Bringing Home Veggies

Whenever I go shopping with my reusable produce bags, it's inevitable that someone in the produce section, and often the cashier, will ask, "Where did you get those?" Clearly, I'm not the only one who's not into hauling home wads of flimsy plastic crap.

And they came in this cute bag, too, which also has room
for all my former-onion-bag produce bags. It's magic!

I got my first set on Etsy, but they've gone from being a rare find in the local crunchy greenie store to a regular item (in my experience) in conventional supermarkets. Wherever your local store stocks such essential items as lemon holders is probably a good place to start looking.

But here's the exciting thing: you don't even need to do that. Next time you buy onions or whatever in a mesh bag, don't toss it. Cut it open carefully (I just cut right below one of the metal tips) so it retains its bag-like qualities, then run a ribbon or a piece of yarn or whatever through the holes at the top once it's empty. Tie the ends together, et voilà: one reusable produce bag. Rub it between your soapy hands under some warm water every couple weeks to keep it clean, and you're all set.

My new problem is what to do with my old starter set I got years ago. They're getting worn out, but I'm unwilling to just toss them if I can find a second life for them. Any suggestions on what to do with a set of six holey mesh bags?