No-Sew Upcycled T-Shirt Shopping Bag Tutorial {Zero-Waste | Green | Pure | Minimalism}

This No-Sew DIY Project Helps You Reduce Waste and Carry Your Groceries in Style! Make Your Own Upcycled T-Shirt Shopping Bag Tutorial

{Zero-Waste | Green | Pure | Minimalism}

You can find more green living strategies, healthy recipes, lifestyle tips and more on my YouTube Channel!

This upcycled T-shirt shopping bag is a fun project and the perfect way to reuse and upcycle an old t-shirt into a zero-waste solution for toting your groceries! It is quick and simple and doesn’t require any sewing.

Affiliate Discloser & Privacy Policy (please review our complete policy here): we use affiliate links and analytics on our website, social media posts and newsletter which utilize cookies placed on your browser to track sales activity. This post is NOT sponsored but may contain affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link on our Website, a cookie will be placed on your browser to track sales activity. When you click these links and purchase a product, we may receive a small commission to help support the maintenance of our website, but the price is the same for you. Users can control the use of cookies at the individual browser level. Please review our complete privacy policy here. Thank you for your support! These statements have not bee evaluated by the FDA and should not be considered medical advice or treatment. Please consult your personal health provider before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.

Replacing plastic bags with reusable shopping bags is one of my top strategies included in my Green Kitchen Swaps post and video since this swap is one of the most impactful for a zero-waste kitchen and home! Americans alone throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags each year, most of which are used once and tossed away. If you are searching for a simple, green and low-cost alternative to disposable plastic bags, make your own upcycled t-shirt shopping bag! 

These are perfect for toting your produce at the farmer’s market without creating waste. You can also take them with you to the grocery store to bring home your groceries. Be sure to remove your produce from the bags before storing, as the thick cotton may absorb too much moisture and cause them to wilt and fade more quickly. (This is another alternative to keep your food fresh and alive so that it lasts longer and creates less waste).

It is also important to wash your bags regularly to avoid contamination. Reusable shopping bags can become contaminated with bacteria from fresh foods and spread infectious diseases like E.coli.  Fortunately, this t-shirt shopping bag is easy to wash in your washing machine so it stays clean and healthy.

Step-by-Step Upcycled T-Shirt Shopping Bag Tutorial

Supplies

• Thick, cotton T-shirt
• Fabric or other sharp scissors

Step 1: Fold T-shirt in Half

Step 2: Cut the sleeves off of your T-shirt

Use your scissors to cut off the t-shirt sleeves just inside of the seam. If your t-shirt is very thick, you can also do this step one sleeve at a time.

Step 3: Cut off the neck cuffed hem

Trim off the cuffed neck hem of your t-shirt to make the top opening of your bag. You may make this rounded, more oval or squared depending on how you prefer the opening at the top of your bag to open. The lower and wider you make you cut, the larger the opening will be to place items into your bag.

Step 4: Turn your T-shirt inside out and mark a line across 2-3 inches from the bottom

Use a ruler and washable marker to make a line across the bottom of your t-shirt, about 2-3 inches above the bottom hem to guide your fringe cutting in the next step. You can also estimate this distance as you cut if you prefer. 

Step 5: Cut off the bottom hem

You can simply trim off the bottom cuffed hem or take off more length if you prefer. If your t-shirt has a lot of stretch in it, consider that it will stretch and become longer when it is filled with heavy items.

Step 6: Cut fringe along the bottom of your t-shirt

Use your scissors to cut slits about 3/4 inch apart across the bottom of your t-shirt through both layers of your t-shirt, cutting up to your marked line (about 2-3 inches above the bottom hem).

Step 7: Tie the fringe

• Take the first two pieces of fringe and tie them together into knots.

Once you have tied all of the pairs of fringe, go back and make a second set of knots as shown below to close the spaces between the original knotted off fringe. 

• To begin, lay out your knotted fringes as shown below with one fringe piece going up out from the knot and one fringe piece going down out of the knot. 
• Next, tie the top fringe piece from one pair to the bottom fringe piece from the pair next to it to close the gaps between the pairs of fringes. 
• Continue tying together adjacent alternate pieces of fringe to close all the gaps and complete your t-shirt produce bag.

NOTE: if you prefer the fringe to show as a decorative touch on the bottom of your bag, leave your bag right side out as you tie the fringe.

In my Simple | Pure | Whole Virtual Guided Home Detox we work together to transform your home into a clean, safe sanctuary for you and your family. From cleaning to furniture, to cooking, to pure water solutions, to personal care to pet care, you will learn everything you need to create a healthy home and live your healthiest, greenest, happiest life! Contact me for your personalized virtual home detox package!

Tag @simplepurewhole on Instagram with your DIY T-shirt shopping bag!

I would love to have you in my Insider’s Community! Join for free and receive your FREE Chapters from The Whole Cure: 52 Essential Prescriptions to Overcome Overwhelm, Reclaim Balance and Reconnect with a Life You Love! You can pick up a full paperback or Kindle copy on Amazon for a wealth of insights, exercises and complete toolkit to help you uncover your true passions, authentic purpose and calm confidence as well! 

This post was shared with: Healthy Living Link Party Home Matters Link Party Saturday Sharefest