DIY Tarp Cover Made From Feed Sacks

Intro: DIY Tarp Cover Made From Feed Sacks

Here is another useful project that was made from something that would have been tossed into the trash. In the last 5 years I have noticed a lot of our Livestock & Pet's Feed sacks are all made of Tarp Like Material with great graphics. I began saving the bags for future projects because I knew there was something I can make besides shopping bags.

I searched Instructables and Google for anything made besides shopping bags & purses from these feed sacks and the search result showed next to nothing.

This feed sack project idea came about when I needed a tarp to cover some hay temporarily. It was a great way to learn how to use this material, in turn this project has given me some ideas for future projects, projects that will include their graphics. We have a small farm and we buy our livestock & pet products from Tractor Supply Store. Sense we shop there at least once a week I don't have a problem of not having enough feed sacks for my future projects.

What I liked about this project is it was basically free the only thing I had to buy was sewing thread. If your into being GREEN and Saving the Environment or just Saving Money this project is for you.

STEP 1:

Tools & Material Needed:

Feed Sacks (I used 15 sacks to get a 91"x195" Tarp)
Dish Washing Soap & Scrubbing Brush
Sewing Machine
Sewing Machine Needles for heavy material
2 Outdoor UV Resistant Sewing Thread (Walmart)
Scissors
Several Clips

A LOT of elbow-room
You can Do this Project by yourself but it will be a lot easier if you recruit a helper

STEP 2: Preparing Feed Sacks

Remove the seam at the bottom of the Feed Sack. The easiest way requires luck, if you pull on the correct string the whole seam will unravel. If your not you will have to use scissors or seam ripper.

Find the glued seam on the sack, here is where it will be separated to make a 44"x32" flat sheet. Once you have pulled it apart enough to get a solid grip with both hands then pull it apart fast and it will come apart cleanly with no snags. If you pull gently it will hang up and tare. Once pulled apart you may have to trim the edges.

Lay sheets out to the size you want, my tarp required 15 Feed Sacks.

Wash feed sacks using dish washing soap. My stock tank sure made it easy scrubbing them.

STEP 3: Sewing

To make My Tarp it took 5 sheets for 1 row X's 3.

Set you stitch at the longest setting and be sure your using the heavy duty sewing machine needle.

To make a row make a double seam on the 32" edge and the side you want exposed facing each other.

This is where the Extra Person comes in handy. When sewing have your helper sit on the opposite side of sewing machine to help pull and guide the feed sack as you sew.

Lay the 1st row down with the good side facing up then lay the second row on top of the 1st row with bad side facing up. Have your helper stand at the opposite end so you can pull to make the row lay flat. Place several clips on one side to help hold in in place. You and your Helper are ready to take it to the sewing machine to be given a double stitch.

Repeat this process for the second row. As you can see in the photos having elbow room and a Helper makes the project easier but not necessary.

STEP 4: Finishing Touches

You will need to put a hem around your tarp to prevent unraveling. You will be making your folds for your hem as you sew by folding twice so the cut edge is hidden. The clips are handy keeping the folds in place while you sew.

To make the tie straps cut 44" strip 3" wide.
Fold the strip in half and press to make a crease.
Fold both edges in till they meet center crease then press.
Fold in half and sew in place.

Place the strip at the edge of the tarp's edge and extend it out then fold it to the width you want. Then sew it on putting sewing machine forward  and reverse several times. Then cut the remaining strip off. Repeat this step till have the amount of tie straps you want.

Your Tarp Is Finished

Comments

[EvieC8]

Thank you for the instructable. I didn't think you could pull them apart at the glued "seam". Great tip. I had to make a quick waterproof shelter for some chickens once. I had been sewing bags on the sewing machine, but it was starting to rain and sleet and snow were due within hours. what I had used as rain shelter was not going to hold up to driving rain, sleet and snow. I had a jumbo dog crate for structure, but needed to cover it on the top and sides. I would normally have sewn something, but didn't have time. In haste, I used duct tape for the seams. It has held up through several years of Texas heat, cold, high winds, driving rain, snow, and humidity, with no leaks! If you wanted to waterproof a sewn feed bag tarp, you could easily cover the seams with duct tape.

[WLP74]

Good to know because I have no sewing machine, sewing skills, and I am kind of lazy that way. Duct tape I can manage all day long.

[BrianM595]

I also had this exact idea to reuse the feed sacks to do the same thing to cover a very large number of round bales, 90-100. In the depression the farmers used feed sack material to make clothes an quilts so I was thinking along those lines. Two layers of the feed sacks with a layer of i dunno maybe bubble wrap in between and then sewn together and sewn in a grid to lock the layers. If you could have aluminum window screen mesh as the core sandwiched with bubble wrap then the feed sacks, wow talk about indestructible farm quilt tarp. You could roll it up like the tarp covering baseball diamonds an even drag it around using a tractor up an on top of the years hay crop then steak it down with rebar like a circus tent. :-)

[WLP74]

Sounds like a good insulator for a greenhouse, hoop house, or to wrap around and protect plants if needed when temps drop.

[thedestroyer]

If you're still looking for ideas for feedbags (this is an awesome one btw) look up earthbag buildings. you can save up a whole bunch, fill them with dirt, and use them to build small things like a garden shed, or big things like a house. There's even a few instructables about them. My husband and i have been collecting feedbags from multiple farmers in our area for over a year now. we have access to a baler and bale them when we get enough. we're collecting to build our dream zero net energy consumption house, and we want to spend less than $1000 dollars out of pocket for construction by utilizing as much recycled and repurposed items as possible while building. the feedbags are a big part of that. great instructable!

[JohnR1]

Howdy y'all! I noticed this comment is 9 years old. I am super interested if you guys ever brought your wonderful idea to fruition? I would love to see what you guys have done! This could be a groundbreaking idea!!!!

[infernisdiem]

I think i might just do this now that i got a sewing machine. It'll allow me to cover my mower and go kart. Also think I will make my seat with a bag.

[Lovetra]

I used my bathtub to wash them. Used 4 big "Old Roy" 50 pound dog food sacks!

And Walla! I now have a FREE Bicycle cover just the right size. I'm going to make another one and fold it to carry in my bike Bag. Not sure yet, but I think I can put a zipper in. I Buy zipper by the yard from an Upholstery Supply house along with the zipper stops and little --install them yourself- zipper pulls--. Makes any length zipper you want that way. This was a great Instructable!

[Kwolf12]

Thanks for the idea--I was trying to come up with a use for my birdfeed bags, other than grocery sacks or rucksacks. From your idea of a tarp, I've realized that I could use these to make a fitted cover for my canoe, to keep the UV rays from damaging it when it sits out in the sun all year.

[tmn8tr]

Very nice, thanks!

I was looking for an 'ible using sacks for recovering seats, since the cushions on the stools in my barn get trashed quickly if I use regular plastic. I was looking at the bags thinking "that material looks familiar". When I saw your project a light went on! I will try it out soon, because like you I like the thought of repurposing stuff that would go to the landfill, and we can never have enough tarps! Hopefully it will prove to be more durable as well.

[vconery]

YOUR RIGHT HARDLY ANYTHING WAS ON INTERNET AB OUT USING FEED BAGS EVCEPT BAGS THANK YOU WOW

[diymentality]

I used 6 # test fishing line ~(don't forget to fill your bobbins), made 'blue jean' seams to connect the sheets and added grommets every foot around 'hemmed' (fold over the edges 1/2 inch bigger than your grommet) edge. weatherproof and strong! as of today, feb.5 2013 i have been using my original tarp for 2 years to cover my tent camping and outside during winter (MI) covering my boat. it is moderately sun faded but still very strong. made a few since but i am currently working on a 'car port' for a '74 veedub. hope something helps

[katherine1331]

if you don't mind a bit of a smell you can even iron the seams and melt the plastic to make the seams a little stronger and more water resistent

[MrE]

Does it leak at the seams?

[spottedwalker]

Sorry MrE for being late. My Laptop quit working got a new one. Yes On my DIY Shelter Kennel Cover From Feed Sacks it did leak a little after a big rain. My plan tarp had a slight leak because it was not stretched tight like the one for the kennel. We fixed it by giving it a small bead of silicone caulk on the seams. I wouldn't put the caulk on until the tarp has been stretched out for a few days.

[Gottadoit2ya]

Hi all, this my first post , I recently discovered by trial & error that you can use that supa glue that you get at the elcheapo shop for $2 for 8 tubes to plastic weld certain types of fabric style plastics . I managed to make several waterproof joins using old street banners , I got about 1 foot out of each tube , & had to do a 1 inch wide squiggle , then spread it out or flatten it with a scraper to create a wide seal . It all depends on the properties of the plastic / vinyl & the glue . Experiment with any glues on different plastics , Plastic model glues , plastic crafts / leather bonding agents etc, Be sure to do small test patches & do it outside, as some combinations can be combustable ( Be Careful ) Generally the more nasty smelling the better , good luck .

[MrE]

Does it leak at the seams?

[CaseyCase]

Would overlapping the individual bags a bit and fusing them together with an iron be a possible option for those of us without mad sewing machine skills?

[grunthos]

I tried fusing some bags like this with the iron. It didn't work for me. The bags shrunk up and warped even before it was hot enough to fuse together. Sewing seems to be necessary if you aren't going to heat the entire plastic sheet.

[MrDarthMaul2U]

Technically this material is fabric so the best option is going to be sewing.

I don't think an iron would work. Even if the iron gets hot enough to melt the plastic, it will also weaken the area around the seam unless you can precisely control the heat (which an iron won't do).

You might be able to find a glue which will give you a strong bond but it will end up being very stiff along the seams and prone to breaking (especially in the cold.

Ò_ó