These bags are easy to make, lightweight, and a good alternative to plastic bags in supermarkets. They also make handy project bags, and can be made any size, as long as you keep the width/length ratio the same. I’ve put together a simple A4 handout, download it here*, plus more info and guidance below.
UPDATE: I’ve added options for hemming, and also a double-sided/lined bag, download it here - I much prefer the double-sided/lined version, plus its also really handy for keeping sewing project stuff together.
Why make a pinked bento bag?
Our local supermarket keeps announcing it is switching to paper bags, but I only ever see flimsy plastic bags.
Adverts on social media keep encouraging me to buy synthetic fabric drawstring bags, but with a sewing machine and a stash of fabric there is an alternative: fabric bento bags.
These easy bento bags are lightweight and fast to make, with the minimum number of seams thanks to pinking shears which give the characteristic zig-zag “pinked” edge.
But don’t the edges fray? The bag on the right has been washed 3 times.
And if you want neater edges? See other options in Note 1.
Don’t they make the apples cost more? The bag in these pictures (X=20cm) fits 3 apples, and at 8g, with apples costing £2.20/kg they will add 1.76 pence.
OK, so how do you make them?
You will need: clean fabric, iron & ironing board, ruler, pen/some way of marking fabric, sewing machine (although you could sew these by hand), pinking shears.
Step 1: iron and cut the fabric. The length needs to be 3x longer than the width. How precise does this need to be? See Note 2.
Step 2: move the fabric onto an ironing board, wrong side up, and then fold the corners so that it looks like this...
.... and iron the folds in place.
Step 3: now fold A to A, B to B....
... like this.....
...so you will end up with this....
Step 4: carefully pin the seams together, A-A and B-B
Step 5: And then sew the seams.
How precise does this folding, pinning and sewing need to be? See Note 2.
Step 6: keeping the bag inside out, lie it out flat, and sew a line across each square corner...
Step 7: ....and then use the pinking shears to chop them off. This helps more stuff to fit inside the bottom of the bag.
Step 8: Turn the bag the right way around, ta dah!
Hope that was useful! Please share any corrections or tips, feedback welcome!
Note 1. Alternative methods that will give you a neater edge, Options 2 and 3 are included in the pdf download, and Option 5 is easy!
Option 2. Add a seam allowance, and then sew a small seam around every edge before you start.
Option 3. Double-sided/lined bento bag: see pdf.
Option 4. With serged edges (I’ve not tried this),
Option 5. Use a non-fraying fabric! I had some of this luminous yellow sports stuff in my stash, its very lightweight, doesn't fray and isn’t going to get lost at the bottom of a handbag! Cut with straight scissors. Easy.
Note 2. How precise do you have to be in your cutting, folding and sewing?
I was experimenting with small seams, and ended up with a very wonky bag, oops. But it works just fine, and I don’t think the apples will mind!
(If you want to seam your bag, rather than have a pinked edge, don’t forget to add a seam allowance all the way around before you cut! I’ve just added this info the pdf download, see Option 2.)
A double-sided bag (first attempt, oops, forgot to add the seam allowance, so its a little wonky!),
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