Compact Plastic-Bag Dispenser: Archive Kitchen Craft
This archive craft turns a clean jar with a plastic lid into a compact dispenser for reusable plastic bags. It is not a food container once it has been cut or decorated.
Mark a circular opening about 4–5 cm across in the lid. An adult should cut the lid on a stable protected surface with a suitable tool, away from children. Smooth every cut edge thoroughly; stop using the dispenser if an edge becomes sharp or cracked.
How to fold the bags
Lay each bag flat, fold it lengthwise to a strip about 5 cm wide, fold the handles diagonally, and roll it. Leave about 10 cm free to overlap the next prepared bag, continuing into one roll.
Secure the roll at both ends with thin elastic, place it in the jar with one bag end upward, and pull that end through the lid. Keep the finished dispenser away from heat and from children who could pull out or put plastic bags over their head.
It looks simple but very functional. I used to have a bag of bags, each folded into a square and secured with a paper clip. Now they have gone for recycling in our family because we use reusable shopping bags. [Editor’s note: Keep plastic bags away from children.]