Here’s a great way to repurpose, reuse and recycle your empty chicken feed sacks. It’s not a new idea: I’ve seen several online sites with instructions on how to make grocery totes out of all sorts of creative materials. I read them all … then took what I liked out of each example and came up with my version of a reusable bag that’s easy to construct, functional and even somewhat fashionable!
My top choice in chicken feed just happens to have the most attractive option for a bag; Purina Layena SunFresh Recipe Poultry Feed: the one with the picture of the Barred Plymouth Rock that shares a striking resemblance to my own Cleopatra!
This bag only took me a little over an hour to complete, and I’ll try to go over each step in detail (photos included) …
Supplies
Sewing machine
#14 needle (for heavy-weight fabrics)
Scissors
Pins
Thread
Binder clips
Rotary cutter – cutting mat – ruler
50 lb. plastic feed sack
Step 1: Cutting the Bag
Open the bottom of the bag, lay it flat and–using the rotary cutter, ruler and mat–cut off the bottom 8 1/2 inches of the bag (right below the sun on the front of the Purina bag).
Step 2: Sew the Bottom Seam
With right sides together, using a 1/2-inch seam allowance–sew the bottom seam. Sew another row of stitches about a 1/4-inch from the edge.
Step 3: Boxed Corners
This is probably the trickiest step to explain, but boxed bottom corners, as in a paper grocery sack, will make your bag much more functional than just simply a flat tote. Lay the bag flat (right sides together) and fold the center sides of the bag together. This makes two large triangles at the bottom of the bag with the bottom seam in the middle (see photo).
Next, measure and mark a 9-inch line across each triangle. To keep the line straight, use the 45-degree line on your ruler.
Sew across this line and reinforce this stitching by sewing again about 1/4 inch away from your first stitching line (toward the triangle’s point). Turn the bag right side out. It should be able to stand on its own and have a square bottom.
Step 4: Top Edge
Using the binder clips, fold down 3 1/2 inches from the top edge and with your fingers crease this fold.
Next, remove the clips and fold the raw edge to the crease line.
Fold again and it should be the finished height of the bag. Secure this fold with binder clips.
Step 5: The Handles
Using the leftover material from the end of the bag, cut off 2 1/2 inches. Cut this piece in half. Now there are two strips, 3 inches each.
Cut these strips at each end, creating four strips total.
With right sides together, stitch a 1/2 inch seam on one side of each handle.
Open the strip and fold 1/2 inch down on each long end (secure and crease fold with binder clips).
Now fold these sides together and sew 1/4 inch from edge.
Sew another edge stitching 1/4 inch from the other end of the handle strip.
Next, position the handles on each side of the bag, but slip them into the inside fold at the top of the bag. (They will be on the inside of the bag–see photo.)
Sew the top edge down 1/4 inch from the folded edge.
Fold your handles back up so they stick out of the bag.
Secure them in place by stitching a square pattern with an X through the box (see photos).
That’s it! One less feed sack to throw in the trash and several less plastic grocery bags you’ll be tempted to use. If you’re anything like me the hardest part about using reusable shopping bags is remembering to pack them in the car. This bag is big, bright and a visible reminder to grab this tote before going to the market. It might also help you remember to feed the chickens!
For more detailed photos and instructions, please refer to the best online instructions I found: Grocery tote bag made out of 40-lb birdseed sack and Make your own Feed Bag Tote.
To see what else is happening on our Southwest Missouri property, visit …the garden-roof coop.
If you enjoy bird-watching (in addition to chicken-watching), I invite you to “like” my facebook page:
114 Comments
I need help making the bottom of the tote square!!
Email me (the editor) at communitychickens@gmail.com and we can chat.
What a great tutorial. I’ve made several of these bags–we buy alot of bird food. I have a Bernina 910. I used a denim needle with upholstery thread. I, too, had many frustrations (and curse words) for getting the right tension (top/bottom). Having run out of upholstery thread, I bought some lighter weight, but heavy duty, bonded polyester thread. My results were better. I have tons of webbing as I was making dog leads for one of my volunteer efforts. I like the webbing handles better.
I would add a few tips: Paper clips or fabric clips can be used instead of binding clips. I also used an iron on lowest setting to make the foldovers. It helped make the bag more pliable. Squaring the bottom seam of the bag with the side medians is key to having a nicely squared up bag. But even a cockeyed bag works great.
These bags have so many uses. Not just for shopping, but for gardening (clippings, harvesting produce), or just yard clean up. They can serve as “bag of bags” (put all of your bags in this!) or your recycling efforts for paper etc.
For those not liking the excess product on the inside from the triangle, simply clip it off.
Hello from Manitoba, Canada! I have so many empty feed bags from my chickens, that this is a great idea to repurpose them! Thank you for sharing your ideas!!
[…] Another guide for making similar bags can be found here —> Chicken Feed Sack (Purina) […]
[…] This online tutorial has guided me, although the bit about the box corners has confused me and made several of the bags come out sideways. I’m getting the hang of it now. […]
I have about 300 hens and 6 roosters, I have 4, 5 gallon watering cans. I spent more time cleaning the cans just to get the slime out of the trays. The green slime is a daily fight I’m not winning. I want to know if the nipples u have can be fixed to the site of the pvc or if they would still have to go on the bottom?
I have had this idea for a couple years now….and have saved many feed bags. I hope to start production soon. Thank you for an advanced educational experience to draw from.
I am so frustrated with this project. I have tried this with many combinations of tension, thread length, needle size, and thread type and cannot get satisfactory results. I have broken 4 needles already and had to redo a bazillion times. I’m using a brand new Singer Heavy Duty machine, threaded properly. The comment from SooZeeQ about her exact materials and settings was helpful although it’s still not working for me. Can others please post exactly what settings, needles, and thread they are using to make these successfully? I am supposed to sell them at a small craft fair in two weeks and am just about to give up. Thank you!
I have not made these yet, but in my mind, a size 14 needle is too small and weak. You should probably use a size 18 needle or an upholstery needle. I am also thinking you would use the same kind of thread they use for upholstery which is a very heavy duty thread…probably bigger than size 50 if you can find it. Like button thread which is made stronger than regular thread for fabrics. Hope this helps.
My God daughter is in her first year of 4H, and is showing a chicken at the fair I so think this well make a real cute bag for her to put the chickens feed , water and whatnots in to take with her. Also going to make one for her rabbit.
My machine seems to get jammed up when sewing these sacks. I have to gently pull it through, or it just stops and jams. Do you recommend any special type of sewing foot?
Or…do I need to set my thread tension to 4 or3? Flustered.
Thank you.
hit his look great can I sew this by hand?
I have made any, many of these. They turn out so cute and are very sturdy. They make great gifts too.
I have been making these for a while. I use my iron to put creases in them. You need to test on a scrap to make sure of the right temp. I washed one once in the washer and the layer’s of the bag came apart. You can trim the bottom seam if the triangle’s bother you. I think they make the bottom more sturdy. Great to use as gift’s and grocery sack’s. 🙂
[…] Click HERE for the step-by-step instructions […]
[…] DIY Chicken (or Cat/Dog) Feed Sack Grocery Tote by Community Chickens […]
I don’t like the giant triangles I now have in the bottom of my bag after Step 3. How do I stop that from happening?
I cut a piece of plastic canvas and put it on the bottom. It just adds to the sturdiness of them.
This looks great! I tried it and really like the results. What I don’t like are Purina’s new bag designs. They don’t have the same nice homey look as the old designs and don’t look as cute when turned into totes.
[…] it’s a tote bag after following the directions found on this delightful site in this post!!!! Rebecca Nickols takes you step by step, with photos, through the assembly process. This may not […]
absolutely love this tote. we have chickens, rabbits. a cow, dogs, a goat, ducks and turkeys. will hopefully be making some here in the future. im thinking selling them and donating a portion to the local humane society and the is a horse rescue I would like to donate to
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Cool blog site friend I’m about to suggest this to all my listing contacts.
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I have it easy . My friend makes the bags and sells them. I have the animals and her deal is give her 6 feed bags and you get back a tote bag of your choice. I have a chicken and a rabbit tote. I give her all my bags as it’s better to recycle then throw them in the trash.
I would love to buy a bag – you really should think about selling them!
You can also make these totes from cat food bags. I have a collection of them I have been saving.
I made 23 of these over the holidays, everyone who got them as gifts loved them!
I used the pictures more than the measurements for cutting, I found every single Layena bag was a little different on the length so I cut just below the lower sun and 3.5 inches above the Purina checkerboard on the top.
I will be taking my sewing machine in for a good cleaning now that I’m done, but I don’t think I have any more dust that the time I made a velvet shawl & hat.
Lucky for me I have three sisters that all have chickens and ducks. So there are lots more of these in my future. I will schedule them for just before the next good cleaning. 🙂
A friend makes them and washes the bags before sewing them.
I’ve been planning to make a bag for a long time, had a horse feed one that I got LAST year and a birdseed one that I got last month. FINALLY got around to making it. Your directions were the best AND I liked the way your handle was attached. I didn’t want to buy webbing, I wanted it all made with the bag.
I washed both my bags in the washing machine and the horse feed one came out fine. Next time, I’ll just wash in the bathtub, washing machine made them too wrinkly! I did link your blog as where I got the directions.
I used a 14 needle and upholstery thread and had to go way up on the tension, didn’t look quite as good as I wanted but looks ok. I still need to figure out what to do to make it look better before I make more bags.
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I like to gift like those bag for my girlfriend. Those look’s awesome. I think that’s are prefect for my girlfriend.
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I’m finding this a bit late, but, do you think these would make good growing sacks for potatoes (as far as material strength)? Thanks in advance!
It is durable and reusable.
I saw one of these in a purse shop near Berlin, Ohio. They wanted $50 for it!!!
Thanks for such detailed instructions and pictures! I just made a tote out of a horse feed bag using your instructions. I love it!!!! And I’ve got lots more old feed bags that will now become something useful too.
This is probably the trickiest step to explain, but boxed bottom corners, as in a paper grocery sack, will make your bag much more functional than just simply a flat tote.Cheap League of Legends Boost
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