...and it Comes in a Convenient Pouch!

Evidently, I have a trashy reputation. Heather over at My Everyday Graces asked me for ideas on using foil coffee bags. Well, naturally I had to start brainstorming. And let’s face it, those suckers do NOT compost. But a few minutes on the interwebs yielded some marvelous ideas on how to reuse those foil pouches that are in so many of our homes until they’re empty. Then they hit the landfill. I think we can prevent that and make something fairly craftastic.

The photos and instructions are NOT mine, and I have not tried this personally for two reasons: I have nothing in my house in pouch form (the minions drink spring water out of aluminum bottles now), and I’m not really a purse person. I have a big army green denim bag with organizer pockets and a tape measure clipped to it. You could have guessed that, right? I know.

 However, I do think this is a neat project, and you’ll definitely have something unique!

1. Buy two boxes of Capri Sun drink pouches and drink them. They have some now that are actual juice! Make magazine files out of the boxes.

2. Remove the excess liquid from the pouches. Get a dish towel and a rolling pin. Place the towel on a table and put the drink pouch on top of it. Roll the drink pouch flat like you would pizza dough. You need to drink and flatten out approximately 27 pouches.

3. Piece together the pattern of the purse. With a sewing machine, sew four pouches with the bottom of the pouch to the top of another pouch. This will be the bottom of the purse.

4. Sew three pouches together side by side. Repeat that step for the other side of the purse. The picture above used 3 by 3 pouches for the sides, but you can have virtually as many or as few as you want

5. Sew each side to the middle two pieces of the bottom.

6. Bend the end pieces of the bottom up to meet the sides of the purse. Sew the seams closed. This creates a box of Capri Sun.

7. Sew the last three remaining pouches together, just like the sides of the purse. 8

8. Attach this new piece to a long side of the box you have already created. This creates a closing flap to the purse.

9. Use a ribbon or fabric to make a strap and put snaps on the flap to close the purse.

10. Trim with maribou or whatever suits your fancy!

Just...um...exercise some self-control, okay?

If you actually do this, PLEASE, send me pictures! And if you have something around the house that you'd like to recycle, but you don't have an idea, 

tell me what it is and let's come up with a project together! The less stuff we toss, the less stuff we buy. That's better for the planet and the wallet.