10.08.2012

Reusable Snack Bags

 I'm a big believer in reducing waste and carrying snacks in reusable containers whenever possible.  Yet somehow, we've never found a fabric snack sack that really worked for us.
Enter this great tutorial for a reusable snack sack from Roselee at Jane of All Trades.  Very easy and the bias tape is such a nice touch. 
 I made a few changes to the original tutorial to suit our needs.  I only used 1 layer of fabric and made them narrower and shorter.  My finished dimensions are 6 inches by 4 inches.

I also cut a piece of hook and loop tape in half lengthwise and hid it under the bias tape.
  So quick, easy,pretty....
and functional!

As a side note, I've been doing some reading about food safe fabrics and feeling a bit discouraged.  This fabric IS 100% cotton, but the care instructions say "dry clean only".  I spoke with the ladies at Joann's who said that duck cloth shrinks with every wash and that's why they recommend dry cleaning, has something to do with the way it's woven (??).  For these I purposely didn't use PUL or nylon because from what i read, I wasn't convinced that it should be anywhere near food.  In any case, if anybody has any thoughts on fabric and food safety, I'd love to hear about it. 
 I'll admit, I'm a little hyper-sensitive when it comes to this kind of stuff given that my other life is in Endocrine Disrupter research. 

6 comments:

  1. laminated cotton is a good option for products that come in contact with kids and/or food. It's BPA free and rated as safe for kids, plus it's wipe clean and water proof.

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  2. I'm curious to hear the answers to this, too. I want to make snack bags for my kids, but not sure what fabric to use.

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  3. I haven't made any of these snack bags myself but was happy to see them here made from Duck fabric because I really am not sure about the fabrics of any kind that are able to be cleaned by wiping such as the PUL and even the laminated cottons. I know I've read that oilcloth for sure isn't food safe which I found funny considering those have been used as table cloths for years and years now. Of course, you don't eat off of those so I suppose not a huge deal.

    As far as the duck shrinking every time it's washed; I'm not sure I can agree with that. I have tote bags made from duck and wash them all the time and they have no puckers at the seams, nor have they shrunk. Yes, it will shrink but I've always washed it in really hot water to preshrink it and have never had any problem after that point with shrinkage myself. Maybe I've been lucky but with the number of things I've made using that I can't believe I'm THAT lucky or I'd be on tv with those lottery officials accepting a million-billion dollar check the size of my van. LOL

    Make more and run them through the wash over and over to test it out. (I would be sure too in making them to preshrink the binding as well in a lingirie bag so it doesn't get tangled) Then you can report back on your awesome tutorial with your findings instead of going with the word (or what I might believe more, the guess) of a worker at JoAnn's since those that work there don't always have extensive knowledge in ALL fabric but do like to sew. I have sewn for a long, long time but, I sure wouldn't come close to being able to give advice if I were working in JoAnn's although with the small amount of knowledge I do have, I'm sure I could get hired. You might consider too contacting the company that amkes the duck fabric or a couple of them since I'm sure there is more than one. See what they have to say about the fabric actually being food safe.

    Having the job you do must really know alot of scary stuff that would probably freak me out so much I'd stick to saltine crackers and filtered water to be safe. Please don't tell me that's not safe though K? I might starve. LOL

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  4. I have made our lunch bags and did lots of research and ended up using ripstop nylon, which was rated as food safe. I used that as a lining with an organic cotton outer. easy as!

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  5. I know this is an old post but I just found your blog and am really enjoying catching up on your posts. In reference to a fabric for using in snack bags, I have been looking in to making these but have run into the same question. What fabric is safe to use with food. I read another blog post where a reader suggested using the plastic bags from creal. I have not used it yet but it sounds like a great suggestion to me. It's food grade safe already and heavy enough to be sewn. I imagine it will be a hand wash only item but I imagine laminated cotton would be the same as well. Freezer bags were another idea but they would cost more. Recycle and reusing is always my first choice.

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  6. In my experience washing the cloth in very hot water before using will deal with the worst % of shrinking. Any further shrinkage should be negligible. I agree it would be a good idea to wash the binding first as well. if you are making your own binding, wash and iron the fabric before cutting it. These are a great idea. I think I shall make them for my grandchildren's visit. We shall be going lots of places, so these will be really handy.

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