Here’s How To Make Paper Bags That Help Save The Earth

The earth is dying, and with every plastic bag that you buy and throw into your dustbin, you add more fuel to the fire. In just a matter of four decades, since the invention of single-use plastic bags in 1979, the entire earth itself has been transformed into a plastic stuffed ball.

Do you know that plastic was actually invented to save the environment? Leo Hendrik Baekeland, in 1907, was a proud inventor of something that was not only reusable but also durable. In fact, it was also not made out of natural resources but human-made chemicals. However, never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that a simple upgrade in his invention would screw it all up and take a toll over our planet in such a destructive way. 

Keep reading to know why it is imperative to switch to paper bags and how you can make some for yourself just by following a few simple steps.

Single-use plastic: The ubiquitous monster

No matter how convenient life has been made with the invention of plastics, the hazards can never be overshadowed. The inability of landfill bacteria to digest plastic components is the worst part of the plastic. 

It takes about 600 years for a plastic bag to break down into smaller particles, and those are even more harmful than the whole plastic. 

Do you realize that the first plastic bag that was invented is still present on earth, deep under some landfill, the sea bed, or inside the stomach of a large fish?

Step by step process to DIY a paper bag

Follow these simple steps to know how to make paper bags:

• Take a rectangular-shaped sheet of paper of referred dimensions 19×33 inches. 

• Fold both the shorter sides of the paper up 3 inches and crease the fold. For better understanding, let’s name these two folds as fold 1 and fold 2.

• Make two more creases, each at a distance of 15 inches from the shorter edges. Let this central, 3 inches wide part be fold 3.

• Now, fold one of the longer sides 3 inches up and make 3 inches long cuts on all the creases of fold 1, 2, and 3 that fall on this fourth fold.

• Paste fold 1 on fold 2 and the overlapping parts of fold 4 on each other.

• Now take a cardboard piece and cut out a 3×12 inches rectangle. Paste this at the bottom of the bag. This cardboard will provide some amount of sturdiness and strength to the bag.

• Take a pair of strings, each about 5-6 inches long, and paste them on the open end of the bag from inside at the place of a handle. 

And voila! Your reusable handmade handbag is ready!

The different ways in which you can use paper bags 

Who says that paper bags are just meant to hold things? If made out of decorative sheets, they make excellent decor pieces.

You can make small paper bags out of different sheets of decorative papers and place them on a table or inside a sheer almirah or even hang on the wall. This beautiful storage item is sure to add aesthetic to the mood of your home.

Frequently asked questions