From trash to treasure-keeper: You can learn how to make a candy bag pouch too.

Many of us from a young age are taught about the “Three Rs”: reduce, reuse, and recycle. These three simple steps can make a big difference in preserving our planet’s environment, and it doesn’t take much effort at all.

Take these cute little zippered pouches, for example, which turn what would otherwise end up in the trash (or recycling bin, rather!) into something useful. These okashi no fukuro po-chi, or candy bag pouches, have been popping up on Japanese Twitter, and it’s easy to see why the trend has caught on.

https://twitter.com/hirarin875/status/846950690920550401 https://twitter.com/popgirl2017/status/847045187708710913 https://twitter.com/hapimori_love03/status/853228091065352193 https://twitter.com/Acchi0629/status/844111278222200832

They’re cute, simple, and really easy to make too, without requiring any special equipment that you probably don’t already own. If you’re interested in making your own, take a look at this quick tutorial video.

The video is simple enough to follow along with, even if you don’t understand Japanese, but here is a quick rundown of the steps:

What you’ll need– a bag of candy, a zipper, a pair of scissors, wire clippers, and transparent glue. (If you want to be extra environmentally conscious, you can re-purpose a zipper from some old clothes that might otherwise be thrown out!)

Start by cutting off the top of the bag of candy to open it. Then, you’ll want to cut off the tough edging along the inside of the flaps of fabric extending beyond the top of the zipper.

Next, unzip the zipper about halfway, apply a line of glue to the underside of one edge of fabric, and attach along the top edge of the bag of candy. Fold the extra flap of fabric over onto the candy bag and secure with glue.

Repeat the above process with the other side of the zipper to secure both sides to the top of the bag. Then, use the wire cutters and scissors to help you cut off the excess zipper only, leaving two flaps of fabric at the end.

Cut off one tail of the fabric and set aside. Fold the other flap around and secure with glue. Then, use the piece of fabric you just set aside to fold over the top end of the zipper, as shown. This will not only act as a stopper for the zipper, but will also cover up any ugly exposed part of the cut zipper, and make for a cleaner finished product.

These would make cute little gifts for your friends for a sweets-giving holiday like Valentine’s Day, and it’s a fun and easy craft kids can do too. If you’re looking for a higher-level DIY craft that’s still economical, try these fun ways to recycle denim jeans!

Source: NAVER Matome
Featured image: Twitter/@hirarin875