The Story

Three things came together to inspire this project. 1) Austin will ban plastic grocery bags starting 2013. 2) Burlap old coffee sacks look awesome. 3) I hoard a lot of fabric.

Every piece of these bags has been something else before I got my hands on 'em. So, BeenBags.

The exteriors have been coffee sacks that brought beans back from around the world to Austin roasters (thank you Kohana Coffee for this inaugural batch!). The linings, straps, even the logo tags have been something in a former life. Vintage sheets, leftover upholstery material, used gift-wrapping, even old wedding decorations are the linings of BeenBags. The thread comes from ‘ye olde cookie tin.’ The sewing takes place on what had been a dining room table. And while we work we only listen to covers of cool music.

BeenBags can be used as grocery bags, beach bags, gift bags, toy bags, farmers market bags, really anything that needs to go in a bag can go in these bags. Except fish guts. It's not for those. There will be a limited series of them - 512 to be exact - since all materials are sourced and upcycled right here in Austin, where we live. So buy a BeenBag buckos.

Read this really fast- like a pharmacultical commercial disclaimer: Some might not be perfect as others. Expect imperfections. There may have been too much or not enough coffee or beer involved in the making of the one you choose.