Usually I find these nice big shoppers at work. The finders/keepers-rule applies so I have a lot of them at home and yet I have never bought one in my life. Double convenience!

This week though I found one that was torn at the sides. I was about to throw it away but then I thought no...
It can be put to good use somehow!

So now I bring you the shoppingbagsaddlecover. For your convenience.

The bags are mostly very colourful so not only will this cover keep your saddle dry; it will look good doing it.

This one I just made says "hello" in Dutch. It will be the first thing to greet me when I cycle to work in the morning. I like that.

Step 1: Making a Pattern

I don't know what kind of plastic these bags are made from but if you look closely you can see the woven structure. It should be sturdy enough!

So what do we need?

- An old big-shopper (it has been cut open)
- Some paper to make the pattern and tape
- Tape-measure,
- Scissors
- Elastic or non-elastic cord
- Sewingmachine

Fold the paper and put it on the saddle. The fold should be in the middle. Draw a rough outline. Too big is better than too small!

Fold open the pattern and put it on the bag. Choose a section you like. Draw the pattern on the bag and cut it. As you can see I added some extra space for the seam.

Step 2: Sewing the Piece

Once you have cut the pattern, measure the outlines. In this case it's 83 cm.

Cut a strip of 85 x 12 cm (the extra two cm is for the seam.)

Time to sew!
Use a broad stitch to prevent the plastic from ripping. 5 mm should be fine.

First close the strip into a ring.

Take a string of elastic cord.
It should be big enough to slip over the saddle but small enough to hold the cover in place once it's on the saddle. Keep in mind that it is going to stretch once it's in the cover! 30 cm will do, but you might want to adjust it later.

You can also take a non-elastic cord. In that case you'l have to leave open a section in the seam you are about to make.

If you use elastic cord, as I did, tie it up. Make sure it's tight!
Take the slip and make a seam on one side.
Fold the seam over the elastic cord, then sew it.
When you sew it, make sure you don't sew the elastic! It should be able to move when it's finished.

The other side of the slip will be sewn around the pattern.

Turn the piece and it's finished!

Step 3: Pimp Your Bike!

Take your freshly sewn saddlecover and pimp your bike!

Will it withstand the wear and tear of bad weather and daily use? I don't know yet, We'll have to wait and see. But anyway, your bike will be hip and recognizable and you did it all with the power of recycling.

Now wait for the first nice day of spring and do some cycling!

*BONUS* You can make a showercap in the same way :D