Fashionable Plastic Bags

Ever wonder what to do with all those Wal Mart bags lying around the house?  With an iron, some parchment paper and lots of plastic bags, you could deck yourself out in full attire.  

If you're interested in how to fuse plastic bags together, scroll down past the pictures.

My workplace put on a contest which called for us to sport our best at a fashion show.  (I'd rather sit in the corner while someone else sports my creation.)  I had decided not to participate because I didn't want to "walk the runway" for my colleagues.  One of my coworkers volunteered to don my work.  She was a good sport and won a super cool bookmark for my two-hour plastic bag dress. 

A description: 

I apologize for the poor image quality.  These were taken with my iPhone, some in the dark. 

TOP

That's me (dark hair) in my office trying it on.

I tried on the top over my white t-shirt.  The top is a strapless corset that laces up the back.  The darts in the front (which are hard to see) were made by ironing the bags together on the wrong side of the fabric where darts would have been if it were sewn together.  (confusing I know)

SHOULDER PIECE

It's basically a piece of elastic sewn in a circle with the bag straps tied on to one end.  Lots of people make no-sew tutus like this.  The same applies to the top of the back of the skirt.  It was hot glued to the rest of the skirt.

SKIRT

The base of the skirt is made of single fused layers of Wal Mart bags - thus the blue and white motif.  The only reason the front is short is because it took less time than making a long front.  I wasn't going for a Guns-n-Roses "November Rain" wedding dress.  I hadn't even seen the video until after it was made.  I was going for more of an Elizabethan style getup. 

HAIR

I made a flower with leaves coming out from it and attached it to a clip.

Fusing Plastic Bags

It's a pretty easy thing to do. 

Materials: 

two large pieces of parchment paper (not wax paper*)

scissors

iron

ironing surface

plastic bags

Prepare your plastic bags by cutting off the bottom seam and the two handles and laying the bag flat.     Set the iron to a low to medium setting.  Place one piece of parchment paper on the ironing surface.  Put a plastic bag on the parchment paper then cover it with the other piece of parchment paper.  You basically have a  sandwich -- parchment paper/plastic bag/parchment paper.  Iron over the surface of the top parchment paper at a medium speed.  Don't go slow or the bags will melt. 

The key is to test the heat of the iron on a scrap bag.  (I know, they're all scrap bags.)  If the iron is not hot enough, the bags will remain separate.  If it is too hot, the bags will form holes like Swiss cheese and disintegrate.

I've ironed up to 16 layers of bags together at a time without a problem.  More may be possible.  You just have to get used to how your iron works.  Don't give up after one try.  Just keep the bags away from direct contact with the iron.  Nothing good comes from it.

SEWING

Plastic bags make a great sewing surface.  The surface is very friendly to the sewing machine and thread holds it together remarkably well.  There's no need to worry about fraying edges either.

PAINTING

Straight acrylic paint will eventually peel off but works great for temporary stuff.  Prime the surface if you insist on using acrylic paint.  Spray paint is permanent.  Alcohol Inks (used for scrapbooking) work well and give a nice leather effect.   (The clutch below has alcohol ink painted on it and has been sewn together.)

*Wax paper will melt onto the plastic and not come off.  If you want that effect, go for it.  It works too.  That's how the flower on the purse was made. 

Good luck.  Make a purse or something.  It'll be waterproof!