A History of Handwoven Brown “Paper” Bags

When I was planning the Spring 2025 issue, there was one project in particular I knew I wanted: A handwoven brown “paper” bag with coordinating napkin. Why? It all goes back to a customer-service question and an issue of Handwoven from 1986.

A while back, a customer emailed wanting to find a project she remembered from a back issue of Handwoven. She knew it was a brown and white bag made to look like the traditional brown paper bag for lunches. Beyond that, she couldn’t remember where she had seen it.

The original handwoven brown paper bag from the September/October 1986 issue of Handwoven. Photo by Joe Coca

After some sleuthing, I found the project in Handwoven September/October 1986. There was only a small photo of it, but there it was: The Ultimate Brown Bag by Barbara Smith Eychaner. The project was indeed worth searching for. The brown-and-white log-cabin bag was absolutely adorable, and the matching napkin took it to another level completely. I was immediately transported back to high school when I used brown paper bags, usually festooned with stickers, for my lunches. This environmentally friendly version was simultaneously nostalgic and an improvement on the original.

Even better, in my searches I found out that members of the Handweavers Guild of Boise Valley were so inspired, they decided to make their own versions for a display titled “Out to Lunch.” The article about the challenge was featured in the September/October 1989 issue of Handwoven and included a photo of the bags that were all sorts of colors and structures. (Some of the names were a hoot, too. My favorite was Cheese and Crackle.) I loved each and every one of them and how they took the simple idea Barbara put forth back in 1986 to create so many wonderful variations.

Just some of the bags woven by the Handweavers Guild of Boise Valley. Photo by Joe Coca

I loved it so much I sent both those images to Elisabeth Hill and asked her whether she wanted a challenge. At first, she worried she might be too busy, but then she found herself so intrigued she knew she had to give it a try. The result is her absolutely fabulous Brown Bag Lunch Set, all of which was woven on the rigid-heddle loom. I love Elisabeth’s bag and matching napkin, and the fact that they were inspired by Handwoven makes these even better.

If you feel inspired to weave these bags, either exactly as written by Elisabeth or—taking a note from the Handweavers Guild of Boise Valley—to weave your own unique “paper bag,” please let us know! We’d love to see what you’ve made. You can send photos to littlelooms@longthreadmedia.com.

Happy Weaving!

Christina