The stone fruits have returned to the farmers’ market, thank goodness. I’m celebrating every scrap of normalcy I’m able to find these days, including sweaty July walks home from the market carrying my weight in peaches and plums. To mark the season, I made myself a giant string bag sized to match my extra-large appetite for summer’s bounty.
If you need a bag (or a project), this one is exceedingly simple. The technique is identical to the one Rose taught me to make a smaller, more delicate version, and uses the same round clothespins secured onto a wide frame.
The only difference is, to size things up, I used 24 ply butcher’s twine from the hardware store and a stiff canvas bag for a frame in lieu of a 9-inch embroidery hoop. (When Rose has sized up, she’s used a cardboard box!) The specifics here are really up to you; the same basic string bag technique could be used with thicker macrame cord or cotton clothesline to make a heftier bag. (I’ve even stuck clothes pins around a tin can to make a mini version.)
Like all flexible string bags, the contents placed inside will determine the shape of the bag when it’s being carried. This one tends to elongate downward rather than outward and you wouldn’t be wrong to use it to carry beach towels or picnic blankets or loaves of fresh bread.
For step-by-step instructions, head to the original post Make Your Own: String Bag and just sub in a thicker ply string and a larger bag, box, or other substitute for the embroidery hoop! I used 17 clothespins placed roughly 2 inches apart around the bag’s opening. Any questions, just ask!
All thanks to Rose Pearlman for developing the original project. Rose is an artist, teacher, and textile designer. With a background in fine arts and a love of well designed functional objects, her creations blur the lines between art and craft and pushes the boundaries with non-traditional techniques and materials. Rose teaches monthly rug hooking workshops in and around her home in NYC, and also welcomes commissions for one of a kind constructions in decor and home furnishings. Her work has been featured in fiber magazines, galleries, and numerous online design sites. Her book Modern Rug Hooking came out in December 2019 and is available wherever books are sold. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.
4 Comments
I’ve always wanted to have a string bag (this one does seem super simple!) Saving this and maybe I’ll get to try it out one day with all this quarantine time… What a lovely post!
Stay well xx
Love this — I’ve always wanted to make one like this but instead resorted to buying a market bag… still, maybe I’ll attempt one yet. Thank you for sharing!
How has your string bag held up? I’ve a abundance of baker’s twine and some time on my hands. Thank you!
Sturdy as can be!
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