Bird Seed Grocery Bag

How many of our readers are bird watchers?  We love watching the wild birds here.  So much that we devoted our whole first year with our 4-H club to learning all about birds. My kids basically know the name of every wild bird that stops by the feeders now.  So it was a great learning experience for them as well.
We did not always have tons of birds to feed here.  Back in 2006 (our first winter here) I put out the feeders and nothing came to them (maybe a chickadee or 2 but really not many).  My mom always fed the birds as did her mom so not having them here was a bit of a let down for me. I was determined to have birds to watch all year round.   It took a few years to get them to move in from the woods to the feeders but with persistence each year more and more came.  So many that now we have tons of them visiting each day.  In an effort to keep them coming back year after year we also have to buy lots of seed for them.  Lots like 40lbs of sunflower seeds and this will not be enough for the whole winter even when mixed with two other smaller seed bags.
So with tons of feed bags (from feeding our critters) and bird seed bags we have been having fun finding uses for the sacks.  We have had quite a few projects from them too.  They have been used for everything.  From props on parade floats to aprons for our 4-H members to use at meetings.  And of course this particular bag was just too pretty not to keep for myself so I turned it into something I would use regularly, a grocery shopping bag.

This bag looks great and works perfect too.  The bag will hold just as much as 3 of those wimpy plastic shopping bags and since I customized it with a longer handle then most shopping bags I can still put larger items in it and still carry it on my shoulder.

Want to make  your own, here is what you will need and some step by step pictures of making mine:
Sewing machine
Thread
Scissors
Sunflower Seed Bag.

Step 1
Cut the bottom off your your bag and turn it inside out.  I then trimmed the bottom till I had the correct size/image on the bag that I wanted for the completed bag.

 
If  you need to keep the back right side out to cut the images correctly you could do that I could see the image though the bag on this particular one so inside out worked for me.



Step 2
Seam all the way around the bottom of the bag to give it a double layer for the bottom seam. This step is optional but I did it to give the bag more strength for the heavier loads.  Then sew the bottom of the bag together again along the new seam.

 

Step 3
Open you bag (still inside out) and form the base by pulling the corners out till you have the desired width you would like your bag.  Do the same for both sides and then sew them straight across.

 

Step 4

On each side cut off the excess corner.  I did a double seam and a zigzag stitch on the edges to prevent any unraveling of the bag.

 

Step 5

Turn your bag right side out and adjust your corners to for the correct shape.

 

Step 6

Trim the top off your bag till you have the desired size height to your bag.  Allow enough extra to put a double fold on the top seam.

 

Step 7

Make your straps from the extra material that was cut from the top and bottom of the bag.  I chose the slimmer piece from the top and then cut my bottom material down to match so each one would be the same width as a finished product. If you wanted to you could skip this step and add a purchased canvas strap for your bag. 
To make my handles I simply folded each edge in 1/2 inch and then folded the whole thing in half.  Then I put a seam on each side of it to complete the strap.  Remember you will need 2 straps.

  

Step 7

Attach your straps to your bag.  I chose to have longer straps on my bag but if you wish them to be shorter you may want to cut your straps down a bit.  I sewed my straps to my bag using an X and then I even went back and reinforced a few of the seams for strength.  Once you have attached all 4 corners of the straps your bag is completed. 

You can enjoy knowing that not only made it yourself but you are helping save the planet one wimpy shopping bag at a time.  Or thanks to the size of my bag, 3 shopping bags at a time.