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Category: Vcr Video Tape Crafts

Crocheted Vcr Tape Tote Bag

Cindy18 Comments

This is my latest recycled bag project which is crocheted from Vhs video tapes and ribbon yarn. Here is the link for the tutorial on how to use Vhs tape as yarn. This tote bag measures 13″ by 12″ and has a handy grip handle. You could also crochet this bag using recycled plastic bags. If you use plastic bag yarn or plarn, you only need to use one ball of plarn and the strand of ribbon yarn as you work the pattern. Vhs video tape is much lighter which requires the double strand (2 reels) to be used in this project.


Here is a closeup of the combination of Vcr tape and ribbon yarn.

Free Pattern for Crocheted Vhs Video Tape Tote Bag

Materials needed:
2 Vhs Video long play tapes (T-120)
2 rolls of Lion Brand ribbon yarn – Incredible #51659, 110 yards ea roll

Hook: N (9 mm) size metal crochet hook

Description: Tote Bag
Bag measures 13 inches wide and 12 inches long with 4 inch oval expandable bottom

Directions:
Using 2 strands of vhs video tape with one strand of ribbon yarn Ch 28.

How To Use Vcr Vhs Tape As Yarn

Cindy15 Comments

Tutorial Using Vcr Vhs Tape

Materials Needed:
Two vcr vhs video tape cartridges (long play t-120 preferred)
N (9 mm) crochet hook (metal preferred)
Small and large screwdrivers
Scissors

Rewind two old vcr tapes that you don’t have any further use of to begin.

Using two vhs tapes for this project, open up the cases by using your small screwdriver to unscrew the screws in each corner and the middle of the cases. Some varieties of cases do not have screws which you can take out. If you have that type of cartridge you will need to pry open the cases. A large flathead screwdriver works well to get the case open to reach the vhs tape reels.

Click photo to view full-sized

Click photo to view full-sized

Once you have the cases open, remove the reel that is holding the tape. Cut the tape off at the end of the leader tape with your scissors. Now you have two reels with vhs tape on each of them for your crafting project.

Click to view full-sized

Holding two strands of the vhs tape together works well for crocheting. Leave the tape on each reel and as you work your project it will just unwind.

Click photo to view full-sized

Crocheting with vhs tape is a bit hard on the fingers and joints because it isn’t real smooth to work with. Using ribbon yarn as shown below does help in the smoothness of your crocheting and allows the hook to move easier.

Click to view full-sized
Ribbon yarn shown with two strands of vhs tape

Enjoy your project using vhs tape and you can find all my free patterns here for making items with the recycled tape. Please email me if you have any questions.

Crocheted Plastic Eco Tote

Cindy7 Comments

This crocheted Eco tote features a granny square motif and recycled materials to create an unique look. I used yellow and grey plastic grocery bags, vcr vhs tape, and white plastic retail bags in this project. My goal in creating this Eco tote was to crochet a bag that would be strong enough to use as a book bag and could be used for an everyday carry tote. I also crocheted this bag as a Crochet-a-Long (CAL) at one of my favorite craft website forums Crochetville.

My Eco tote measurements are 12″ wide, 13″ long, 1-1/2″ deep at sides with strap that is 1-1/4″ wide and 28″ long. I have included some closeup pictures below to help you in this project. I must warn you that I did have problems keeping my tote bag square. I believe it’s because of the different materials that I used and because the plastic tends to stretch a bit during crocheting.

Closeup of edging on bag

Click to view full-sized

Closeup of handle attachment

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Plastic Eco Tote Pattern

Size: Approx. 12″ square bag with strap that is 1-1/4 inches wide and 28 inches long.
Hook: N (9 mm) metal crochet hook used in this Motif pattern.
Materials: Plastic bag yarn and 2 partial reels of vcr vhs tape.

Crocheted Sling Bag of Recycled VHS Tape

Cindy31 Comments

VHS Tape Sling Bag


Now here is the same bag with some red fun fur added

This little sling bag is crocheted using old VHS tape. It’s a great way to recycle those old VHS tapes that you may have stashed away and you don’t know what to do with. If you haven’t read my blog about how to use VHS tape to crochet click here for the link.
It will explain how the whole process works so you too can crochet with VHS tape.

Next I used a thrift store button for a closure but my sling bag just needed something more. I had a bit of red fun fur and thought it just might be the answer. What do you think? Should I add more along the bottom edge?

I conducted a recent poll and many people liked the bag without the fun fur. You can embellish the bag if you want. The complete free pattern is below.

Enjoy this recycled bag project!
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Crocheted VHS Video Tape Sling Bag Pattern

Purse measures 8 inches wide and 8 inches long.
Strap length is 45 inches

Material: 2 VHS Video Tape Reels
One button: 1 inch button shown on bag

Hook: Metal N (9 mm) crochet hook

Update on Crafting with Recycled Materials

Cindy8 Comments

I wanted to bring everyone up to date on my latest discoveries and completed projects using different recycled materials. Recently I used VHS tape to crochet an evening bag and also a round Motif bag purse. It works fairly well to crochet using the VHS tape but you do need to pull a bit on your stitches to make them uniform and even. Be careful as it can be a bit hard on your fingers and joints. It is a wonderful way to use those old VHS tapes that so many of us have lying around. The black tape gives a pretty sparkly sheen to your project. It appears to do be an excellent eco-friendly way to recycle those tapes!

Next I experimented using cassette tape as yarn. It’s much narrower and you need to use a small hook. I used single strand tape to make a set of Barbie Fashion Doll purses. The free patterns are available under my pattern link on the right. I must say that crocheting with cassette tape is easier on my joints and smoother to crochet stitches with. Another nice discovery was that you do not need to open up the case to use the brown tape as yarn. You simply use a rewound tape and cut off the clear lead so you just have the brown tape to pull out of the case. You can then just work your project by pulling out the tape as you go. It reels out smoothly and you don’t have to worry about your yarn getting tangled. Be careful as the tape colors do vary so check your color shades when you do your projects.

My latest project consists of plastic bags and cassette tape used as yarn. The brown center was a plastic grocery bag I cut very narrow to match my cassette tape width. I cut the plastic bag strips at about ¼ inch. Now I know this is narrow but you need this to match the brown cassette tape. I believe this is a bit like working with thread. While I don’t work with thread much, this was an easy item to stitch as you don’t need to manhandle your work. The stitching seems to move along effortlessly unlike some of the other recycled materials I use. I will post a picture of the bag here when it is completed.

Knitting Links for Recycled Bags

I will continue to try out new and test other recycled materials here on this website. My motto continues to be that this website blog is dedicated to recycling and crafting. In an effort to expand beyond just crocheted recycled crafts, I wanted to share with you several knitted recycled bags. Thanks to Mike at Pieandcoffee.org who agreed to allow me to link this knitted recycled plastic bag in a post.

So for you knitters out there, click on this link for instructions on creating a knitted recycled tote bag using a different method than I do for the […]