Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
How I Turned Old T-Shirts Into Market Bags That Replaced All My Beach Totes
36
items Piles of old concert tees and stained shirts were taking up an entire drawer — throwing them out felt wasteful but wearing them felt worse. Once I started cutting and sewing them into reusable market bags, beach days and grocery runs got a whole lot ...
Sections
9
Sewing Machines That Handle Knit Fabric Without Jamming
Rotary Cutters and Mats for Clean T-Shirt Cuts
Thread That Won't Snap on Stretchy Fabric
Stabilizers and Interfacing for Bags That Hold Their Shape
Pins and Clips That Actually Grip Jersey Knit
Marking Tools for Cutting Lines on Dark Fabric
Sewing Machines That Handle Knit Fabric Without Jamming
My old machine kept eating stretchy t-shirt fabric and bunching it into a tangled mess. Switched things up and finally stopped rage-quitting mid-project.
Grab this if you've been scared of sewing knits — the stretch stitch setting handled four layers of old Hanes cotton without a single jam. Wish I'd started here instead of fighting my grandma's ancient Singer.
XM2701 Sewing & Quilting Machine - 27 Built-in Stitches
Use this when you're doubling up fabric for sturdier bag bottoms. Powered through a thick hem on an old band tee like it was tissue paper — perfect for anyone who wants bags that actually hold groceries without ripping.
Singer 4423EXTBUND Heavy Duty 4423 Sewing Machine
Switched to this after my third project and the automatic needle threader alone saved me twenty minutes of squinting. Great pick if your eyes aren't what they used to be and you sew after the kids go to bed.
Brother, Sewing Machine, 70 Built-in Stitches, Quilting
Keep this one on the counter for quick fixes when a seam pops on a bag you already finished. Tiny footprint means it fits in a studio apartment corner — I store mine next to the coffee maker.
SINGER® M1000 Blue Mending Machine
Rotary Cutters and Mats for Clean T-Shirt Cuts
Scissors left my edges looking like a toddler attacked them. A rotary cutter on a proper mat gave me straight lines for the first time and my bags stopped looking homemade in the bad way.
Swap out your scissors for this — one clean roll through jersey knit and the edge doesn't curl or fray. Paid for itself after two bags because I stopped wasting fabric on crooked cuts.
Fiskars 45mm Loop Rotary Cutter for Fabric, Arts
Toss this on your dining table and cut without worrying about scratching anything. The grid lines saved me from measuring twice because I'm the person who always eyeballs it wrong.
OLFA, Gridded Cutting Mat, 18"x24", Self-Healing Surface
Use the smaller blade when you're cutting handle strips — way more control around curves. Anyone making bags from fitted tees with side seams will thank me for this one.
Fiskars 45mm Loop Handle Rotary Cutter
Keep one of these clipped to your mat so you stop wandering around looking for it. Retractable so it doesn't end up tangled in your fabric pile — learned that lesson with a cheap dollar store one.
Singer ProSeries 96" Retractable Tape, Teal
Thread That Won't Snap on Stretchy Fabric
Regular cotton thread snapped every time the bag stretched under weight. Finding the right thread was the difference between a bag that lasted all summer and one that split open in a parking lot.
Try this before anything else if your seams keep popping when you load up produce. It stretches WITH the t-shirt fabric instead of fighting it — my beach bag survived a watermelon and three towels.
Coats Eloflex Stretch Thread 225Yd-Nugrey
Grab a few neutral colors and you're covered for any shirt color. Strong enough for double-stitched handles and it hasn't frayed on me once across maybe fifteen bags now.
Gutermann Sew-All Polyester Sand Thread, 547 Yd.
Use this for the body seams when you're not worried about heavy stretch. Comes in so many colors that I actually matched it to a vintage Grateful Dead tee — yes, I'm that person.
Coats Dual Duty XP General Purpose Thread 250yd-Tan
Pair this with a serger if you want finished edges that look store-bought. For anyone who got tired of raw edges curling after the first wash — this fixed it completely.
2000 yard Maxi-Lock Stretch Serger Cone Thread, Brown
Stabilizers and Interfacing for Bags That Hold Their Shape
First few bags I made flopped over like wet noodles the second I set them down. Adding interfacing turned floppy tees into bags that actually stand up at the farmers market.
Iron this onto the bottom panel and suddenly your bag stands upright on the sand instead of collapsing. Took me four floppy failures before someone in a Facebook group told me about this.
Pellon, Shape-Flex Fabric Interfacing, White, 20 in x 1 yd
Use this to fuse two thinner shirts together when one layer feels too flimsy. Works in about ten seconds with a hot iron — faster than sewing and the bond holds through the washing machine.
HeatnBond Lite Iron-On Adhesive 17 Inches x 75 Yard White
Stiffer than SF101, so grab this when you want a bag with real structure — like a tote that holds library books without sagging. Cut it to fit the base and the sides stay put.
Pellon 808 Craft-Fuse Sewing Fabric Stabilizer
Try this for lightweight beach bags where you don't want bulk but still need the fabric to behave. Keeps the handles from stretching out after a few uses — nobody wants spaghetti straps on a tote.
Sulky Of America Cut Away Soft N Sheer Stabilizer
Pins and Clips That Actually Grip Jersey Knit
Straight pins kept falling out of stretchy fabric and leaving holes. Fabric clips changed everything and my seams finally lined up on the first try.
Ditch pins entirely for these — they grip jersey without poking holes and they're color-coded so you can mark which edge is which. Dropped a whole box once and picking them up was way less terrifying than scattered pins.
Clover Wonder Clips Assorted Colors 50/Pkg
Snag these specifically for knits because the rounded tip slides between fibers instead of piercing them. Regular sharp pins left tiny holes in a vintage tee I loved — still mad about it.
Singer Ball Point Pins, Size 17, 90pk
Use these when you're pinning through multiple layers and need the pin to curve with the fabric. Great for anyone assembling a bag inside-out and struggling to keep everything aligned.
Dritz 1-1/2" Curved Basting Pins, 75 Count
Keep a handful on your machine table for holding handles in place while you sew them down. Stronger grip than the Clover clips so they work on folded-over hems without slipping mid-stitch.
50 PCS Pack Clover Wonder Clips for Crafts Quilting
Marking Tools for Cutting Lines on Dark Fabric
Tried a regular pen on a black t-shirt once and obviously saw nothing. These actually show up on dark cotton so you cut where you intended instead of guessing.
Grab the white version for dark shirts — the marks disappear with a damp cloth so you don't end up with blue lines on your finished bag. Saved me on a navy tee that I almost ruined with a Sharpie.
Dritz Pen Mark-B-Gone Water Soluble Ink Marker
Use this for quick dashed lines that brush right off. The rolling wheel tip feels weirdly satisfying and it's way more precise than rubbing a flat chalk piece across fabric.
Clover Thin Line Chaco Liner / Chalk Wheel Liner Marker
Try these on lighter colored shirts — the ink vanishes with heat from your iron so marks disappear while you're pressing seams. Two steps in one and I'm all about shortcuts after 9 PM.
Pilot FriXion Waai Retractable Gel Pen - 0.5 mm - Black
Keep one sharpened at your cutting station for quick marks when you don't want to hunt for a pen. Old school but it works on basically every fabric color if you grab the multicolor pack.
Dritz, Tailor's Chalk, 2 Piece, White for Dark Fabric
Bag Hardware for Handles and Closures
Knotted fabric handles looked cute for about one trip before they stretched out and dug into my shoulder. A few metal pieces made my bags feel like something you'd actually buy.
Toss two of these onto each handle attachment point and suddenly your bag has adjustable straps. Went from bruised shoulders to comfortable carry in one hardware swap — worth every penny.
Dritz 1" Metal D-Rings, Silver, 12 Pack
Pair these with a detachable strap so you can clip the bag to a stroller or beach cart. For anyone juggling kids and groceries simultaneously — hands-free is the only way.
Dritz 1/2" Swivel Hooks & D-Rings, 12 Sets, Nickel
Sew one of these into the top edge and your stuff stops falling out when the bag tips over. Found my sunscreen rolling across a parking lot exactly once before I added these to every bag.
Dritz 3/4" Square Magnetic Snaps, 12 Sets, Gold
Use these for a crossbody strap option — they adjust easily and look surprisingly polished on a recycled tee bag. Friends have asked where I bought the bag, which is the highest compliment.
Dritz Overall Buckles W/No-Sew Buttons For 1" Straps 2
Washing and Care Supplies to Keep Bags Fresh
Beach bags get sandy and smell like sunscreen by August. These keep my t-shirt bags clean enough to use at the grocery store the next morning without embarrassment.
Toss a scoop in with your bags after a beach day and the sunscreen stains actually come out. Tried vinegar first and my bag smelled like a salad for a week — this works better.
OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover Powder
Use this if you have sensitive skin and the bag rubs against your arms. No fragrance means no weird chemical smell mixing with ocean air — just clean cotton.
all free clear, Original, Liquid Laundry Detergent
Grab this for bags made from thinner vintage tees that you don't want to beat up in a regular wash cycle. Gentle enough to keep the prints from cracking after repeated washes.
Woolite Delicates Liquid Laundry Detergent
Throw your finished bags inside one of these before the washing machine so the handles don't tangle around the agitator. Learned this after a handle ripped off my favorite Bowie tee bag — still hurts to think about.
Whitmor Zippered Mesh Laundry Wash Bags - Set of 2
Pattern Books and Guides for New Bag Ideas
After making the same basic tote twelve times I needed fresh designs. These gave me new shapes and techniques so my bag pile actually has variety now.
Snag this if you've made the basic market bag and want to try bucket shapes and zipper pouches next. Clear diagrams meant I didn't have to pause and rewatch YouTube tutorials every thirty seconds.
Sew Bags Sewing Guide Book by Hilarie Wakefield Dayton
Try the simpler projects first — there's a fold-up shopping bag pattern that takes about forty minutes and fits in your back pocket. Perfect for the person who wants quick wins between bigger projects.
Weekend Sewing : More Than 40 Projects and Ideas
Keep this on your nightstand for inspiration — it's part memoir, part project guide, and it convinced me to finally try adding pockets to my bags. The personal stories make it feel like advice from a friend.
Sewing Happiness by Sanae Ishida
Get this before you waste three t-shirts figuring out knit fabric quirks on your own. Covers tension settings, needle choices, and stretch stitches — basically everything I googled separately over six frustrating months.
Wendy Ward book tour: A Beginner's Guide to Sewing