How to Make Game-changing Linen Food Storage Bags

If you struggle with Food waste, these linen food storage bags are game-changing! They keep bread and produce fresh for much longer than plastic storage items. There are also washable and reusable so, you can ditch the plastic bags. To make this project even more eco-friendly (and budget-friendly), I salvaged my linen from an old pair of pants that I was getting rid of.

How it Works | Linen Food Storage Bags

Besides the fact that they look great, there are many reasons why linen food storage bags are the best way to store your bread and produce.

Linen is the perfect fabric for food storage bags because it is a lightweight, breathable fabric. When your food sits in plastic bags, the lack of oxygen causes food to decay more quickly and grow “slimy.” Having more airflow means fresher food.

Linen also absorbs moisture very well (up to 20% of its own weight in water!) Dampen the bag before putting in your vegetables and herbs. The storage bag will hold the moisture inside the refrigerator and also release it back into your produce. It’s this continuous hydration that helps keep your groceries fresher longer.

What You’ll Need | Linen Food Storage Bags

Linen Fabric (I up-cycled a pair of linen pants)
Fabric Scissors
Sewing machine of fabric bonding tape
Safety pin
Cricut and Iron-on Vinyl (optional)

Make it! | Linen Food Storage Bags

The first step is to cut the legs off of the linen pants. I made my cut just below the knee. Cut a long strip of fabric to use as a drawstring closure. Set this piece aside.

Then, turn the fabric inside out and sew the top part of the pant leg closed. This will actually become the bottom half of your bag. Turn the bag right-side-out and use your fabric scissors to cut a small slit in the hem of the pants.

Attach a large safety pin to a strip of fabric that you set aside. Insert the safety pin into the opening of the hem. Scrunch and pull the fabric around the safety pin until it emerges out of the other end of the hem. pull the drawstring even on both sides.
To make the decal on the front of the bag, I drew two simple images in the Procreate App on my iPad. Then I transferred them to the cricket workspace and cut them out in iron-on vinyl on my Cricut. If you don’t have access to these programs, you can use pre-made images from Cricut or stencils to decorate your bag.

The Verdict? | Linen Food Stoarage Bag

I have been so impressed with how well these actually work! Certain produce like spinach, cilantro, and asparagus which, I’ve struggled to keep fresh one or two days, lasts much longer now.

I feel great about how much I have cut back on food waste.

I always pack a few of these in with my reusable grocery bags when I do my shopping. Inside of using the store’s plastic bags, which I will throw away as soon as I get home, everything goes right into these linen storage bags. I take them straight from the store and into the fridge.

Not only does my food stay fresher, but I also get to use less plastic packaging.

A win-win for me and the environment!

By the way I’m still loving the Oyster trinket trays. You can see in the picture above that I’ve been using it to hold my specialty salts. Link here if you want to see how I made them.

Like the idea but not into DIY? Here are some links to my favorite linen food storage bags that you can buy online.

Fresh bread bag, all you knead, in bread we trust, stripped, onions, plain