by Handmade Charlotte We’re always trying to find new ways to re-use materials we have around the house in our sewing projects, and this lunch supply tutorial is a super easy project that uses those jeans you’ve been saving for donation & a scrap square of cotton for a sustainable lunch bag and sandwich wrap combo. The best part about utilizing a pair of jeans is that the top hem is already in place, minimizing the sewing required for this project. If you’re looking for a hand-sewing project that you can bring outside of the house with you, this can be completed in an afternoon with little effort. The denim provides for a sturdy sack that will be great in providing a barrier for potential leaks. If you’ll be sending this off to school for kids, it’s sure to survive rough handling! Once you’ve found your scrap jeans sewing up the bottom can be done with a sewing machine or by hand. If you’re tackling it by hand, we recommend a sturdier weight thread that will match the thicker weave of the denim. Dual Duty Plus for Button and Carpet will give the feel of cotton with the sturdiness of polyester and provide a firm hold for the bottom of a bag. In this tutorial, a folded bottom flap gives the look of a paper bag and a little extra padding on bottom! We recommend about 14″ of length for your bag so you have enough rollover height, but consider your lunch needs when choosing how much to cut. Finally, the napkin shown is made from a simple cotton square, with a hand-sewn rolled hem. If you’re using your machine it can be done in a matter of minutes with a quick press of the iron beforehand. Velcro can be sewn in place, or choose a velcro with a sticky back for faster application. A cute button & string setup could be used here, too, if you’re eager to complete the project but don’t have any velcro in house — just sew on a button on each closing flap and link together by wrapping string diagonally across the buttons. If you’re feeling extra crafty you can add some embroidery to the bag to make it just yours — a name, a cool geometric pattern, or some fun tribal stripes to make it stand out! Check out the full tutorial on Make and Takes, from guest blogger Amy of Progressive Pioneer.
