Craft Lab: Billboard Bags

Recycling an unusual material is inspiring!

Today's project:  sewing with reclaimed billboard material
Supplies: 
 a discarded billboard banner
sewing machines
rotary cutters, rulers and self-healing cutting mats

The question you're all wondering:  How did you get a billboard?
My answer:  I was in the right place at the right time.  There's a "small" billboard near my house and occasionally, I happen to drive by when they're switching the ad.  Most of the time, I don't have time to pull over right at that moment, but one day, I did!  I asked the billboard worker whether or not I could take the ad he'd just removed and he said, "Sure!  Otherwise, it just gets thrown away."

The other question you're all wondering:  What does it feel like and is it easy to cut/sew?
My answer:  it's basically like a woven plastic.  It's strong and doesn't stretch at all, but it cuts VERY easily (almost too easily... don't get your finished bags near any sort of blade...).  Almost any project that you can find on Pinterest made from fused plastic shopping bags can also be made from this material.  It's also enormous.  Even though this was a "small" billboard (not on the highway), unfolded, it nearly filled half of our meeting room.



Now, on to the pictures:

There was math!

 And sewing!

 And the "moo" clutch!

 And the shopping bag!

 And the first purse she'd ever sewn!

A very fun class with tons of "material" leftover for some future fun projects.