Blogs | Makeover Tool | Share Slow-Cooker Recipes | Subscribe
Links We Love
  • Oatmeal with blueberries
    Kitchen Daily: 7 Hot, Homemade Breakfast Cereals
  • Woman sleeping in bed
    Stylelist Home: 7 Helpful Tips for Buying a Mattress
  • Winter gear
    ThirdAge: 5 Ways to Make the Most of the Winter
|
Real Simple | Life Made Easier, Every Day
       
make us your homepage
  • Food & Recipes
    • Browse All
    • Enhanced Recipe Search
    • Recipe Collections & Favorites
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping & Storing
    • Tools & Products
    • New Uses For Old Things
    • Guide to Ingredients
    • Share Your Slow-Cooker Recipes
  • Home & Organizing
    • Browse All
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Home Improvement
    • Gardening
    • Green Living
    • New Uses For Old Things
    • Decorating With Color
  • Beauty & Fashion
    • Browse All
    • Clothing
    • Shoes & Accessories
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Makeovers & Tips
    • Clothing Care
    • New! Beauty Makeover Tool
  • Holidays & Entertaining
    • Browse All
    • Holidays
    • Weddings
    • Birthdays
    • Entertaining
    • Gifts
    • 50+ Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts
    • Digital Holiday Cards
  • Health
    • Browse All
    • Nutrition & Diet
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Mind & Mood
    • First Aid & Health Basics
    • Preventative Health
    • Stay Healthy on the Go
  • Work & Life
    • Browse All
    • Money
    • Family
    • Life Strategies
    • Technology
    • Travel
    • Etiquette
    • Entertainment
    • Saving and Budgeting Basics
  • Magazine & More
    • Browse All
    • Inside the Magazine
    • Inside the Website
    • Newsletters
    • Real Simple Products
    • Real Simple Rewards
    • Books & Back Issues
    • Simply Stated Blogs
    • Subscribe
    • Give a Gift Subscription
    • Enjoy Real Simple on Your Tablet

How to Recycle or Reuse Anything

  • PRINT
  • SAVE
  • COMMENT
  • SHARE:
  •      
  • Pin It
Box decoratively wrapped using plastic bagsKana OkadaPage 7 of 12

10 Smart Uses for Old Plastic Bags

Plastic Bag as Gift Wrap

No time to make an emergency pre-party run for wrapping paper? Riffle through your bags to find the prettiest and most colorful―or just ones without writing. Triple-bag the gift, then tie all three sets of handles into a knot. Cut the tops of the loops and fan out the pieces to make a plume.

Next: Plastic Bags As Wet Umbrella Holders
Skip to Daily Finds slides.
Woman wearing plastic bags as knee pads
Dog biscuits and a leash
Paintbrush wrapped in plastic bag resting on open can of paint
Folded plastic bag in back pocket of pants
Carrots and peeler on a plastic bag
Box decoratively wrapped using plastic bags
Umbrella wrapped with a plastic bag in a purse
Woman wearing shoe stepping into bag
Cookbook protected by a plastic bag
Flower pot stuffed with plastic bag as filler

Most Popular Galleries

  • Ketchup bottle as batter dispenser

      50 All-Time Favorite New Uses for Old Things

  • Real Simple March 2002

      16 Before-and-After Room Makeovers

  • Heart to Heart Bow Tie

      Unique Valentine’s Day Gifts for Him

  • Verso Design Silmu Tablemat

      7 Decorative Trivets

  • Cheese Souffle

      Easy Recipes for Two

Hot Topic

Do you have a creative way to reuse a plastic grocery bag?

View Earlier Comments
Advertisement

What's Hot

Halibut With Citrusy Tomatoes and Capers

5 Cool-Weather Dinners

Warm up with these quick, healthy, delicious dinner ideas.

  • How to Host a Swap Party
  • Stylelist Home: 10 Smart Organizing Ideas
Computer deskNew on the Web
Lindsay And Ed Battle For A Place In The 'Top Chef' Final Four
...
from Kitchen Daily on Huffingtonpost
Tai chi may help balance in people with Parkinson's
The slow, controlled motions of tai chi can help the impaired balance of people...
from FOXNews.com
How About A Wig?
  Almost everyone in entertainment rocks some kind of fake hair, and ...
from ThirdAge
Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson: Is DIY Dead?
New year trends are picking up steam and what was deemed "so 2011" is moving fur...
from Stylelist Home
6 Tax Season Don'ts
A fifth season exists, and it's one that isn't defined by the weather....
from SavvySugar
Houzz Tour: Tahoe Ridge House (20 photos)
The name Tahoe Ridge House concisely sums up what the design by David S. Wilson...
from Houzz
Real Simple Newsletters To receive any of these free e-mails, check the boxes below and enter the required information.
  • Weekly Tips Newsletter
  • Daily Finds
  • Daily Thought
  • Wedding Newsletter
  • Daily Recipe Newsletter
  • Ask Real Simple
  • Keep It Together Checklist
Home & Organizing:
  • Organizing | 
  • Cleaning | 
  • Decorating | 
  • Home Improvement | 
  • Gardening | 
  • Green Living | 
  • New Uses For Old things | 
  • Clever Organizing Solutions | 
  • Speed-Cleaning Tips & Tricks | 
  • New Uses for Everyday Items | 
  • DIY Decorating Ideas | 
  • Unexpected Natural Cleaners | 
  • Top Cleaning Checklists | 
  • Go Green | 
  • Painting Tips | 
  • Home Gardening Tips | 
  • 40 Decorating Tips for Your Living Room | 
  • Quick Weekend Projects | 
  • Simply Stated: Decorating & Organizing Blog


More from RealSimple.com:
  • Food & Recipes | 
  • Beauty & Fashion | 
  • Holidays & Entertaining | 
  • Health | 
  • Work & Life | 
  • Magazine & More
  • Real Simple Magazine:
  • Subscribe | 
  • Give a Gift Subscription | 
  • Tablet Edition
  • On The Go: 
  • Get Ideas Daily | 
  • Become a Fan on Facebook | 
  • Follow Real Simple on Twitter | 
  • Real Simple Mobile Apps
  • Contact Us | 
  • Customer Service | 
  • Privacy Policy | 
  • Terms of Service | 
  • Print Media Kit | 
  • Digital Media Kit | 
  • Real Simple Rewards | 
  • Site Map
  • Ad Choices
Copyright © 2012 Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Real Simple Home and Lifestyle Network