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Recycled Halloween Projects


With Halloween just a few weeks away, I thought it was a good time to have a recycled project review of the different craft items that I have done over the years for Halloween.

Here is a trick or treat bag I crocheted using recycled plastic orange newspaper sacks. I used a gallon milk jug bottom for the base of the inside of the pumpkin to give it a sturdy base. Here is the link to the complete plarn pumpkin trick or trick bag pattern.


This orange trick or treat bag was also crocheted using recycled orange newspaper bags. I added a microwave dinner tray

Mini Denim Christmas Socks

I know it may be early to start crafting for Christmas but I just had to share these mini recycled denim Christmas socks that I have been making. I used one of my crocheted small Christmas stockings as a template and traced around the sock to create the shape on a piece of paper. I then used the template to cut out two sock shapes from old denim jeans.

The sock shapes before sewing are about 8 inches long and 3-1/4 inches wide. Just use a stocking shape you like and the size of your sock can be bigger or smaller depending on your preference.
Put the right sides together and machine stitch a narrow seam around the sock. Leave the top edge unsewn as you will fold in the top edge about 2 inches to create a finished edge without having to sew along the top opening. The crocheted top and loop is then added to the top edge of the denim stocking.

Below the denim sock is shown with the narrow hem sewn and before it was turned to the inside.

Mini Christmas Socks

Merry Christmas! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with recycled crafting. Here is my latest using this ever so cute little Christmas sock pattern. I used a “H” (5 mm) crochet hook and worked the pattern using 8 recycled newspaper plastic bags and one large green retail bag for the trim. The pattern doesn’t state if you should join each round or just work in the round. I single crocheted in the round without joining except for the final round of each color. On the final round of each color, I did join with a slip stitch to keep each color edge smooth. My finished plarn mini stocking is 6 inches long.

Here is the same pattern crocheted with some ww Christmas yarn.

I made my yarn stocking a bit bigger than the pattern called for by adding a few additional stitches and rows. This 2nd stocking is about 7-1/2″ long. So whether your working with plarn (plastic bag yarn) or regular worst yarn, this pattern is super fast and easy. Enjoy!

Happy Easter


With Easter just around the corner, I thought I post some of the recycled Easter baskets that I have crafted in past years. So if you are looking for recycled Easter basket projects, let me share a few links of free patterns with you. This cute green Easter basket was made from a recycled plastic soap base and then I crocheted the top using plastic bags.


Maybe you need something a little smaller, if so check out this mini plarn Easter egg basket. It’s a real quick and easy pattern. Also it only takes about 3 to 4 plastic bags made into plarn to crochet.


Should you need a large Easter basket, here is my big recycled Easter basket that I crocheted from some purple plastic bags that you were given to me several years ago. To this day, I’ve never seen bags this color again and was so fortunate to be given them by a reader of this blog.

I hope you enjoyed this little parade of recycled Easter baskets that I have crocheted. Happy Easter Everyone!

Mini Recycled Wreaths


I crafted these Christmas wreaths by using recycled rings from milk, juice, and other bottles for my wreath’s base. The crochet wreath pattern I used can be found over at Ravelry that a blog friend Kristy posted. The ruffled wreath was created by just working more double crochet stitches around. Just add stitches to get the desired ruffling for your wreath.

By using rings that you recycle from bottles and jugs, you can save yourself money on crafting supplies as you have no need to purchase plastic rings for your wreaths. Not only can these rings be used for wreaths, they also be used on potholders and other crafting projects that call for round plastic rings.


Here is my green plarn wreath. I crocheted this using plastic recycled from packing pillows cut into plarn. I did just a single round of double crochet stitch around an apple jug ring for this little wreath with a J crochet hook. A small piece of red cotton yarn was used to add a bow to the wreaths. That’s all it takes to make these cute and quick little recycled wreaths. Enjoy!