Content

• Method 2 of 2: Tie the bag in a knot
• Tips
• Warnings

1 Spread the bag flat. If you are folding a T-shirt bag, make sure the handles are parallel to each other. Try to straighten the handles as much as possible, as they will also play an important role when you fold the bag into a triangle.

• The easiest thing to do is to spread the bag on a hard, flat surface, such as a kitchen countertop.
• With enough dexterity, you can try to spread the bag on the weight, and not on a flat surface. Keep in mind that this is not easy, so don't be discouraged if you fail. In any case, you can try to do it again later when you have a little more experience.
• Try to expel excess air from the bag as much as possible. To do this, slide your hands along it in the direction from the bottom up.

2 Fold the bag into a longitudinal strip. Start by aligning the sides of the bag (if folding a T-shirt, line up the handles). Fold the bag again, now aligning the previous fold with the sides of the bag. Continue to fold the bag further, folding it in half lengthwise each time (if folding the T-shirt bag, stop when the resulting strip is approximately equal in width to the bag handles). You should have a narrow rectangular strip.

• Remember to flatten the bag and blow out excess air after each additional fold.The flatter it becomes, the easier it will be for you to fold it into a triangle.
• The number of longitudinal folds will depend on the size of the bag and the shape of its handles. Usually only two or three folds are required.

3 Fold the bottom corner of the rectangular strip diagonally. Select the bottom corner through which the last longitudinal fold passes. Fold it diagonally, pulling it towards the opposite side of the strip to form a triangle.

• Smooth and straighten the resulting triangle.
• At this stage, the package will look like a rectangle with one adjacent side with an isosceles triangle (on the smaller side).

4 Fold the resulting triangle up onto the strip to create a new triangle. Take the free bottom corner of the triangle and fold it up into a rectangular strip, converting the adjacent line between the old triangle and the rectangle into a new fold.

• The outer contours of the polyethylene strip will again take the shape of a narrow rectangle.
• The technique used here is similar to the triangle folding of the American flag.

5 Continue to fold the strip along the adjacent sides of the triangle. Repeat the last two steps, gradually winding the strip around the triangle. Work all the way to the very end of the strip (or bag handles). Remember to leave a small tip of the strip for the finishing fold.

• With each new fold, you will have new isosceles triangles stacked on top of each other.
• Remember to unfold and flatten the bag after each fold. If the triangle turns out to be too chubby, it will not hold its folded shape well.

6 Tuck the remaining end of the strip inside the folded triangle. Make the last fold by wrapping the tip of the strip around the triangle. Slip it into the pocket formed by the previous triangles. As always, flatten the bag after the next fold so that it looks neat and holds its shape well.

7 Repeat the procedure with the rest of the bags and store them. Fold all other bags into triangles. They now take up significantly less space and are easier to store. They can be stowed away anywhere, for example, beautifully placed in a basket on the kitchen countertop or simply tossed in a drawer under the sink. It's up to you to make the decision.

8 To use the package, just expand it. As cute as the triangular bags are, they cannot be used as they are. If you need a bag, take a triangle and release the end of the folded strip from it. Grasp this edge and simply shake the bag to unfold it completely. Depending on how tightly you folded the bag, you may have to work a little to unfold it.

Method 2 of 2: Tie the bag in a knot

1. 1 Fold the bag into a longitudinal strip. To tie a bag in a knot, you must first roll it into a narrow strip. In this case, it doesn't matter how you orient the handles of the T-shirt bag in front of you. To collapse a package, simply follow the steps below.
   • Spread the bag out on a hard, flat surface. Run your hands over the bag to expel excess air from it as much as possible. The flatter the bag becomes, the smaller the finished knot will turn out from it.
   • Fold the bag in half lengthwise to form an elongated rectangle. As before, unfold and flatten the bag.
   • Fold the bag in half lengthwise again. This time it will become an even narrower rectangle. Continue folding the bag in half lengthwise until the layers of polyethylene begin to offer some resistance to your hands. Remember to smooth every fold.
2. 2 Fold the resulting strip across in half. Fold the strip in half to make it shorter. You should now have a narrow rectangle in your hands that is half the original length of the bag.
   • Check the ductility of the resulting strip by wrapping it around your finger.If the strip is too elastic for this, then it is too elastic in order to tie it in a knot. In this case, unfold the cross fold and unfold one or two longitudinal folds. Then fold the strip in half again and test for ductility.
3. 3 Form a small loop from the shortened strip. Place the loop about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the last fold on the strip. The loop should be large enough to fit two of your fingers. Make sure the folded end is on top and the longer (and possibly uneven due to the handles) underneath.
   • Creating a loop in this case is the first step in forming a kind of clover knot.
   • If you find it difficult to work with the strip because of its short length, you can always unbend the transverse fold on it. However, in this case, the knot will not turn out very compact, and then it will not be so easy to untie it.
4. 4 Fold the long end of the strip into the short one and tuck it inward into the loop. Take the longer end of the bag (with handles) and fold it over the shorter end of the folded strip. Pass the tip through the loop and pull it out from the other side. Do not tighten the knot yet.
5. 5 Hide both ends of the strip in the resulting knot. Wrap the long end a few more times around the loop (through it) until it ends. Slip the remaining tip inside the knot. Repeat the procedure with the other, shorter end, also passing it through the loop of the common knot. Then tighten the loop by pulling on the remaining short end of the strip while holding the knot.
   • Make sure to roll the plastic bag around itself into one large knot. You don't need to make two separate knots on top of each other, otherwise it will be a double knot. It will be more difficult to untie the double knot.
6. 6 Expand the package to use it. You cannot put anything in a folded bag. To use the bag, slide your thumb into the loop of the knot in the opposite direction from where you slipped the last short folded end into it. The knot will loosen and the tip of the folded strip will pop out of the loop. You have already halfway untied the knot. Now all that remains is to free the other end from the node and your package will be ready to use.
   • A knotted bag does not look as neat and beautiful as a bag folded in a triangle. Instead of keeping these bags in plain sight, put them in a separate container or basket and hide them until you need them.

Tips

• It is best to roll the bags on a hard, flat surface. This will make it easier to release the air from them and form a flatter strip that is easier to fold or tie.
• In some stores you can find fabric covers or baskets that are suitable for storing bags. Whether you fold the bags or not, it is better and more convenient to use a separate container for storing them.
• Almost any plastic bag can be folded using the above methods, but these methods work best with standard thin T-shirt bags from supermarkets. Thicker bags with slotted handles are somewhat more difficult to fold.

Warnings

• Do not store bags that have been used for raw meat.
• Make sure the roll-up bag is completely dry, otherwise you may run into mold problems later on.
• Do not let children and small pets play with the bags.