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Category: Plastic Bag Crafts

Recycled Pink Plastic Purse

Cindy3 Comments

I have been saving these pink plastic grocery bags for a special project. I finally decided to crochet a pink purse and donate it to this year’s Relay for Life fundraiser. In case you are wondering about these beautiful pink bags, they are special and very hard to find. A dear on-line friend sent them to me and I am so happy to be able to recycle them into a cool new purse.

Here is a closeup of the cable stitching at the top and the strap. Just click to super-size.

I have named this purse Pink Passion Plarn Purse and lined it as shown. Please enjoy the free crochet pattern below.

Pink Passion Plarn Purse Pattern

Materials needed:
One ball of plastic bag yarn or plarn cut 1 inch wide – Approx. 25 pink plastic grocery bags
Here is my picture tutorial on how to make plarn from plastic bags
1 oz worst yarn for trim and strap – Red Heart light raspberry used

Hook: J (6 mm) metal crochet hook

Description: Recycled Pink Plastic Plarn Purse
Bag measures 10-1/2 inches wide and 8-1/2 inches long with 28 inch strap

Directions:
With plastic bag yarn (plarn) Ch 26.

Plarn Laundry Basket

Cindy30 Comments

I’m happy to present my crocheted laundry basket. This laundry basket project is made from recycled plastic bags or plarn. In case you are new to the idea of crafting with plastic bags, here is my picture tutorial showing how to make the plastic yarn from the plastic retail bags.

This laundry basket project has been a huge undertaking. It is the largest recycled plastic bag project that I have ever crocheted. It has well over 150 bags in the finished product. When I set out to crochet a laundry basket, I wanted a large enough bag that I could use for a clothes hamper as well as a carrying bag for transporting the laundry to and from a laundromat.

The basket has a round base and while it looks funneled-shaped at the top, its really round in it’s overall shape. The photo above has 6 large beach towels in the bag and as you can see it still has room for more. You can also roll down the top and handles when using it for a hamper so it stands up if the basket isn’t full.

Plarn Laundry Basket Pattern

Materials needed:
Approx. 150+ white plastic grocery bags for main bag and
20 grey plastic bags for stripe and trim

Hook: N (9 mm) U.S. size metal hook
Description: Plarn Laundry Basket Bag
Bag measured flat: 22″ wide and 28″ long with 14″ strap and
22″ tall standing with 17″ wide bottom

Directions:
Rnd 1
Using a magic circle, Sc 6 times into circle with white plarn. Don’t join but work in rounds unless advised otherwise. Use a stitch marker to mark rounds.

Plarn Laundry Basket In Progress

Cindy13 Comments

I don’t normally share a project in progress but this crocheted laundry basket is just such an enormous project that I have to post about it even though it’s not completed yet. I’m guessing its about half finished and I believe I’ve used already over a hundred recycled plastic bags.

I have had a recycled plastic bag or plarn laundry basket on my to-do list for a long time. I eventually get around to creating most of the things on my list but it does take time. Speaking of which, this recycled bag may end up being the largest one I have ever crocheted and it’s taking a lot of time.

Here is a picture I took of the base which is about 15 inches wide.

Recycled Lettuce Netting Diagonal Scrubbies

Cindy5 Comments

Here is a new twist on recycling those plastic produce nets that lettuce comes in at your grocery store. I crocheted using cotton yarn along with the netting to create these handy diagonal scrubbies.

You probably have seen the double thick diagonal potholders before. You basically single crochet in the back loops only in the round until the ends begin to curl around and then the sides close in to each other if you continue. Here is an excellent crochet pattern and picture tutorial that shows the method.

Ch 14 for a 3 inch scrubbie. I used a J (6 mm) crochet hook and 2 and a half lettuce nets. Ch 19 for a 4 inch scrubbie and about 4 lettuce nets. I used Sugar and Cream in psychedelic cotton yarn to crochet both scrubbies and still had enough left to make this small matching dishcloth using my open mesh magic dishcloth pattern.

You assemble the lettuce nets by cutting them about 1 inch wide across to make loops. Here is my picture tutorial on assembling the netting loops so you can crochet with it along with the cotton yarn. You just hold the lettuce netting strand along with the cotton yarn as shown here to crochet the scrubbies. I turned my work to the outside once the edges reached each other which creates the seed stitch look to the scrubbers. Weave closed the seam by using the tail of your cotton yarn to finish off the scrubbie.

The result is some great recycled scrubbers that can be used on non-stick pans as well as for cleaning your sink, bath or other cleaning needs.

Reusable Plarn Produce Bag

Cindy9 Comments

This week’s recycled bag project is a crocheted plarn produce bag. I have had a reusable produce bag on my to-do list for some time now. And thanks to a request from a reader of my site, I was encouraged to finally get it done.

Here is my plarn making picture tutorial to help you get started. Crafting with recycled plastic bags is fun, frugal and a great way to recycle plastic bags into something new and useful like this reusable produce bag.


Plarn Produce Bag Pattern

Materials:
Plastic bags cut into 1 inch strips approx. 20 bags for small produce bag and 35 for larger bag
Hook: Metal J (6 mm) crochet hook

Description:
Small produce bag: 8 inches wide by 9-1/2 inches long with 13 inches strap
Larger produce bag: 10″ by 11″ long with 14″ strap

Directions are given for the smaller produce bag and then options for the larger bag given at the bottom of the pattern.

Round 1
Ch 20, Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea st and then working around the backside of chain, Sc in ea st along the other side of original chain.