Green Crafter: Fashion Green T-Bags


Single use disposable plastic bags seem to last forever. One person can use up to 500 bags a year, and between 500 billion to upwards of one trillion bags worldwide. But one green crafter, Linda of Fashion Green T-Bags wants to change your plastic bag habit by creating reusable bags out of T-Shirts for you to re-use. Let’s see how she started this green business.

How long have you been green crafting?

I’ve been crafting all of my life for different reasons. My mother was a big crafter and included us kids in her craft making. As a teacher, I crafted a lot for various lessons and student projects. I began my Etsy store in November of 2007. I wanted to create a way to give back to our local food bank after they helped a family member in his time of need. I decided to donate the profits from my shop to the food bank.

What are your favorite materials to recycle into functional eco-goodies?

I like to use old clothing, mostly. I have a huge collection of vintage buttons that I use occasionally too but haven’t had the time lately to devote to a button project.

What new crafting technique would you like to learn?

I want to try to make the backpacks the kids are all wearing out of shirts. (the kind with the drawstring design) I think t-shirts would make great bags for that project.

What is your best upcycled crafting project using the most creative and ingenious way?

I thought that the bags made from the t-shirts was pretty darn clever but I found that it wasn’t such an original idea after all. I love making my cross-body bags out of the long sleeves of shirts and blouses and aprons out of dresses. I haven’t made these items for a while because I haven’t figured out a way to use the left-over parts of the clothing items I need to make them.

Do you have a business selling your green crafts and if yes, what is your shop’s name?

Yes, my business is on Etsy and it’s called Fashion Green T Bags. I love running my store!

Where can we find you?

Website: fashiongreentbags on Etsy
Facebook: Fashion-Green-T-Bags
Twitter: fashiongreentba

Thank you Linda. It’s great to know that there are crusaders like you who are eliminating plastic bags, one t-shirt at a time.

{Top Photo} by fashiongreentbags

Written by Karen Lee

Karen lives a simple, frugal, green life and shares her eco tips and news on ecokaren and is a co-founder of Green Sisterhood, a network of community of green women bloggers, making change. When she's not managing Green Sisterhood or blogging on ecokaren, she is a chauffeur to two greenagers, wife to an accidental recycler, master chef to hungry locavores, seamstress, knitter, and dumpster diver, not necessarily in that order.

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