Reusable Snack Bags | How to Make Your Own

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Snacks are a part of life. Depending on where you are, it may be back-to-school time. Schools incorporate recess or nutrition breaks so that everyone has a chance to have a snack. My bestie asked me to come up with food-safe, reusable snack bags that she could use for her kids. Like many moms, I go through lots of Ziploc bags for my kids’ snacks. Reusable snack bags have a cost-saving – no more buying Ziploc bags, and it also reduces waste.

Reusable snack bags are preferable over containers. I tried using containers with my own kids when they were young, but they seem to get lost (or the lid gets lost) as they don’t fit well in pockets. Young children tend to not want to carry these containers around when they are outside playing. Check out the lost and found in any school – you will find a ton of containers there.

Reusable snack bags are simply zipped pouches. Sewing a zipped pouch is easy – it was a matter of finding the right fabric. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote out a tutorial on making zipper pouches from reusable shoppers. You can read all about that here. I’ve included step-by-step directions on how to sew them. These zipped pouches could very easily be turned into reusable snack bags – you just have to use the right fabric.

What Kind of Fabric to Use to Make Reusable Snack Bags

The right fabric not only needs to be food-safe, but washable as well. It needs to be waterproof so that snacks like sliced apples or orange segments can go in them and not soak through. It also needs to easily be washed daily – either by hand, or be able to toss into the laundry. In my research, I found a couple of good options for making reusable snack bags.

• PUL Fabric is polyurethane laminate.  Typically it is a polyester knit that is laminated. It creates a waterproof fabric. I used this fabric to make bandana bibs which you can find in this post here. PUL makes great, usable snack bags as it is both waterproof and washable, but also available in a variety of patterns at the fabric store.
• Another fabric suggestion is oilcloth. Oilcloth is fabric (typically cotton) that is coated in linseed oil, making it waterproof.
  I found some lovely oilcloth in the fabric store by Impwear. This is a modern oilcloth that is made with a water-based laminate on 100% cotton. This company offers modern patterns in a lovely, soft fabric. It also feels thicker than the PUL fabric. It doesn’t have that rubbery feeling to it. It is also washable.

The procedure to sew reusable snack bags is exactly the same as the zip pouch. Simply use one of the above fabrics instead of a reusable shopper. Follow my step-by-step directions on how to make a zip pouch.

You can make these reusable snack bags in a variety of sizes. I prefer to make 2 different sizes – one for snacks and one for sandwiches.

Reusable Snack Bags – Snack Size

As mentioned in my post on sewing zip pouches, the size of the bags is determined by the zipper length.

For snack-sized bags, I like to use a 6-inch zipper It’s not too big, but big enough to easily fill and easy for little hands to reach inside. For 6-inch zippers, I cut my fabric 7.5 inches wide and anywhere from 5-6 inches long. I like the flexibility with the measurements – you can work with the amount of fabric you have. Some suggested finished dimensions are 7 x 4.5.

Reusable Snack Bags – Sandwich Size

Make your zipped pouch a little bigger and a sandwich can fit into it. Depending on the size of your bread, you will need either 6 or 7-inch zippers. Remember that you need to be able to slide the sandwich in and out easily – you don’t want a tight fit. I find that 6-inch zippers work well for sandwiches made with buns or one of those oval, French loaves, while a 6.5 or 7-inch zipper is better for a sandwich loaf of bread. Again, adjust the length by how big the sandwich is. The easiest is to cut your fabric into a perfect square.

I used a 7-inch zipper and cut my fabric 8.5 inches square.  If I were to use a 6-inch zipper, I would cut my fabric 7.5 inches square. Generally, I’d cut the fabric 1.5 inches wider than the zipper to allow for seam allowance. Some suggested finished dimensions are 7 x 7.5.

Both my friend and I have been using these snack bags for a few months now. They work great! I have a few that I rotate through so that I have time to wash them in between uses. It’s pretty easy to wash them. I typically, while hand washing dishes, wash these reusable snack bags and then let them air dry.

Want to remember how to make these eco-friendly, easy to sew reusable snack bags? Be sure to save this to your favourite Pinterest board.