Monday, October 25, 2010

Homemade Sand Bags

Use tightly woven burlap bags in the desired size for your sandbags.


Sandbags can be beneficial to have on hand if you live in an area prone to flooding. Sandbags are also useful in winter as they add weight to your vehicle when placed in the trunk, giving you more traction on icy roads. Keeping the supplies for making your own bags requires less storage space than keeping a ready supply of premade sandbags. Sandbag supplies are available at most hardware stores. Does this Spark an idea?








Instructions


1. Lay an empty burlap sack on its side and hold the opening open.


2. Place a small shovelful of sand on the bottom edge of the bag opening to help hold it in place. Continue adding shovelfuls of sand until the bag is half full.








3. Lift the bag until it is standing upright and shake it so the sand compacts at the bottom of the bag. Fold the top edges in to form a triangle.


4. Fold the triangle down and place it under the bag when the bag is lying on its side. When placed on the ground for retaining flood waters, the weight of the bag holds the opening closed.


5. Fold the triangle end in half so the point of the triangle points toward the bottom of the bag for sandbags that will be placed in a car. Gather the fabric together then wrap a length of wire or heavy cord around it to secure it closed and prevent leakage.

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