I found a link to a FREE pattern (instructions, actually) for a re-usable shopping bag. It looks easy enough for a person with fairly modest sewing skills, and looks like a nice, roomy bag, if you are looking to increase your collection cheaply.

Here is the link.

http://sewing.about.com/od/bagstotespurseproject/ss/grocerybag.htm

I may try it when I can get a deal on some cute but very sturdy fabric.

There is also a link to a site that featured Japanese furoshiki, which are reusable wraps made of fabric and tied around the gift-- there is a link to how to tie it. They are lovely, I think, and very earth friendly if you actually use them a bunch of times. This is the link:

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11883

Hope some of your crafty types will find this helpful.