Prairie Pin Pouch Handmade Clothespin Bag – Made for Heavy Use
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The Prairie Pin Pouch is a modern rendition of a classic clothespin bag. I found these handmade laundry helpers in a somewhat unusual fashion. Some friends were visiting from out of town one afternoon when the phone rang. On the line was Julie Pruett, creator of the Prairie Pin Pouch.
As it turns out, Julie read a review I wrote several years ago on Amazon.com about a clothespin bag that didn’t stand up well to our high winds. The flimsy thing kept blowing off the clothesline, which dumped my pins 12 feet below. (Our clothesline is on our raised deck.) It was very frustrating.
Julie saved that review, contacted me about her handmade clothespin bags, and sent me a sample.
Prairie Pin Pouch Handmade Clothespin Bag Basics
These clothespin bags are made of durable duck cloth to help them stand up to years of wear. They measure 13 by 11 inches, so they have plenty of room for clothespins. If you compare my old bag side by side with the Prairie Pin Pouch (old bag is on the right), you can see how much larger the new bag is.
Stay Open Top
The Prairie Pin Pouch is also hard wired to stay open for easy pin access. If you look at where the hanger connects to the bag, you’ll see the Prairie Pin Pouch has closed wire loops, as opposed to the original pin bag which has the hooks stuck through grommets.
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Deep Grip Hanger
When you examine the hanger itself, you can see how much more substantial the Prairie Pin Pouch hanger is compared to the other bag. It grips the clothesline with over an inch of metal, so it’s much tougher to blow this clothespin bag off.
Thank You Gifts
Julie packs each bag with a little something extra – a bar of Fels-Naptha soap for laundry stain removal (or making your own homemade laundry soap) and 15 clothespins to help get your started. These are the peg styled pins, which work better on a narrow/wire laundry line. I have a thicker cloth line, but I thought it was still a nice touch. If you have the right line for them, they don’t have any springs to get unsprung in high winds. (I killed many clothespins over the years via sprung springs, until I found Kevin’s Quality Clothespins.)
The only thing I might suggest would be to tweak the design a little to place the hook towards the back like the Original Champion Bag from 1950s. I remember my mom having one of those bags, and it wore like iron. That laundry bag lasted through six kids and roughly half a century. I suspect the Prairie Pin Pouches will hold up as well. Julie has seven different fabric options shown on the site, so you can brighten up your laundry line while you hang up your clothes.
I got my Prairie Pin Pouch in 2013. Four years later and it’s still holding up well.
You may also find useful:
- Do It Yourself Laundry and Household Cleaners
- Natural Stove Cleaners
- Portable Clothes Washer Review and Comparison – What Works
Originally posted in 2013, updated in 2017.
i make my homemade soap w/ fels! love it 🙂
This year, for the first time in many years, I finally have a clothesline! I would surely love to win this sturdy bag! I mix my homemade powdered detergent with a bit of water to make a paste, then smear on any stains and let set for a while before putting them in the laundry. Works as well as any stain remover!
I am just about to set up my first laundry line! This would be so awesome! My tip is (as I used it today and it worked!!) to mix a half and half spray bottle of Pinesol and water to spray on the walls of my barn/coop to keep away flies!!
Leave cloth diapers soaking in 20 mule team borax and water until ready to wash. Removes stains very well. Always do a double rinse and hang on the line. They always smell so sweet!
Fresh laundry hanging on a clothes line, definitely a clothes pin bag is needed for the chore filled with wooden clothes pins. Too cool!
I started using homemade laundry detergent when we found out our son had allergies to commercial detergents… it works great, is less expensive and easy to make, I use equal parts borax, washing soda, baking soda and ground up fels naptha or ivory soap. I like powder form best
I still have one from the 50’s. Bag is currently being replaced. Nothing compares to these and the Prairie Pin Pouch!!
Wow, this clothespin bag is what I need to stand up to the Wyoming winds!
Use a tennis ball to fluff up blankets, vests, pillows, etc.
I just recently started hanging clothes out, mostly diapers right now because I still can’t get used to the scratchiness of line-dried clothes. But my pin bag is *always* falling off! Plus hers are just prettier!
5-10 minutes in the dryer on air dry only setting will help get rid of some of that stiffness. 🙂
Sure would be great to win this bag. I just scored a umbrella type clothesline off craigslist just this past week. Hubby will be installing the base into the ground with cement, then I can get to hanging our clothes & linens out in the fresh air. Pretty excited about that… however, I was just thinking… I’m going to need a clothes pin bag, and that I sure would like one like my grandma had. Then… I see this post to possibly win one! How wonderful that would be!! 😉
Hey homesteaders! Since ya’ll are hanging clothes dry I thought I’d leave a little tip to make your laundry days a little bit better in the winter! By soaking your wooden clothespins once a year in a brine solution..it keeps your clothespins working great and keeps them from freezing to the line!
** My sister Julie is the one who makes these bags and they are a labor of love! Everything she’s made me through the years has held up well plus is super cute! (hi Sis!) This was my first visit to commonsense home & I’m glad I found you guys! Thanks!
I can’t wait every year till warm weather hits. I’ve always hung clothes and love the smell of line dried linens. My favorite method for removing spots (it works most of the time) is to pour peroxide on the spot and then rub vigorously with a bar of IVORY soap. Let it set for a few hours or more then wash as usual in a cold water wash..
One of the things I was excited about with our new country house was that there was a pair of OLD metal cross bars set up for laundry. One of our first projects here was stringing up new line! I was all our clothes and even cloth diapers in cold….everyone thinks I’m crazy, but it does the job and saves the water heater!
I would like to thank Laurie for her wonderful review… I sent an “extra” pin pouch for her to give to a friend…It’s great that it’s become a “givaway” I wish EVERYONE could win… I love making these little bags and I appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm…along with their “helpful” laundry tips! If by chance you don’t win the bag and would still like to have one, I would be happy to make one for you. I have several other fabrics available that aren’t on my Prairie Pin Pouch web-site,more pictures will be forthcoming…You are the people that I KNEW were out there, and I thank Laurie for helping me find you. The people that still love to hang- out clothes from a “simpler” time….Thanks, Julie Pruett!
I actually hang all of our clothes up to dry throughout the year and have just been thinking about making a big to carry along my pins, as opposed to using a zip-loc.
My laundry hanging tip is to hang everything so the openings – fronts of button-up shirts, snap/zipper side of jeans and pants, etc. – are facing the wind. The breeze will blow through the garments, opening the arm and leg holes, drying them faster and with less wrinkles.
Thanks for the chance to win this wonderful clothespin bag.b t
I already have 2 of Julie’s pin pouches, I absolutely love them, she made a special camo one for me. It’s my favorite.
I love hanging our our laundry, there is just something so comforting in putting on a piece of clothing that has been dried in the fresh air.
I hang my clothes on the line as often as I can. Bad weather is the only thing that causes me to use my dryer. Air dried sheets are wonderful.