Reusable Shopping Totes: For the Fashion Forward or the Frugal

Ranked #22,931 in Healthy Living, #332,192 overall

Make a Statement with Reusable Shopping Bags!

Lets face it: Neither paper nor plastic is a good, eco-friendly choice.

Plastic can take 1000s of years to break apart (it never biodegrades), and can hurt wildlife.

The production of paper bags creates 70% more pollution than the production of plastic bags.

12 million barrels of oil are used yearly to make plastic bags, but 14 million trees are cut down to make paper bags.

...and the list goes on.

The best choice is to seek out reusable alternatives and to be sure to reuse and recycle the rest.

We'll show you where to get fun & fashionable bags.
We'll point you toward some cost effective totes.
We'll even show you how to make your OWN bag...if you are even a little handy with a sewing machine.

My Own Bags

I decided to start making bags myself. They are fairly priced and fun too! So far it is a small operation, but if you have suggestions and ideas I am very open!

Click the photo or the link below:
Elegantly Green

Fun Bags with a Statement!

Ok, so we couldn't resist making our own bags on Cafe Press. If you want a fun bag that makes a statement, check out our creations (mostly chicken related, of course). Pictured chickens are our own.
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Fashionable & Frugal Shopping Bags

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Check Out this Deal

3 Insulated Aqua Color Tote Bags + Reusable Grocery Tote Bag 6 Pack Combo

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

This is a really nice set. Keep your groceries cold in the car with the 3 cooler bags, plus carry lots of stuff with the other 5 reusable totes.

More Great Bags

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Make Your Own Tote Bag

Handy with a sewing machine? Trying to become more self-sufficient? Make your own bag! These links show you how.
Make-it-Easy
Step-by-step illustrated instructions for making a basic tote bag, reprinted with permission from the book Hold It! How to Sew Bags, Totes, Duffels, Pouches, & More, from Make It Easy Sewing & Crafts.
How to Make a Tote Bag: 12 steps (with pictures) - wikiHow
wikiHow article about How to Make a Tote Bag.
Ooh! Pretty Colors: Esther's Tote Tutorial
Ooh! Pretty Colors is devoted to fabric art of many kinds.
Lazy Girl Blog
1 Hour, 1 Yard of fabric, and you'll have a tote bag.

More Reasons to Use Tote Bags

  1. It helps save the earth
  2. It keeps you from obsessively stashing 100s of plastic bags, trying to convince yourself that someday they will come in handy.
  3. You can fit a lot more stuff in a tote bag than in a standard grocery bag.
  4. You don't have to worry so much about the bag ripping.
  5. Most grocery stores actually give you a few cents back just for using your own bag!

More Reading Material

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What do you think of our lens?

Do you have a pattern for making a bag you'd like to share?

  • inifd Nov 4, 2011 @ 5:07 am | delete
    useful information on Reusable Shopping Totes: For the Fashion Forward or the Frugal

    thanks for sharing your information

  • drexel Jun 10, 2011 @ 9:17 pm | delete
    i love frugal shopping . I love to shop but without the stress of going there in person the site has all the items i want to buy online.
  • mary Jun 10, 2011 @ 9:05 pm | delete
    Try also frugal shopping site.its all about shoes, bags and personal belongings. you will find great shopping tips and advises there and very good display as well.i can consider it as one the best frugal shopping websites.frugal shopping
  • Frugal Shopping Jun 10, 2011 @ 9:01 pm | delete
    I am usually a victim of spending more than the planned budget. Thanks for the great tips, though we don't really use coupons here in the Philippines. Frugal shopping should start as a trend considering the hard times. Saving whatever amount we can will really be mean a lot.
  • Gmomofive Jul 20, 2009 @ 4:16 pm | delete
    You are a featured lens on Green Tips- Quick Fixes, Easy, & Long Haul Choices! this week.
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