Paper bags are inexpensive and easy to make, and you can find almost any type of paper bag in your local grocery store. These attributes make them popular for various purposes — from storing foods to keeping your stuff organized. However, these bags have one major downfall: they don’t do much good once they’re empty. If you’ve got paper bags in your household, you’re probably aware that they only work as an effective trash can for so long. You spend a lot of time and money replacing the bags, which clog up the hoses leading to your garbage disposal and ultimately lead to a $200 bill every time you hire a contractor out to fix the clogged drains. It can be not very encouraging when you realize how little value most of these bags have. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways that you can repurpose them that will be useful for more than just throwing away brown kraft paper bags! Let’s look at many ways that using paper bags can be modified into something beneficial instead.
1. Use Your Paper Bags for Storage
If you’ve got a ton of colored paper shopping bags lying around, you can use them as an effective way to store other items such as groceries, office supplies, or even toys. You can also use common brown paper bags. Attach a loop to one end of the bag and snip a hole in the other end so that the item you’re storing can easily be pushed through the loop. Place the bag with the loop inside a large plastic bag, and you’ve got yourself a compact and secure storage solution.
2. Make the Most of Your Paper Bags for Travel
Air sickness is a real problem for travelers, and it is the one ailment that no amount of medication can prevent. The best way to avoid nausea and vomiting on the plane is to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water before you board the plane, and then drink even more after you land. You can also make use of air-sickness bags to help keep you from throwing up in the air. If you are prone to motion sickness, try using a travel pillow or a neck pillow on the plane to prevent your head from bobbing around and making you sick.
3. Convert Your Paper Bags into Charcoal Tissues
If you use paper bags for everyday purposes, you know they get old very quickly. This is especially true of the thicker bags, which can easily fill up with crumpled paper and trash. To turn your old paper bags into beautiful and useful charcoal tissues, all you have to do is to cut them in half. Then, tie one end of the cut bag around a stick and let the other end hang down. The stick should be long enough to reach the bottom of the bag, and the hanging end should reach the top. This will prevent the bag from getting hot while in your car or during transport, and it will also keep the bag from getting soggy with moisture from the air.
4. Make Great Art with Your Paper Bags
Paper bags have a lot of potential for making art with them other than just using them for storage. You can use them to create collage pieces, card stunts, and more! You can even turn your old paper bags into a canvas for different types of art or decor items like backdrops for a photoshoot and more! You can use your paper bags as canvases for painting or draw inspiration from the vibrant colors your favorite bags are known for.
5. Turn your Paper Bags into Furniture
If you’ve got an old house and nothing better to do with all your free space, why not turn it into a storage space for old and unwanted items? This can be a great and cheap way to clear out space in your home and make a space-saving change to your décor. Go here to turn a free room into a cozy and charming home!
6. Turn your Paper Bags into Trash Can Stickers
Trash bags are a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t turn your old plastic bags into unique and creative trash can stickers. Cut the long ends of the bags into decorative strips, and then tie one end of the strips together with a custom-made knot. You can add prints of your choice to make the trash can stickers more personalized, and you can also add your school, workplace, or favorite landmarks to make the stickers even more powerful.
7. Turn your Paper Bags into Mixtape Organizers
If you’ve got a few old-school tapes or records laying around, why not turn them into mixtape organizers? Cut the tape into small pieces, and then bend the pieces half as wide as the tape is long. Please put them in a Ziploc bag, and you’ve got yourself a perfectly functional and enjoyable way to store old tapes and records. You can even decorate the bag with pictures or designs to make it look more like a mixtape. These bags look great, but they’re also really useful when it comes to organizing your companions’ playlists.
8. Turn your Waste into a Smile with a DIY Collage
Do you have a little-known or random gift that you want to give to the world but don’t know how to bring out in public? A personalized collage might be just the thing! Create a collage from old papers and glue them together with different papers and other elements. You can add photos, quotes, and other prints that you like, and then give the collage to your loved ones and let them surprise you with their creativity. This makes a wonderful gift for any occasion, especially if you’re giving it to someone you don’t know well yet.
9. Create a Notepad with Papers and Glue
If you’ve got a lot of free time on your hands, why not try to take advantage of it by creating a notepad? These are perfect for keeping notes, keeping track of expenses, and more — as you can see from the examples above. You can also use them as a sketchbook and a journal, even adding your embellishments. To create the notepad, take pieces of paper or card stock and create a frame. Glue the frame together with various papers, and then add pockets and pockets of different sizes to the frame to keep your notes, lists, and other items secure.
Environmental Benefits Of Paper Bags
Paper bags can help businesses and individuals reduce their carbon emissions by reducing packaging and opt for an eco-friendly packaging. When bags are used instead of taking items out of packages, they act as a form of insulation, reducing the amount of energy needed to warm up the outside of the bag compared to a regular box or baggie. Additionally, paper bags don’t need to be discarded when the product they’re used to store has been unpacked, which can help reduce the amount of plastic waste produced each year. Paper bags are also more eco-friendly than other types of packaging, such as plastic bags, styrofoam, or metal cans. They’re biodegradable and compostable, which helps reduce the number of landfills that end up housing these products.
Paper bags can be used for various purposes, from keeping a few household items for storage to transporting large items such as groceries. While many people use paper bags to carry out their daily errands, they can also be found used for other purposes, such as cleaning up after an activity has been attended to or providing a barrier between items for storage. Additionally, paper bags can be used to absorb and retain moisture, which can be helpful in certain situations. For example, if your home is prone to water damage, it can be helpful to have a barrier between the floor and water source to prevent water from spreading. Paper bags can also absorb sound to help create a quieter environment and provide a barrier between rooms to reduce noise transfer.
Wrapping Up – Is There More to Using Environmental Materials?
Paper bags may seem like a simple thing to throw away, but they have a lot of potential for being used as a trashcan, storage bags, or even decor items. Just be sure to repurpose them regularly, and you’ll not just be rewarded with a lot of value for your money but also with a more eco-friendly way of life.
