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Hidden Talents of the Common Plastic Bag

In Doha plastic flows as plentiful and guilt-free as gas, of the post-subterranean kind and, perhaps, the gastrointestinal kind, though that may be accompanied with a bit more guilt. Next time you buy groceries and 6 items are generously packed into 5 plastic bags (One of these being used to pack the reusable, canvas grocery bag you just bought to carry the groceries.) Don’t despair! By utilizing these common, everyday receptacles, the newly relocated expat can not only reduce relocation expenditures but can also fill many an empty hour. Here’s a small list of Revamped Purposes to get you started.

Plastic Bag Original Purpose: Consolidate various grocery items into a single, easy carry bag so the buyer doesn’t have to juggle multiple items, thereby breaking baklava and mushing mango. 

Re-vamped

String Substitute: to fix drying rack, newly purchased & broken by husband as he is  it for the first time (I know you’re strong honey pumpkin but really if it’s stuck, perhaps you should first look to see why it doesn’t open rather than tearing it asunder.)

How to: Take 1 plastic bag and, if you were sensible enough to buy scissors during your first shopping trip for essentials, cut into long, thin strips. If you weren’t able to locate a pair of scissors on your first shopping trip because a child collapsed from exhaustion (suspected cause: whining too much), then do like the romance novels and rip the bodice (of the plastic). A paring knife can also work in a pinch but it is advisable to use two people, one to hold the bag taunt and one to cut very carefully. Do not do this when you’re pissed at the person holding the bag. Now, take a long strip and twist it thin like a pencil, then tie it around the broken appendage as if it were string.

Alternative method: buy a new drying rack for Chris’ sake!

Decoration

You probably didn’t know this but plastic bags can be used to decorate your new home. This is a great project to do with kids. Draw a triangle onto one side of a plastic bag. Child can cut out the triangle. (I’m sure you’ve made a  scissors run by now, if not, stop reading and go.) With the left over bag you can make a line to tape the triangle to. Hang on the garden wall. An alternative would be to draw other shapes and tape them willy nilly. When I asked an interior architect what she thought about our plastic bag flags she said, “I’m not going to say anything about them.” She did, however, like the broken chair repurposed into a tree support. 

Crafts

The truly talented could surely make plastic bag, quilted table cloths or braided rugs. I’m sure an entire house could be re-fitted using only the supply of bags obtained at the grocery store for your weekly shopping. I don’t, however, advise wrapping children’s gifts in plastic bags. Here a colorful alternative would be pillow cases and sheets. If you twist the cloth right, you won’t even need plastic bag string. 

Trash bags

This one’s obvious. I just wanted to remind you there’s no need to buy large plastic bags at the store for your trash. Just use the bags freely given. It’s so hot here, you’ll have to take your trash out every day anyway. Tip: Certain children think taking trash out to the dumpster (and checking on the feral cats eating breakfast in there) is an acceptable chore. This service costs only 5 QR a week.

Remember: There’s classy and then there’s effectively occupying an eternally long week when alone with two children in a new country. I’ll let you decide which you want to be; you can’t be both. Go get ‘em Tiger.

Christine Gerber Rutt

(Doha Mums member, writer, mother, etc. etc Check out her blog on life in Qatar at and keep your eyes open for the upcoming release of koo • ki, her quarterly ‘zine, all about an American-born, Swiss-immigrated, Qatar-living, writer, mother-of-two, husband-to-one, car-pool chief, ex-pat woman buffling through life with a feisty 5-year-old, a 9-year-old going on 16, and a Swiss husband.)

Reprinted from the Spring 2010 issue of koo • ki. Get your copy, along with loads of other great bargains, at the Doha Mums Summer Market <http://dohamums.com/events/doha-mums-summer-market.html> . Don’t forget to bring along some plastic bags to carry home all your loot. In the meantime check out more Doha moments at Christine’s blog http://JustKooki.Blogspot.com

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