Plastic Bag Storage

*Disclaimer* I want to say upfront that this is not my original idea.  I don't remember which blog I saw it on but I think it is genius.  With that being said, shall we proceed?

We try to shop with re-usable shopping bags as much as possible, but it does not always work that way and sometimes we come home with a collection of plastic bags.  I usually shove them all together and hide them in a closet until I get fed up with them.  I always intend to recycle them, but unfortunately it just doesn't always work out that way.  Those little fabric sleeves are nice but I think the bags tend to get stuck in them and occasionally cause fits of stomping on them in the floor (hypothetically of course).

So...I saw a brilliant post on a link party one week where a blogger was folding her plastic bags like a flag (or a paper football) and storing them in a glass jar on her counter to be re-used as needed.  I think it is such a neat and orderly option to reigning in these plastic hooligans.

Once they are folded, they are also the perfect size to store one in your purse for an emergency and a couple in the glove box of your car.

If you don't know how to fold a flag or paper football, I will try to explain it below:

1. Fold the bag in half - length ways

2. Fold the bag in half (length ways) again.

3. Starting at one corner, fold the corner over to meet the edge so it makes a triangle.

4.  Continue folding the triangle up until you have folded all of the bag.

5. Tuck the loose edge into the pocket of your triangle.

6. If these directions are as thoroughly confusing to you as they seem to be to me, Google flag folding and I'm sure someone else will be able to better explain the technique.

File this under "Why Didn't I Think of That?"