10 Minutes and an Old Shirt

Remember the clothespin bags we used to see in the 60s? If you're too young to remember, think cute, practical and handy. You don't see them around too often anymore, because few people hang their clothes out to dry. But the hanging bags were ideal for more than just clothespins. They can be used to store plastic bags in a kitchen, or hung on the back of a closet door to house pantyhose and slips. In fact if they are cute enough, you might want to use several around the house. I know that I do!

This afternoon I got the idea to make my own. All I needed was 10 minutes and an old shirt to create a clothespin bag for my kitchen wall. But I'm using mine for plastic bags. I always have a bunch of bags stuffed into the pantry, and this is the perfect solution for storage.

All I did was find an old cotton shirt that didn't fit my boys any longer. I buttoned up the front, turned it inside out and sewed three seams: one across the bottom and one across each sleeve. I decided to shorten the sleeves a bit and stitch them on an angle so they were cuter. Once the three seams were done, I turned the shirt inside out and hung it on a wooden hanger. I tied a ribbon around the top, and voila, I have a cute storage bag hanging on my kitchen wall.

It really only took me about 10 minutes to make, what took longer was finding a ribbon to tie on the hanger. I decided to make a trip to the craft store and found a roll on sale for $1.99.

I know I can do a lot better than this one, and I plan to. For one thing, a tinier shirt would look cuter. But I'm particularly interested in getting my hands on some second-hand baby dresses with cap sleeves at the thrift store. If my imagination serves me correctly they'd be the ideal size and style for the look I'm going for.

I'll see what I can come up with in the next few weeks!

You are loved by an almighty God,

Darlene

For comments or questions, contact me at:
darlene[at]darleneschacht.net