Plastic bags storage idea

I love trying to neaten my messy, unorganized life and was tickled to learn a simple and easy way to downsize the amount of space that grocery plastic bags can take.  Thank you to my friend Katie of www.charliemarlmalade.com fame for sharing this idea with me at our recent Houston Modern Quilt Guild Retreat.  It's a simple idea that I wonder why I never thought of it before.

You can take this big goofy mess and ....

end up with this small pile of neat triangles.

Basically you flatten the plastic bags and fold them up into triangular shapes, much like the proper folding of the flag of the USA or like young boys fold paper-tabletop footballs.
Here are directions in a few simple steps.

First, take a plastic bag and flatten it neatly.

Fold it in half lengthwise, then into thirds lengthwise again to get a long folded rectangle.

Starting at the bottom edge of the plastic bag, fold one corner down, making a triangle shape.

Now carefully fold the triangle over on itself, neatening and straightening with each fold.

Keep folding the triangle over onto itself, slowly moving upwards toward the handle ends.

Be sure to straighten the triangle with each folded step.

When you get to the end, it may be a bit puzzling....

But you simply take those leftover handle edges and tuck them into the opening made by the folded edges of the triangle

Voila, one tightly tucked and folded triangular football shape -- which is easy to tuck into purse pockets, in the glove box of your car, or most any where.

This is amazingly rather fun and has the happy result of a neater, smaller space holding your extra plastic grocery bags.  I think it is my crazy new addiction which I am sharing with you.  Now you too can easily tote a plastic bag or three or seven with you wherever your travels and wanderings may take you.