Grocery Bag Holder Tutorial

Pin It I think I shared one of these grocery bag holders before. But now I've decided to write a tutorial. My aunt has been wanting one and my husband's coworker wanted one also, so I figured I'd take pictures as I went along.

Finished product.

You will need:
1. Piece of fabric about 18x15 inches.
2. Two safety pins, 1 small, 1 large
3. Piece of 1/8 inch elastic, half the length of short edge of fabric (7.5inches)
4. Piece of fabric for loop, 2x15 inches

1. To start, you will make your loop that the holder will hang from. It should be long enough to hang over a door knob.
2. Fold fabric in half lengthwise and iron. Open up and then fold each long edge in towards the middle along the fold.
3. Now fold in one more time, along the original fold line. Sew down the open edge.

4. Now moving on the actual holder. Fold each short end of the fabric in 1/2 inch and iron. Fold over another 1/2 inch and iron again. Make sure to do this with both ends of the fabric.

5. Sew about 3/8 inch from fold. Do this for both ends. You have just made the casing for the elastic on one end, and finished the seam for the top of the holder.

6. Now you need to thread the elastic through the bottom casing. I attach a small safety pin to one end of the elastic, and a larger one to the other end (1).

7. Thread the smaller safety pin through the casing (2). The large safety pin just keeps the elastic from disappearing into the casing so the fabric can bunch up.

8. Time to close things up! Fold the bag wrong sides together and pin along the long edge. Make sure to insert the loop into the seam near the top of the bag. We are going to sew a french seam here, that is why you have the right side facing out.

9. Sew with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. When you get to the botton with the elastic, use your fingers to stretch the elastic a bit and hold your safety pins away from the seam. You don't want to run over them. Backstitch here a few times.

10. Trim the excess elastic. Turn the holder inside out now. Sew along the seam at 5/8 inch. You want to sew a wider seam allowance here so you catch all the raw edges of the first seam within the new seam. The above photo shows the finished french seam with the holder inside out. Turn the bag right side out and you are done. Stuff it with plastic grocery bags and hang it on a door!