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Year: 2010

Thrift Store Sweater Upcycled

Cindy16 Comments

Recycling thrift store sweaters is a great way to reclaim some nice yarn at a reasonable price. I recently picked up this mohair blend sweater from my local thrift store with high hopes to unravel the yarn. Well I soon found out that this sweater didn’t want to unravel and appears to be an interlocked knit.

I put on my thinking cap in an effort to upcycle this old sweater into some new and useful items. First I used the lower portion of the sweater to create a scarf cowl. Using some scrap yarn, I added two rows of single crochet along the lower edges to finish off the raw edges where the sweater body had been attached. My upcycled cowl was finished off with some wooden buttons from my stash.

Next I tackled using the sleeve as a plastic bag holder. The natural cuff on the sweater was perfect for transforming the sleeve into a handy bag keeper. As shown in the pictures, I folded under the top of the sleeve to the inside. Using a basting stitch, I sewed around the top edge about 1 inch from the top to create a casing for the ribbon tie closure. I machine stitched the basting to hold the fold in place and also so I could crochet in a straight line to create my casing. I left the back of the casing open where the sleeve seam is. Then using a small D crochet hook and some scrap brown yarn, I worked a slip stitch over the basting and through both layers to create my casing for the ribbon tie closure. See photos below and you can click on any other them to enlarge the pictures.

I added a hook hanger at the back by chaining the length I wanted and then worked back down the chain by working a single crochet stitch around the chain and attached both ends into the back of the bag keeper. I threaded a piece of ribbon through the casing and tied it at the back with a bow to complete the plastic bag keeper. I present the upcycled thrift store sleeve which has been transformed into a plastic bag holder.

Plarn Apron Pattern

Cindy13 Comments

I present my plarn apron which was crocheted from recycled plastic bags. Some time ago I had a request for an apron pattern and put it on my to-do list. I add project ideas to my list all the time in an effort to create a comprehensive library of free recycled craft patterns here at My Recycled Bags. So depending on what pattern you may be looking for, here is the link to all my free patterns. If you don’t find a pattern for something you would like to make, let me know and I will try and create a pattern for you.

Just a word a caution about this plarn apron, don’t use it around an open flame or bbq. It is plastic and would be best used to protect your clothing when washing the dog or maybe working around the house. If you’d like to waterproof it, consider fusing plastic bags to the back side as I did with my sit-upon project. Enjoy and happy crafting to all!

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Free Pattern for Recycled Plastic Bag Apron
Materials needed:
One large ball of plastic bags or plarn cut into 1 inch wide strips
Approx. 60-70 bags

Hooks: N (9 mm) size metal hook & J (6 mm) hook for straps
Description: Recycled Plastic Apron
Apron measures 25-1/2 inches wide and 25-1/2 inches long
with 25 inches long top strap and 20 inches long straps on sides

Directions:
Row 1
Ch 19, Hd in 2nd ch from hook and in ea chain st down to end.

Recycling Old Cell Phones

Cindy5 Comments

What do you do with your old cell phones? Do you recycle them? Each year nearly two hundred fifty million phones cell phones are discarded and many get thrown away and end up in our trash and landfills. Cell phones contain toxic chemicals and hazardous materials such as copper, lead, arsenic and zinc products just to name a few of the concerning materials.

And we all know what happens to stuff in landfills — It ends up leeching into our Earth, contaminating our water aquifers, poisoning our animals and thus harming all of us.

Recycle Mobile Phones in the UK is a company that is promoting the safe recycling of cell phones. The company provides useful information on suppliers who are paying cash for old cell phones. Through the process of phone recycling you can get your old cell phones disposed of correctly, into responsible hands. These companies know exactly what to do with the old models and how to recycle them efficiently and responsibly. Consequently, fix the phones (if need be) and put them to good and practical use again, as the phones were initially intended. For example, there are mobile phone recycling companies who repair old broken cell phones or use the parts to repair other recycled phones.

Additionally some recycled cell phones are made available to under-developed countries, the military, and nations suffering from natural disasters, such as the recent major earthquake in Haiti, in which thousands of cell phones were sent to that impoverished nation.

It is so easy to simply compare the best price you can get for your handsets that are just lying around and send it to a phone recycling company. Some mobile phone recycling programs will even prepay your delivery cost to help you out. So please check out Mobile Phone Recycling sites like recyclemobilephones.co.uk, to recycle your old phone and as they say in their slogan Get the most for your old mobile and do your bit for the planet!

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T-Shirt Recycled into a Wheelchair Walker Tote Bag

Cindy14 Comments

I recycled two t-shirts to create this wheelchair or walker tote bag. I crocheted from strips cut from the two tees about 1/4″ wide. Here is my picture tutorial showing how to make t-yarn from old t-shirts. I added a couple of novelty dice buttons to finish off my bag.

Maybe you’d rather crochet your wheelchair tote using regular yarn or even plastic bag yarn. Here is the link to the free pattern to crochet a wheelchair walker bag using regular yarn and this link will take you the tote bag pattern using plarn or plastic bag yarn.

So whether you’re into crocheting with recycled t-shirt yarn, plastic bag yarn or regular yarn, there is a free pattern here for everyone to create this handy wheelchair or walker tote bag. People who receive these totes really love them and they make wonderful gifts.

Free Pattern for T-Yarn Wheelchair – Walker Tote Bag
Materials needed:
2) T-shirts cut into 1/4 inch wide strips of T-Yarn or Tarn
2) 3/4 inch buttons

Hook:
J (6 mm) crochet hook

Description: Wheelchair/Walker Tote Bag
Bag measures 12 inches wide and 8-1/2 inches long with 7 inch straps

Directions:
Using blue t-yarn, Ch 36.

Diagonal Cotton Baby Bib Pattern

Cindy6 Comments

Here is my diagonal cotton baby bib pattern. It is a variation of my t-yarn baby bib I posted recently. I wanted to crochet a cotton bib and came up with this pattern after a little work. I wanted to create a pattern using regular cotton yarn as I know that not everyone wants to crochet with recycled t-shirt yarn. So I present the diagonal cotton baby bib and hope you enjoy working this quick crochet pattern.

Free Crocheted Diagonal Baby Bib Pattern

Materials needed:
Main color cotton yarn 1-1/3 ozs
Contrasting trim yarn approx. 1/2 oz

Hook:
H (5 mm) USA size crochet hook

Description:
Baby Bib measures 10″ across and 8″ long from neck edge to bottom center
(5-12 month size shown in parentheses is 11″ across and 9″ long)
Straps are 10″ long each

Directions:
Ch 18 for Newborn to 4 month old (Ch 20 for 5-12 month larger size bib.)