I try not to use the plastic bags that you can get at the grocery store when I pick up produce but sometimes its impossible.  I don’t want the kiwis or the limes rolling around in the cart or loose in the bag so I am stuck using these thin and quite annoying bags.  I don’t know how many times I’ve had one sliced open by a sweet potato and had them roll around inside the bag or try to wrangle them in the kitchen.

I’ve seen adorable bags for sale and thought about either purchasing them or trying to make my own but then my Mom made a comment.  “How much to they weigh?” was all she said.  I don’t want to pay a few more cents for the bag that I’ve brought from home, that’s for sure.  Then I found Linda Permann’s post over at CraftStylish on how to make your own bags from mesh fabric.  She can make 3-4 out of half a yard of mesh fabric that ran her $.75 ($1.50 a yard before coupon).

This is such a simple but fantastic idea that I kick myself for not thinking of it first.

CraftStylish – Produce Bags

Lion Brand Yarns has a few patterns (both knit and crochet) to make bags that can be used shopping but look a lot nicer than the boring black ones I got at Wegmans.  A knitted bag would be wonderful to carry around the local farmer’s market or just walking down the street while doing some local shopping.  I really like this one – their Green Living Tote.  I probably won’t get the recycled cotton yarn that they suggest but will use something out of my stash.  I’m thinking either a cotton blend I have or an acrylic so its easily washed.  This is not something you would want to use wool, unless it’s superwash wool.

The best thing is, this pattern is FREE!  All you have to do is register at Lion Brand’s site and you have access to this pattern and hundreds more.

Lion Brand Yarn – Green Living Tote

The best thing about friends having babies, is getting to give them gifts!  Even the older babies are still so much fun to either buy for or craft for.

With Earth Day coming up next week, I found this post for a “crinkely” baby toy that reuses the plastic wrapper from wipes.  I would have never thought to use this for a toy but it is BRILLIANT!  My kids, plus the dog as well, always loved the noisy, crinkley toys when they were little.

Susan Beal over at Craft Stylish has given us guidance on how to create this toy for your favorite kiddo*.

The best thing is, you don’t have to make an owl if you don’t want to.  I see me sneaking noisy wrappers into all kinds of shapes of stuffed toys for kiddies over the years.  I could even ask my youngest kid’s pre-school teacher to keep the wrappers for me since she goes through so much with the young ones who go there and the many uses for them.

With recycled, or reused, fabric this could be a fun and green craft to do.

Craft Stylish – Baby Toy

*Let the record state, that me giving a child a gift of this sort does not desinate them as my favorite nor do I love one of my own children more then the others.

Instead of putting it on a paper plate and putting plastic wrap all over it (and it getting smooshed on the way home or having pie crumbs in your car), Martha Stewart has a template for carrying pie.  Print it out on heavy weight paper, fold and glue (or tape) and voila, instant pie carrier.  Martha suggests lining it with parchment paper before adding the slice of pie.

The edge is really cute with the scallops but this could also be a straight edge if you prefer.

Want a lid?  Make a second one and put in on like you would a shirt box.

This is easy enough that the older kids could help with assembly and any age kids could certainly help with the decorations.

Martha Stewart – A Slice to Go