Do You Have a Rag Bag?

You have a rag bag, right? You know what a rag bag is - a bag, box, or storage container where you keep all of your old, torn, stained, or unwearable clothing and linens.

I knew you did. Who would throw all of that great material away?

A rag bag isn't just a frugal way of re-making your cast-offs into something useful, it's also a fun place to let your imagination go wild. I love my rag bag, because there is always something in there that I can use to fire my imagination.

I have found that there are some things that are just impractical to save, though. I can't come up with any useful ways of re-purposing bras and underwear. Although I have tried to re-use the elastic from them, they are usually too worn or stretched out by the time they make it to the rag bag.

Other things that I have found too impractical to save as material:

• coats or clothing with many decorative seams - the useable material between the seams is too small to be of use
  
• socks - these are good as dusting cloths though, so save them for that
• slick, slinky polyester or nylon - I find this material too hard to handle and difficult to sew

The best things to keep in the rag bag:

• cotton or blend sheets - remake into pillows, throws, window quilt backs, crocheted rugs
  
• towels - remake into wash cloths, rugs, cleaning rags
• curtains - remake into pillows, quilts, window quilt backs, crocheted rugs
• tablecloths - remake into any of the above
  
• cotton or blend dresses - remake into pillows, quilts, shirts
  
• flannel, cotton, or blend shirts - remake into napkins, pillows, quilts
• fleece or sweat pants and shirts - remake into reusable cloths for the Swiffer or Wet Jet mop, cleaning cloths when you need a material that holds water, throws
  
• sturdy polyester or nylon - remake into pet beds, pillow covers for outdoor furniture
• denim - remake into floor pillows, sit-upons, bed pillows, throws, purses or totes, rugs
  

A rag bag can be a treasure trove for those of us who like to sew or make crafts. Don't throw all that great material away unless it just can not be used for something else.