Sew a Trash Bag Holder

I usually ask for plastic when I'm at the grocery store, mainly because they do double duty at my house. We always use them when taking my dog for a walk-- she typically decides somewhere along the way to leave a "treat" in someone's yard that we have to pick up. So where do I store all these plastic bags? Therein lies the problem. I put them in a basket, but they were soon overflowing and wouldn't seem to stay in there. That's when I saw the sack sleeve in Martha Stewart's Living magazine.

Materials:
-15"-wide dish towel (with about a 1/2" hem) or piece of scrap fabric
-pins and scissors
-10" strip of 3/4" twill tape
-7 1/2" strip of 1/4" elastic
-1 1/2" safety pin

1. First, fold the dish towel in half lengthwise, wrong side out; pin along hte edge that's opposite the fold. Pin twill-tape ends to one open end to form hanger.

2. Sew a seam 7" from the folded edge to make a tube. Stitch twill tape in place.

3. Thread elastic through the towel's existing hem: Snip one small slit in the towel's hem. Flip the tube over and repeat, making a second slit. Tie a large knot at one end of the elastic; attach safety pin to other end. Slide safety pin through one slit, and ease through hem and out other slit. Tie the elastic ends to gather. Turn bag right side out.

This bag could also be used to hold diapers, toilet paper, hose, socks, hand towels, and more!