Recycle Them Instead of Just Throwing Them Away
When you visit your grocery store, do you ask for plastic or paper? Brown paper grocery bags aren't as popular as they once were, but they are still used by grocery stores and other businesses as well.
Once you get them home, what do you do with your paper grocery bags? The average brown paper grocery bag is twelve inches high, seven inches deep, and seventeen inches tall. They are an ample size for a variety of uses around your home that you may not know about!
For example, have you ever made popcorn in a paper bag? All you have to do, to enjoy a tasty treat, is place a handful of popcorn kernels in a bag. Roll down the top and place the brown bag in a low wattage microwave oven. But make sure the bag does not touch the microwave walls! Microwave the bag for a few minutes and then remove it from the oven. Enjoy!
2. Do you work at night and sleep in the daytime? A second use is to cover up the windows in your bedroom with brown paper bags. The bags will help keep the light out so you can sleep better.
3. Paper bags make great party hats for the kids too! Simply cut a bag into large squares with a pair of scissors. Fold the squares into party hats and glue or tape the sides shut. Then, pass them out at your next kid's party and let them go wild decorating them!
4. How many times have you gone out to the garden to pick some veggies, and found that you don't have enough hands? Take some brown paper grocery bags out to the garden with you and use them as produce totes.
5. Are you a crafty person? If you are, you can cut paper bags into long, slender strips. Then, weave the strips together to make a placemat or basket.
6. If you're like me, you pick large, green tomatoes out of the garden before the birds can peck them up. Then, to ripen them up, place the tomatoes in a paper bag. Roll down the top and place them in a cool, dry area. Check them every couple days. Within a week, the tomatoes will turn bright red and ripe!
7. Before you start to prepare vegetables in the kitchen, lay a brown paper bag on your work area.
Peel and pare your produce on the bag. Then when you're done, you'll have no mess! Just lift up the sides of the bag, crumple them together, and toss the mess away.
Peel and pare your produce on the bag. Then when you're done, you'll have no mess! Just lift up the sides of the bag, crumple them together, and toss the mess away.
8. Do you need a large envelope to send something in the mail? Grab a paper bag and cut the bottom off. Cut the remaining tube of paper open and fold the sides down to the size you need.
Glue or tape the sides together and your new envelope is ready to use.
Glue or tape the sides together and your new envelope is ready to use.
9. You can also use brown paper grocery bags to wrap up items you're going to send through the mail or via FedEx, UPS, et cetera. Just be sure to use regulation strapping tape to hold the package together
10. Candles can be found in most households nowadays, maybe even yours! Don't worry if a little candle wax drips onto your carpet. Scrape up as much as you can. Next, place a brown paper bag on the wax and run a warm iron over it. The absorbent bag will lift up the melted wax it!
11. If you run out of wrapping paper, you can always use brown paper bags to wrap gifts with. The brown paper is rather boring looking, but you can let the kids decorate the package. You can even cut strips of a bag to make a bow too!
12. Did you know you can make a bowl by using a brown paper bag? Cut a paper bag into thin strips. Fill a round balloon up with air and tie it off. Use a general white glue, such as Elmer's©, to fasten the paper strips onto the balloon. After the glue has dried, cut the top off the balloon. Paint it in whatever colors you like, and you have a decorative bowl!
13. Cut a brown paper grocery bag into sheets by using a pair of scissors. Then, use the sheets to line your cupboards or drawers!
14. Have you ever made luminaries? They look awesome when you use them to line your sidewalk or driveway. To do this, you'll need several brown paper bags. Cut out shapes and designs in the sides of the bags. Then, pour a couple inches of sand in the bottom of each bag. Set a candle into the sand in each bag. Place the bags along your sidewalk or driveway at night Carefully light the candles and you'll have created a gorgeous display of light!
15. Do the kids need covers for their school books? Get out some brown paper bags and let them make their own! They'll need to cut the bottoms off the bags. Then, have them cut the bags down the sides to open them up. They should lay their book on the middle of the bag. Then, pull up the sides, fold the paper around the book, and tape the edges together.
Published by Kassidy Emmerson
Since Kassidy Emmerson became a professional freelance writer in 2000, she’s had thousands of digital articles published, and more in print publications. She started contributing material to Associated Con... View profile
- How to Make an Angel Paper Doll Christmas Tree GarlandThis simple Angel paper doll garland is a great addition to almost any Christmas tree! Christmas garlands can be so expensive, which is why I live this simple craft project.
- Recycled Brown Paper Bag Christmas Place MatNow, I love using old brown paper bags from the grocery store to make craft projects. I read Christmas Crafts for Kids by Angie on Associated Content and had to share one of my own brown paper bag crafts.
- Eco-Friendly Storage Boxes: Brown Paper Bag Storage BoxesYou can easily make recycled storage boxes using brown paper bags from the grocery store.
- The Many Uses of a Brown Paper BagThis article contains many uses for your pile of paper bags. Check it out.
- Homemade Valentine's Day Gift Bags Kids Can MakeThey can use the Valentine's Day gift bags to package their gifts or even use them to keep all of the Valentine's Day cards and candy they receive together while at school on Valentine's Day.
