Upcycling: sew a Tyvek stuff sack

In this video, I show you how to sew a useful stuff sack with a drawstring closure from a used Tyvek mail envelope. Tyvex can last quite a long time, so this is a great way to get more use out of it instead of sending it straight to the landfill!
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[@henrymackay6724]

I work as a residential carpenter and I’m sure if you asked nicely someone would gladly let you take some scrap tyvek! As long as they don’t look busy

[@Lapeerphoto]

REUSE REUSE REUSE - Great project!

[@Tim_Pollock]

This one was a tremendous help Jason, thank you! I was trying to make a dump pouch and for the life of me couldn't figure out how to make the bottom rectangular in shape. I still don't understand how the method works... but I'm glad it does. LOL

[@bondee5865]

Good idea and video; thank you

[@andrewb9590]

I caught a large piece (30’+) of Tyvek blowing across a field after it escaped from a construction site. I’ve made a few things, and there’s still lots left.

[@thejasonofalltrades]

That is THE BEST way to acquire sewing materials!

[@roxlee1]

You scored! I've been looking to acquire some, but am finding that I may have to just go to Home Depot. I really want to try using it as a light weight tent footprint.

[@seymourwrasse3321]

this is basically what my WW2 era parents called a ditty bag. without wanting to start a debate, I can say we never thought of squaring off the bottom, but's on the top of my new project and technique list to do. thanks for your time you spend on your videos'

[@fyrpiper]

I read online somewhere what a lot of folks do prior to sewing to soften up the material and make it less "crinkly" is to put it in the dryer with a shoe or something on low/no heat for a few minutes.

[@Trickards1]

Thanks for the idea Jason. I love the idea of upcycling when possible and materials are easily available.

[@fullsleevetats]

Great stuff as always, Jason!

[@guyq71]

With the clips in it you’ve inadvertently made the perfect crinkly cat toy!

[@thejasonofalltrades]

As far as Bobbin is concerned, everything I make is a cat toy lol!

[@guyq71]

@@thejasonofalltrades so it seems! Just discovered the channel, the cats are awesome, I'm currently watching "Backpack tutorial ep. 3" Good work!

[@thecakefashionista]

Thank you so much for this tutorial, Jason! Recently, our neighborhood waste management pointed out that any recycling bagged in plastic garbage bags is automatically diverted to the garbage. I've been wanting to make a bag that I can line my home recycling bin, and easily carry across the apartment complex and empty into the large recycling container. Tyvek is perfect and a much better material than a standard laundry bag or muslin. Now, just to wait for enough Tyvek mailers to accumulate.

[@thejasonofalltrades]

I LOVE this idea! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@gillianbc]

Great idea - don't see Tyvek here much in the UK, except for Ikea bags and when I have a tonne of earth/bark chips delivered. I will see what old shower curtains/raincoats I have lying around.

[@braxtonec]

Very helpful info and great idea. I bought a bunch of those sewing binder clips on amazon after seeing yours and could use a baggie to collect them!

[@w8rok]

Very nice idea!!! Thank you for the video!

[@Curlew-Corner]

Excellent and most instructive. Thank you.

[@diebeobachterin9701]

Great idea to reuse the envelope... and I love your shirt! - greeting from Austria! :)

[@dongraham7881]

Hey Jason, and of course TJOAT fans. One of the most wide spread applications found in many homes are large pet food bags. Some grass seed and L & G supplies too. Some of these bags have zip-loc style zippers. (More options) Hurray for the upcyclers and recyclers of the world.

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Thanks Don, that's a great tip!

[@olifrijoli5380]

I love this so much! ❤ I'm always looking for ways to repurpose anything, almost to a fault hehe...this is a game changer for me! By the way, I love your machine! I do my sewing on a Singer 319w...there's nothing like the classics. Anywho, Thanks a million for another great video! 😺

[@B57846]

You’re a genius man

[@Happyk166]

Thank you for the tutorial❤

[@kirbyfroese2013]

oh ya, love the videos too!!

[@k-michael8014]

Yes I have afew of those I thought of re-purposing them too! I guess if I got enough of yjem I could make a rain coat! Lol!

[@rolabears]

Maybe a touch of silicon gap filler on the hole?

[@stoneblue1795]

The zig-zag was a nice touch on this.

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Thanks, JP! I don't use zig-zag very often, but this machine does it well, and I love how it turned out.

[@batterycock]

great vid. whats the general rule of thumb to light and heavy fabrics regarding tension settings?

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Thanks! So, no matter what fabric you are using, the goal is for the knot formed by the upper and bobbin threads to end up buried inside the fabric being sewn. Generally, thicker/heavier fabric will need more tension to achieve this. In my opinion, the best bet is to sew some test pieces on the actual fabric (with the actual thread) you will be using, Adjust the tension to get the knot where you want it. Thread and needle size will impact this, as well. I hope that helps, thanks for watching and commenting!

[@StageRightvideo]

Excellent. The whole idea of using materials that would otherwise be waste and just spending a bit of time, instead of spending money, is exactly my thing. But where was the cat?

[@thejasonofalltrades]

LOL that little jerk was goofing off on the patio instead of doing his job of making me more productive! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@davidspelmans9438]

I'[ll do that all the time with old sails and sailcovers. Old sailcovers f.e. are good stuff to make "heavy duty" bags

[@williampratt9177]

Enjoyed your video. If you have any links to affordable Tyvek that is colored of at least without branding for my projects it would be appreciated. Also, I'd like to suggest a project. I recently got pickpocketed in Barcelona and discovered after the fact that just about every American who goes there gets pickpocketed. In my case they unbuttoned a cargo pants pocket and got my wallet on a crowded subway with lots of jostling. A project to modify jeans or cargo pants to add a hidden pocket or other anti-theft device would be great. Look forward to your next video. Thanks.

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Hi William, Sorry for the delay in replying! I am not aware of sources of non-branded Tyvek, but truthfully I've never looked. I have noticed some homes under construction in my area with the home builder's branding instead of Dupont's, and some are in different colors as well. I actually like trying to position the branding in creative ways so it's not obvious what you're seeing, but that's just me. I like your suggestion, I'll see if there's something I can do with it! Thanks!

[@SilenceFriction1]

One could also use an internal layer of bubble mailer for a padded option. I used the woven feed sacks fabric to mock up patterns for my backpack project. That stuff frays terribly, so I stitched seams prior to cutting to size. That makes working with that fabric much easier. Recycling materials will delay their addition to our landfills. That just might buy us more time. I watched this video on plastic recycling waste, and it's inherent problems. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqLVnXiphdSsgM0

[@SewMuchBlack]

For those in europe: tyvek gets sold in extremtextil.de - it is worth its price and is a really interesting Material!

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Thanks for the info!

[@paulinoo2]

great !! I love your sewing machine ! question is Tyveck waterproof when it is sewed ?

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Hi! When you sew anything, you are putting holes in it, so those holes would need to be seam sealed if you are trying to maximize water resistance. You can buy seam sealer from backpacking supply places, or you can probably use other silicone-type products. If your goal is "splash proof," you might not need to bother with seam sealing. Most 100% waterproof dry bags are made using glues or welding to assemble them, and I don't think Tyvek would be a great choice for that anyway, but there is also a tape you can buy to join Tyvek with. I hope that helps, thanks for watching!

[@torjones1701]

Now, you want something really cool? consider: a five ply sandwich: tyvek-mylar-tyvek-mylar-tyvek. I wonder if you can thermal seal tyvek so you aren't poking holes in it?

[@clinclin1240]

Could do a dry bag too!

[@thejasonofalltrades]

I made a "sort of" dry bag backpack in another video. It's not truly waterproof, but I sealed the seams and it's been on my paddle board many times (and in the water at least once) with no water inside so far. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@angelasheppard7197]

Would not have thought of this. I was told that if you wash this type of material,it feels like clothing material. Have you tried this? Thanks for sharing

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Hi, Some of my Tyvek stash was washed by the guy who gave it to me, and it is MUCH softer. I forget the detail on how to do it and haven't looked into it yet. I kind of like how crisply it folds when it is in its "normal" state, but there might be other advantages I'm not recognizing to having it softer when making something. The things I've made with it have softened up from use pretty well. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@79366813arizona]

I've been wanting to play with some empty dog food bags, some brands have a very strong material.

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Some Instagram friends of mine have made some impressive pouches with dog food bags. Give it a try! Thanks for watching!

[@DK-wx8bq]

Dog food bags do not cinch as easily as Tyvek.

[@elliep3361]

What is the best stitch length to use? Does it need to be longer?

[@thejasonofalltrades]

A helpful viewer sent me this link some time back - www.fibermark.com/sites/default/files/FMK_DuPontTyvekUsersManual_1.pdf Sewing info is on page 24, they recommend 5 stitches per inch or fewer. I've generally used the longest stitch length available on my vintage domestic machines with very good results. I hope that helps, thanks for the question and thanks for watching!

[@jmarylastone]

question question!!!! - at about 7:37 you were working the wheel by hand but later you didn't have too - why??? - love this video and what you do

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Hi, I generally start a seam by hand-wheeling, mostly to have better control over the needle placement at the start of the stitch, and as I'm back-stitching so I don't overrun the edge (purely for appearance). I haven't used this machine in a while (I use industrials at work and primarily an industrial at home), so on the first seam I did more hand-wheeling than normal, but later I was more comfortable with what speed to expect from the machine, so I was able to use the motor with more confidence. I hope that makes sense, let me know if you have other questions, and thanks for watching!

[@jmarylastone]

total sense!!

[@a234633]

Any way to dye or paint the tyvak

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Hi! I don't think it takes dye very well (I think I read somewhere that it can be dyed, but the color is muted or something, but I haven't tried it). Sharpie markers and paint markers work well and are permanent if you want to do some Sharpie art or something, but as far as a full color, I'm not sure. My general opinion is that Tyvek is neat to use when you can scrounge it for free, but if you're trying to make something for real, there are much better and longer-lasting fabrics available, so I personally wouldn't invest a lot of time and effort into Tyvek. Part of the appeal to me is the fact that it's an old envelope or a leftover scrap of house wrap, and I want that to show in the finished product, but your mileage may vary! Thanks for watching!

[@kirbyfroese2013]

where do you buy zipper?

[@thejasonofalltrades]

Most of my zipper comes from about 150 yards of #8 YKK continuous coil that I bought from a seller on Craigslist as part of a package deal that was probably the best deal I'll ever make in my life. Most of the online fabric sellers have zipper - usually in the "narrow goods" section. I like continuous coil, and #8 has worked well for me as both exterior zipper on backpacks, messenger bags and duffles, and on interior organization or on smaller pouches. I also sometimes use zipper that is reclaimed from old items, thrift store finds, etc. I hope that helps, thanks for watching!

[@Battlehammer333]

little sewing advice: try to not push and pull the fabric with your hands as this will lead to a wobbly and irregular stitch. instead, let the machine pull the fabric on its own and just guide it very losely with your right hand.

[@tonyboloni64]

Where dah kitteez?

[@thejasonofalltrades]

They abandoned me for the screened patio that day :( I've informed them that their pay will be cut if they don't pull their weight on the next video!