This week I present my first pop tab tote bag project. I was asked to create a tote bag using soda pop pull tabs and recycled plastic bags by a member of my Trash to Treasures group on Ravelry. I have been saving soda pop tabs and beer pull tabs so I could complete this project. It took 252 tabs for my bag. I decided that I would alternate rounds so that it didn’t take so many tabs to do this bag. Plus I like the look of the plastic bags by themselves to separate the pull tab rounds.
I used cotton cord on the base of the bag to give it a sturdy bottom and also on the handles. I found if I wrapped the plastic bag yarn (plarn) around the cord as I crocheted around it, it hides the white cord better. As you may see in the closeup pictures of the base, the first few rows I didn’t wrap it as close as I did in later rounds. The later rounds look better and the white cotton cord doesn’t really show through. I found if I wound the plastic around the cord in small sections and then crocheted around the cord, it worked best to keep the plastic tighter and uniform.
Hope you enjoy this free crochet pattern. Happy 4th of July to everyone!
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Free Plarn Pop Tab Bag Pattern
Materials needed:
One ball of plastic bag yarn aka Plarn
(Approx. 50 plastic newspaper bags cut into 1″ strips of plarn)
252 Soda pull-tabs
4 yards – 12/32 (9.5 mm) cotton cord
Hook: J (6 mm)size metal crochet hook
Description: Plastic Bag & Pop Tab Tote Bag
Bag measures 12 inches wide and 10 inches long with 18 inch straps
Directions:
Ch 20 loosely.
Rnd 1
Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea chain st down to end. Then continue around other side of chain by working a Sc in ea st to other end.
Rnd 2
Work 2 sc in ea of the two end sts, then Sc in ea st to other end, then work 2 Sc in ea of the two end sts. Do not connect at end of rounds unless directed to do so otherwise just continue working Sc’s in rounds as this creates a seamless bag.
Rnd 3
Add cotton cord on this round. Wrap plarn around the cotton cord to cover the cord. I did just a small section as I worked my Sc’s around the cord. I used a needle and thread to secure the cotton cord into the bag to hold it into place at the beginning of the round.
Sc around the cord and into each st of the prior round down to first end, work 2 Sc in ea of the three end sts, then Sc in ea st to other end, then work 2 Sc in ea of the three end sts.
Rnd 4
Continue wrapping pink plarn around the cotton cord before you Sc around the cotton cord.
Sc in ea st down to the end, work 2 Sc in the 4 end sts at oval to keep it flat, Sc in ea down to the other end. Work 2 Sc in each of the 4 end sts of the other end bottom oval.
Rnd 5 – 6
Work 2 Sc at each of the curves of ends as needed to make the bottom lay down flat. Sc in each st down to next curves and work 2 Sc at the curves to match other end.
Rnd 7 – 8
End cotton cord at round 7. Now just Sc around in each st with just plarn. Work 2 Sc in ea end curves on each side to make bottom lay flat.
Rnd 9 – 14
Sc in ea st around bottom of bag.
Rnd 15 ( Pop Tab Round)
Insert hook into st and hold pop tab behind the st. Put your hook through st and into large hole of pop tab where the round connection tab was. With plarn behind the tab, yarn over and pull the plarn through the tab hole and through the st. (Slip stitch completed.) Then insert your hook into the next st which is to the left side of tab, work a Sc on the left side of the tab.
Clarification: So you work a sl st through pop tab and then a Sc on the left side of the tab. You can look at the back side of the pop tab and see that the plarn is connected to both side of the bottom hole with one strand on either side of the pop tab hole.
Repeat round by adding a pop tab in the next st after your last tab and work a sl st through the tab and then a Sc into the next st. End round with a sl st into the base of the first pop tab. My bag took 42 pop tabs to complete the round.
Rnd 16
Ch 1, sl st into the top opening of the tab which you just ended in. Ch 1 at the top of this tab and loosely Sc into each pop tab’s top hole around the entire round. End with a sl st into the beginning ch 1.
Rnd 17
Ch 1, work 2 Hdc in ea st around the bag.
Repeat Rounds 15-17 Five Times.
Rnd 33
Ch 1, Hdc in ea st around. End at side of bag with a sl st into the ch 1 beginning.
Rnd 34 (Handle Round)
Using the cotton cord again for the handle round, attach the cord at side of bag where you just ended rnd 33. Wrap the pink plarn around the cord in advance of crochet around the cord so the white doesn’t show through your crocheting.
Sc around the wrapped cord and into each st of bag for appox. 8 sts, then just Sc around the cord for your handle opening. Then bring cord down so you can Sc around the cord and into the last 8 sts at the other side of the front of the bag to match the first side. Continue in Sc around the cord and into the bag for 8 more sts around to the other side of the tote bag. Then work just Sc around the cord for the handle for the other side of the bag. Then Sc into the last 8 sts of the back side of the tote bag to match the other side.
Cut off the cotton cord and use a thread and needle to stitch the cord ends together. Work the last two sts over the ends to hide the splice. Finish off and weave under the ends to hide the cotton cord ends.
If you have any questions or find discrepancies in this pattern, please email me using contact tab above.
Abbreviations:
Ch – Chain
Ea – Each
FO – Finish Off
Hdc – Half Double Crochet
Plarn – Plastic Bag Yarn
Rnd – Round
Sc – Single Crochet
Sk – Skip
Sl St – Slip Stitch
St – Stitch
This pattern is copyrighted by Cindy of My Recycled Bags {dot com} and may only be used for private individual use. No commercial sales or use is permitted. Links to this pattern are acceptable. ©2011
****Please do not copy my patterns on your blog site or post my patterns on Internet sites. I do not allow my patterns to be republished without expressed written permission. Posting of my patterns, without written permission is in violation of my copyrights and is content theft.
Well done – it sounded awful but you’ve made something attractive.
Love the way you recycle – I am inspired and have made several of your projects (later to be auctioned toward a scholarship at a science teachers meeting)
That’s really pretty. I don’t drink soda or I’d be making one of the bags.
Jackie — I don’t drink soda either but I got a bunch of these from a person in a swap and I also saved them at work. In our breakroom there are always empty cans and I just steal those pop tabs from the cans.
Thank you for sharing this pattern, Cindy. I really like this idea. I don’t use many plastic bags but have been saving the ones that do make it home. I don’t drink soda but my son does, and if he will remember to save tabs for me more often, maybe in time I will have enough to try this, even though I am not very good at crochet. (Too obsessed with knitting to practice my crochet enough, but I will someday. ~o^)
This is very cool! The bag turned out beautiful!
This looks (amazing) like a lot of labor….my sister will do this 🙂
*Off to buy Coca Cola truck !*
Your talent for recycled bags seems endless! Love your stuff.
wow, the most gorgeous crocheted pop tab bag I’ve ever seen! thanks so much for the tutorial and for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday!
This is so cool! Great job!
That is great I have alot of plarn and pop tabs on my stash this is just the pattern to use them up! Thanks for sharing!
You are very talented and full of ideas! Thanks for sharing it!
What an awesome idea! It looks great and to think most times this stuff is just tossed away! What a waste! Great idea!!!!!
Yay! Thanks for this new pattern!
I have been looking for a way to use up the pop tops I have saved.
I have had plans for them for years now, but couldn’t find the right pattern. I think this is it! 🙂
Love this new pattern. I never have enough bags of one color so made this striped with different shades of grey and pink. I lined it with pink fabric and added a magnetic closure. It looks awesome! Thanks for the inspiration. I’d love to post a photo.
My Dr and I are very much into crafts and recycling,we love this.we would like to start a recycle/craft group in our area.
Love this! Thank you for sharing it!
What did you do to prepare the tabs? Does the plarn hold up well with the pop tabs?
Rose – I just break off the tabs from the cans and make sure there aren’t any real sharp edges. The edges can be sharp so just watch that. Use a pliers to push down the edges if needed. The plastic bag yarn holds well with the tabs and many people have made lots of things with them. Hope you find this useful.