that was the inspiration for today’s tutorial on how to make a DIY plastic bag holder pattern. This dispenser will make it easy to store all those grocery bags and keep your kitchen looking tidy and organized. Coordinate the fabric to match your kitchen, or use a pop of color that will make you smile every time you open your cupboard.

This grocery bag holder sewing pattern will show you how to make a plastic bag storage dispenser with a hanging ribbon. No more wondering how to store plastic bags, and having them fall out of your cupboards.

Plastic Bag Holder Sewing Pattern

Supplies

Here is the supplies you will need to make a fabric grocery bag holder:

• FABRIC – 18 x 22 inches of cotton fabric – This is the size of a fat quarter of fabric which makes the DIY plastic bag holder economical to make and gives you a vast array of fabrics to choose from. Fat quarters are usually pre-cut at fabric stores. Alternatively, purchase 1/2 yard (0.45m) of fabric and cut it to size. Medium-weight fabrics have more body and tend to look better.
• ELASTIC – 8 inches(20cm) of 3/8 inch elastic (1cm).
• RIBBON – 8 inches (20cm) of ribbon. The ribbon can be any thickness, but I used 1/2 inch (12mm) wide.
• General sewing supplies – scissors or rotary cutter and mat, thread, pins, safety pin, sewing machine, ruler.
• Plastic grocery bags

How to Sew a Plastic Bag Holder

Here is how to sew a plastic bag dispenser:

Step 1 – Preparating the Fabric

Check your fabric is cut accurately and pre-wash and iron it. Stores sometimes cut quite crookedly!

FURTHER READING –

• Prewashing Fabric
• How to Cut Fabric Straight

Step 2 – Sew the Casings

On the shorter ends of your fabric, press over a hem by 3/4 inch (2cm) on the wrong side. Press over the hems again by the same amount to form a double hem. Stitch across the folded edge with a coordinating thread.

NOTE: The photo below looks like I’ve hemmed the longer sides because the middle is scrunched up. You will hem the SHORTER sides.

Step 3 – Thread Elastic Through the Casing

Using a safety pin, thread the elastic through one of the casings. If your fabric is one-directional, make sure it is at the bottom.

Baste the ends so the elastic doesn’t pull out. Pull the gathers so they are evenly spread across the elastic.

Step 4 – Sew the Side Seam

Fold the DIY plastic bag holder in half lengthwise with the raw edge right sides together. Stitch a seam with a 3/8 inch (1cm) seam allowance. Make sure you backstitch at the ends. Finish the seam with either a serger or a wide zig-zag stitch.

Step 5 – Add the Ribbon Hanger

Attach the ribbon loop to either side of the top inside. You can use this to hang up your grocery bag organizer on a hook inside a cupboard or on the back of a door.

Step 6 – Finishing the DIY Plastic Bag Holder

Turn the holder to the right side and give it a good press. It is now all ready to hang up!

Feed the plastic shopping bags in the open-top one at a time. When you need a plastic bag, grab the bottom one through the elastic at the bottom. I usually don’t fold the bags neatly but rather just push them in.

Installing Hooks for Grocery Bag Holder

These DIY plastic bag holders will need to be hung on a hook. If you are renting and can’t install hooks consider using 3M removable wall hooks. Plastic bags don’t weigh much, but I always like to use the 1-pound (0.5kg) weight hooks. After you move, just follow the instructions to remove the hook safely without damaging walls or cupboards.

DIY Plastic Bag Holder FAQs

In Conclusion

A DIY plastic bag holder is an amazing tool to hold all the bags you wish to recycle. This easy project takes very little time and can be coordinated with your kitchen.