A Plastic Bag Holder

While my mother was here to help me prepare for Clara's arrival, she dealt with a grouchy toddler, a grouchier me, an almost-entirely absent David (who was working like a maniac to make extra money for after the birth when he would have to take time off) and sleeping on an inflatable bed in the middle of my livingroom.

But I really think one of the worst parts for her was dealing with my plastic bags.

I stuff them under my kitchen sink cabinet, you see.  I take the sturdiest one and I fill it with its weaker counterparts, and then I shove the full bag o' bags under the sink where they sit forever.  Because I can't throw them out.

My mother, who is the sort of woman who cleans the coils behind her fridge, was appalled by this orgy of plastic bags.  And so she told me she was going to buy me a plastic bag organizer.  What she hadn't taken into account was that I live in a town of 4000 people.  Walmart is our biggest store.  Walmart is almost our only store...

Anyway, she couldn't find a plastic bag organizer.  But did that stop my mother, intrepid organizer of slovenly bag storing?  No, it did not.  She MADE me a plastic bag organizer, instead.

And it works really well, so I thought I'd share her method.

Get a pillowcase.  Lay it flat and cut off the closed end near the seam.  Use a running stitch to tidy the edge and then fit it into an embroidery hoop, preferably one with a loop to hang it with.  This is your top opening.  Now open the hemmed edge of the pillowcse slightly and bring through a piece of elastic.  Sew the elastic ends together and the hole you made to slide it through.  This is your bottom.  Now, when you hang the holder on the wall you shove the plastic bags in at the top, and pull them out one at a time from the bottom.

If you find yourself obsessing over your own messy bags, you can try it yourself!