DIY Clothespin Bag

I love hanging clothes out on the line. I love to watch them flap in the wind. I love the way they smell when I bring them in. I love knowing that I just saved us some money and energy by not using the dryer. I used to hang my clothespins on the line in a little bag I made when I was a teenager. But that little bag is now ripping at the seams (I was trying to improve my hand-sewing skills) and it was never very convenient to have to tie and untie it from the line whenever I needed it. So today, as I waited for the rain clouds to clear a little, I had an idea. Why not make another, more convenient little bag? I'm mentally quick like that...hehe.

 

This is what I came up with. Start with an old hand towel, a wire hanger, and of course, clothespins. You also need a sewing machine, scissors, and basic white cotton thread.

 

Fold a short edge of the towel over the hangar and pin securely to keep the fabric from slipping while you sew. You will see in the picture that I didn't fold over much of the towel because I want to use most of it to create a good-sized bag. I'm glad I chose a towel that already had lines in it; they make a good stitching guide. Sew a straight seam, backstitching at the beginning and end for extra reinforcement. 



 



 

 

This is the finished seam across the hangar.







 

 

Next pin up the bag as deep as you want it to be. I found it was helpful to pin across the top of the bag as well, again to prevent slipping. Just don't sew across that part!

 

 

The finished bag portion. At this point I thought I was done with this project. So I loaded it with clothespins and.....

 

.....see my problem? Sag! In the grand scheme of things, a saggy baggy is not a biggy wiggy problem, but the more clothespins you add, the more it pulls and the more stress is placed on the seams, which shortens the life of the bag. Solution? Another seam.

 

 

This seam goes straight up the middle and creates two pockets. This solution serves a couple purposes. One, less sag. Two, you won't have to chase clothespins all around the bag. They are much more confined. And three.....

 

 

...you can separate your clippie pins from your pins with heads. As a person who enjoys being uptight about the laundry, I find this knowledge very comforting.

 

 

 

There you have it! Now I'm off to squeeze as much sunlight out of the day as I possibly can. :-)

 

P.S. I recommend you bring this bag in after every use to prevent the hangar from rusting during wet weather. I keep mine on a nail right inside my basement door so I can grab it as I am on my way up from the laundry room.