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Tag: free-pattern

Plarn Bucket Basket

Cindy3 Comments


This week I crocheted a little bucket basket from recycled pink newspaper bags. I created this bucket basket as a gift to my local library for saving all the plastic newspaper bags they receive their newspapers in daily. Each week I pick up these bags and use them in my recycled crafting projects. I feel so fortunate to get these beautiful and uniquely colored bags.

I recycled this jam container for my plastic bag crafting project. As outlined in the pattern below, you insert the plastic jam container inside the crocheted plarn bucket. Once finished, I filled the bucket with candy and presented it to my local library staff. This was their first time really seeing a finished product I crafted from their recycled plastic bags. I think they were happily surprised to see something pretty as well as useful made from their old newspaper bags that I collect from them.

So I hope I have inspired you and you will give this recycled crochet basket project a go. Best wishes and happy green crafting to all!

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Plarn Bucket Basket Pattern

Materials:
One ball of pink plarn (plastic bag yarn) Appox. 20 bags
3 white plastic bags for edging
1 recycled jam container (4 inches wide by 4 inches tall used)

Hook: Metal J (6 mm) US size hook

Description: Crochet basket measures 4 inches wide and 4 inches tall with 8 inch handle

Directions:
Ch 4 and join with a sl st to form a ring.

Cassette Tape Sachet

Cindy12 Comments

I’m back to share my latest recycled cassette tape craft project. I crocheted this little sachet bag with two strands of cassette tape along with one strand of ribbon yarn. The ribbon yarn gives the cassette tape a better texture to crochet with and makes the crochet hook move more easier.

I added a sachet liner that I crocheted from some cotton thread so you could remove it from the cassette tape sachet. I filled the liner with some spicy potpourri before closing the end up. Then I just inserted the liner inside the sachet.

This is a quick and easy recycled crafting project which requires just a small amount of materials. The result is a pretty sachet that makes a great gift idea.
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Free Cassette Tape Sachet Pattern

Materials needed:
2 Cassette tapes (only 1/8 of a reel used on each)
1 oz Lion Brand Lion ribbon yarn
One bead for drawstring
Small amount of #10 Cotton thread for liner

Hooks:
J (6 mm) U.S. size metal crochet hook
C (2.75 mm) U.S. size metal crochet hook

Description: Crocheted Sachet Bag –
Bag measures 4-1/2 inches wide and 5 inches long

Directions:
Ch 15

Rnd 1
Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea chain st down to end. Then continue around other side of chain by working a Hdc in ea st to other end.

Recycled Video Tape Purse

Cindy14 Comments

If you are into recycled crafting, you might want to try crafting with vcr video tapes. The beauty is using these reels of pre-made materials is that you simply just need to open up the cases and away you can go with your crafting. You can use my tutorial on how to turn vcr video tape into “yarn” to craft your projects.


This week I broke down some old vcr tapes that I had to crochet this purse. I added some lacy ribbon yarn that I got at the dollar store for 99 cents to add a different look to the project. Below is closeup of my finished project.

Recycling video tapes into craft projects is always fun and while it’s not the easiest material to work with, the results are very pretty. The unique shine of the tape is beautiful and the ribbon yarn gives it a colorful finish. Plus its a great way to recycled those old video tapes that so many people just have laying around and can’t figure what to do with them. Well here ya go!

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Free Crocheted Video Tape Purse Pattern

Purse measures 9 inches wide and 7 inches long
Strap length is 32 inches long

Materials:
2 VCR VHS Tape Reels (only used about 1/4 of each reel)
One 3/4 inch button
3/4 oz Lion Brand Trellis Lacy Ribbon Yarn (Pastel Garden shown)

Hook:
N (9 mm) crochet hook for main purse
J (6 mm) crochet hook for flap trim

Using 2 strands of video tape held together, Chain 20.

Rnd 1
Hdc in 2nd ch from hook in each chain. Continue around the corner and down the back side of chain by working a Hdc in every stitch of chain.

Draft Dodger From Recycled Plastic Bags

Cindy6 Comments

Drafts from around doors and windows is never a good thing. But you can craft your own draft stopper or dodger from recycled materials to save on your heating bill and help keep your home warmer.

You can use scrap pieces of plastic bags or other stuffing material to fill the shell of the draft dodger. For this particular project, I crocheted my draft dodger from recycled plastic bags. It was a great opportunity to use the many different colored plastic bags that I have been saving. Each stripe only takes between 2-3 bags each. It’s hard to find colored bags in large qualities so this was the perfect project to utilize the pretty colors that I have been collecting but didn’t have enough of one color for a large project.

I crocheted my draft dodger and then stuffed it using the scrap pieces that you get when you make plastic bag yarn or plarn. When I make my plarn, I have the end pieces and the handle portion that I don’t use as I assemble the loops. So I took those leftover plastic bag pieces and used them for the stuffing of my draft dodger. You want to stuff the draft dodger before you close the ends. I put in a few pieces of plastic and then used a broom stick to push them into the shell of the draft dodger. You want to stuff it somewhat loosely so that your shell isn’t too stiff and so it doesn’t stretch out the shape of the tube. I stuffed from one end until it was nicely filled to the halfway point and then closed that end of the tube as shown in the pattern below. Then I repeated the stuffing for the other end.

That completes the project and below you will find the free crochet pattern details for the draft dodger. Adjust the length as needed for your door or window. But most importantly enjoy working this recycled craft project.

Draft Dodger Crochet Pattern

Materials needed:
Variety of plastic bags made into Plarn
Approx. 56 plastic grocery bags
Stuffing material for inside the draft dodger shell

Hook: J (6 mm) U.S. size metal hook
Description: Draft Dodger
Measurements: 3 inches wide x 38 inches long (or width needed for your door or window)

Directions:

With J hook, ch 18 and join to form a ring. Make sure your chain is not twisted and your stitches are facing out. This pattern is worked in the round and is done in single crochet stitch.

Sc in each stitch and don’t join at the end of each round but rather just continue working in the round for 5 rounds in each color. At the end of the 5th round. Finish off at the end of 5th round by cutting the plarn and working a slip stitch into the next two stitches to end the round smoothly.

Ch 1 at the beginning of each new color and slip stitch into the last […]

Pink & Orange Recycled Plastic Tote Bag

Cindy2 Comments


I crocheted this pink and orange striped tote bag from recycled plastic bags. The pink and orange bags are newspaper bags and the white bags are just normal plastic retail sacks. As most people know, white bags are abundant while its hard to find colorful bags but I’m lucky to obtain the pretty pink and orange bags from my local library. They save the bags that they receive their daily newspapers in and I collect them weekly.

I used my jumbo plarn beach bag pattern to crochet this bag with just a few minor changes from the original pattern. My base was a chain of 30 as I didn’t want quite as large a tote bag for this project. I also just crocheted 41 total rounds. The result is a tote bag that measures 14-1/2″ wide by 17″ long with a 30 inch long pull-through strap.

You can check out my plarn making tutorials here whether you are using newspaper plastic bags or regular plastic bags to create your plastic bag yarn.

This tote bag makes an excellent market bag as the long strap can be slipped over your shoulder or looped around your hand for carrying. You can craft this tote bag project or if you aren’t a crocheter, my pink and orange recycled plastic tote is for sale here.