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As you know, here at A Rose Tinted World we love to be environmentally friendly. We strive to be plastic free and zero waste. So as E is going to be having packed lunches now I wanted to give her a lunch in a plastic free bag. Here is how to make reusable sandwich wraps.
How To Make Reusable Sandwich Wraps
There are some great options out there. You could try using waxed cotton bags and wraps. I have yet to try waxing some cotton to use instead of cling film. (We don’t use much cling film – I prefer old containers and tupperware) But I did think that this may be a bit messy for an almost 4 year old. Plus she is not the best at zips yet. So I decided to try easily opened wraps instead.
What Plastic to use?
Yes, I know. There is some plastic with these. But as they can be washed and reused again and again, they are a great alternative to throwing away a plastic ziplock bag every day.
I did some research though into the correct plastic to use as the lining of my sandwich wraps. Coated cotton is not always BPA free, and there are often phthalates in some of the plastics that are available.The one general consensus I found by researching the best type of waterproof fabric is that ProCare fabric is generally considered to be the safest. This is used in the reusable nappy market, and meets medical safety standards for food use. It is quite expensive, but for safety reasons I personally would not use anything else when wrapping edibles.
So, To Make Sandwich Wraps You Will Need
- Some pretty cotton – I used this skull one from Minerva plus some others from my remnant bag
- Some ProCare or other food safe plastic
- Velcro strip or pads – I decided sew on velcro was the easiest opening for my little one
- A quilting ruler, scissors, cutting mat and rotary cutter
- A sewing machine
I cut my squares to be 12 inches. And cut 2x 1 inch of sew on velcro for each wrap. The sew on velcro has both the hook and loop parts, and comes apart.
Take one piece of ProCare and one piece of cotton. Place them right sides together and sew a 1 cm (Half inch) seam allowance all the way around – except for a 5cm gap at one side. Backstitch at the start and end of your sewing.
Clip the corners and trim the seam allowance down. I used pinking shears.
Turn the wrap the right way out and press on the cotton side with an iron on a low heat. Beware! The plastic may melt if you use too hot an iron!
Make sure that the seam allowance in the turning gap is pressed well, as we will need to close this.
Then topstitch about 6mm from the edge all the way around the square. This closes the turning gap and gives a nice crisp edge.
Finally, sew the hook and loop pieces of velcro to opposite corners. I sewed the hooks to the inside corners and the loops (fuzzy part) to the outside corners.
And you have your finished sandwich wrap!
Make these in all the colours. They are totally washable, but do not tumble dry. It is better to air or line dry them.
And yes, in the future I will probably make some zipped lunch bags. But these are a great gift idea, or a teacher gift for Christmas/end of year.
I hope you have enjoyed my tutorial on how to make reusable sandwich wraps. Love this zero waste idea? Why not read my post on Reusable Kitchen Roll – or learn here how to make your own Unsponges?
Why not pin this post for later?
You know, I don’t sew (yet). But every time I look at your posts, I feel some motivation… so one day, when I finally set my hand to it, your blog is the place where I will begin. Love this project!
Thank you. And this is a perfect starter project Eilidh. Just straight lines and it doesn’t matter too much if it isn’t perfect! Good Luck.
Such a great idea, and I love how clear your instructions are, it makes me feel like I might actually be able to do it myself! x #KCACOLS
Thank you, that is a lovely thing to hear. Actually, with all straight lines, this is probably one of the easiest things to try. Have a go!
We use containers rather than bags – but reusable…so still good. #KCACOLS
Love your tutorial posts, you make it look so easy! These are such a great idea, I am guilty of using so many plastic sandwich bags #KCACOLS
Thank you. And yes, I was using too many. Just a small way of becoming more sustainable.
Brilliant! I’ve been looking into buying some of these but hadn’t thought of making my own. Thank you! #KCACOLS
My pleasure!
Your sandwich wraps are so cute and really make it easy to ditch the plastic! #MMBC
Thank you.
What a great idea, as it is something that we use so much and you can have any design you like! Thank you for joining us for #kcacols we hope to see you again!
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These look fab! I am trying to cut down on my plastic use, so these are perfect. Pinned them so I can have a go at making them #MMBC
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Thank you. I do plan on doing some with zips in and with only one end open too, as snack bags.
I put sandwiches in plastic boxes but this is a great eco-friendly idea! #KCACOLS
So cool! even though it includes some plastic it’s still reusable and much better than disposable bags. Good job : )
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What a great idea! #MMBC
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