Repurpose Old Cans Into The Ultimate Plastic Grocery Bag Dispensers With This Simple DIY

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

We all grocery shop, and along the way, our collections of plastic bags grow. As of 2026, a dozen states have completely banned single-use plastic bags, but that means they're still a fact of life in most places in the U.S. — and they seem to appear at restaurant and convenience stores, too. Many of us keep plastic bags with the intent to reuse them, and since the entire reason behind the bans is sustainability, it feels like a compromise to get the most use out of these bags as possible. The problem is, hanging on to them gets messy. When you're taking measures to keep your kitchen organized, balls of plastic bags can really get in the way and take up space.

Fortunately, there's a solution, and best of all, it's also eco-friendly as it upcycles a kitchen staple you might otherwise throw away. All you need is a larger can, like one for coffee, baby formula, powdered milk, or mixed nuts. This sturdy size often comes with an easily cuttable (and flexible) plastic lid. Thoroughly clean the can before outlining and cutting a rectangle in the middle. Next, as one DIY expert demonstrates on YouTube, simply link your plastic bags together (this part may take a while). They'll go into the can as it becomes a dispenser. Think of it like a tissue box: as you pull each new bag, another pops up.

The linking of the bags is the most time-consuming part of this project, which otherwise takes mere minutes. For the best results, smooth out each bag, fold it vertically, roll it up to the handles, then pull the bottom of the next folded bag through those handles and keep repeating for all the bags you have. It's a bit tedious to be sure, but the result is extremely satisfying.

Suddenly, you have this compact, contained place for your bags that you can easily pop in just about any cabinet or on any pantry shelf — wherever it would be most handy — and it takes less than a second to grab a bag when you need it. And there are indeed so many useful ways to reuse plastic grocery bags, even beyond getting an extra grocery trip out of them. They're great for dirty clothes or preventing leaks from toiletry cases when traveling, lining smaller trash cans, protecting plants from frost, and other great around-the-house uses.

To further step up this DIY bag disposer, make the can more aesthetically pleasing and a fit for your kitchen. Decorating the bag dispenser will offer even more possibilities to place it since you won't need to stash it away. The quickest and cheapest solution for an instantly stylish print is contact paper. Consider this Heroad Shiplap-Print Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper for farmhouse kitchens, a strip of Laatse Vintage Floral Contact Paper for a more bohemian vibe, or this Osecage Checker-Print Stick-On Paper for retro kitchens.