Upcycling Projects to Try : Number 10 : Beach Bag

Upcycling project number 10

Make a bag for the beach

Upcycling is making useful or pretty new goods from your old or unwanted items.

Recycling differs from upcycling because it involves breaking down materials such as plastic, paper, metal, and glass, and making them into new products, often of lesser quality.

When you upcycle, you aren’t breaking down materials, you are repurposing them. They might even end up better quality products than the original item.

Upcycling is nothing new

Upcycling is not a new idea. There was plenty of ‘make do and mend’ going on during the war and in the years that followed, when money and materials were scarce. People reused items again and again out of necessity.

Upcycling today

Many people upcycle today to save money, and others like to try their hand at sprucing up old bits of furniture and giving them lots of character. And the message that it helps the environment is getting through too it seems, as people realise that it’s better for the planet, and for their pocket, to keep items away from the dump.

What can you upcycle?

You can upcycle almost everything. From glass bottles to cans, and milk cartons to jumpers. You just need a little bit of ingenuity.

Make a bag for the beach or the shops

Instead of throwing your old t-shirts in the bin, why not repurpose them and make a bag for the beach or a tote for the shops? This project costs next to nothing to make, and what’s better, you will have a bag that you know nobody else is going to own!

What you will need

• Cotton t-shirt
• Scissors
• Ruler

How to make it:

Step 1

Choose a t-shirt for making your bag. Any size works well, even children’s t-shirts.

Step 2

Place the t- shirt on a flat surface and cut off the sleeves along the shoulder seams.

Step 3

Turn the t-shirt inside out and lie it flat, with the bottom seam closest to you. Arrange the bottom edges together and cut vertical slits from the bottom, about two inches deep and 1 ½ inches apart. Use a ruler if it helps to keep the cuts even. Then make a vertical cut along each side seam, around two inches deep.

Step 4

Working from one side, knot the top to the bottom by tying a set of the cuts together. Double knot them to create a secure base for your bag.