Brown paper bags are so easy to come by! You can get them for free every time you go grocery shopping, sometimes you need them for something, and other times you just stockpile them in a corner for future use.
I have some great ways to start using up your stockpile of paper grocery bags and lunch bags! These tips can be adapted to work on various sized paper bags, the point is, that if you have a pile of free brown paper grocery bags, you simply cannot just let them sit!
Try these ideas and see if they work for you.
Trash
I think the most obvious use, besides carrying your groceries, has to be to use them for trash. Either line a trash can with a paper bag, or carry the bag around the house depositing trash into the sack. It’s easy to throw away, and the kids can carry it without moaning about how heavy it is!
Building
As a preschool teacher, we were often required to watch our budget. We created building blocks with various sizes of paper bags. Begin by laying the paper bag flat and folding the top over about 6 or 7 inches. Crease the bag on the fold. Open the paper bag to it’s full capacity, and fill it with newspaper or crumpled paper. Once it is filled, fold the bag on the crease line and tape or staple the bag shut. These are fun to build with, and when they do topple over, nobody gets hurt!
Shake It Off
After sweeping or dusting your floor, place the head into a paper bag, and shake. This keeps all the dirt inside the bag and not all over the floor as sometimes happens with a trash can!
Birthday Bash
Use a paper bag to collect wrapping paper at gift giving time. It makes for easy clean up and doesn’t require a great deal of room!
These are only a handful of the great things you can do with a brown paper bag. No matter the size, these little finds have tons of great uses!
Please visit the frugal living blog for more great uses for common household items and future articles!