crafting ex nihilo

Recently I came across this book at work:

It was on hold for someone else, but I got a chance to glance through it quickly.  I recommend taking a look at it if you love to make things out of trash or other cheaply-acquired objects around.

The most interesting craft I noticed was a messenger bag made out of something I have a frickin' ton of: Those plastic tube-y bags that newspapers come in.  Somehow my husband and I happened upon a subscription to the Oregonian that we never paid for.  I use the newspaper for various projects (not, ahem, for reading) but the bags sort of piss me off.  What a waste of a bag.  

The project consists of a no-sew way to put the bags together with a hot clothes iron to melt them into a thicker plastic.  I'm going to try to get a better look at the book in the future, but in the mean time, I made this:  

I made my own "fabric" from the bags by layering them in a basketweave pattern.  I then sewed it into a typical tote-bag shape and added handles.  This is, of course, a test because I have no idea if I made the fabric thick enough, or melted enough, or even too much.  Going to give it a try and update if it works well or falls apart or whatever.

Find the book on Amazon:  Ready Made: How to make [Almost] Everything