Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Instagram YouTube Pinterest Tumblr VK RSS
Close

Tag: recycled-crafting

Crocheted Plastic Bag Patterns

Cindy13 Comments

Welcome to plastic bag pattern headquarters! I am building a library of patterns here for crocheting with plastic grocery bags and other recycled materials. Currently I have free patterns available for purses, a plastic bag keeper, shoulder bags, coasters, and other bags.

If you are new to crafting with plastic bags here is the tutorial on how to create yarn from plastic bags.

You may also want to read my tips on crafting with plastic grocery bags, just click here.

I love to share my free patterns and recycling ideas with others to promote recycled crafting. My plan is to continue building this website blog into one of the best resources for crafting with plastic bags as well as covering other materials that can be used. More patterns are being added all the time so please make sure you check back often.

September 2014 update:
It has been over 7 years since I first wrote this post and over the years I have added many new recycled plastic bag patterns to my blog. You can find a list of all the patterns with thumbnail photos of each project at my free patterns page.

Thanks for visiting My Recycled Bags!

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 […]

Tips for Crocheting and Crafting with Recycled Plastic Bags

Cindy12 Comments

Obtaining bags for your projects

Crafting with recycled plastic bags requires lots of bags. Make sure the plastic bags that you use are NOT biodegradable as they will turn to shreds over time. Save all the bags you receive from grocery and retail stores. A few ideas on how to obtain more plastic bags are:

Ask your family and friends to save bags for you. It’s an excellent way to encourage recycling with other people and provide you with the additional plastic bags you need. You will receive bags from stores that you don’t normally shop and this provides a great opportunity to get new colors of bags to add to your creativity.

Check with your local stores that have recycling bins for plastic bags. Most don’t care if you take from these bins as this is the purpose of these collection sites. But ask first so you know it is okay. Also some stores will even let you take the whole big bag of recycled bags if you want them all. Just be aware that not all these bags will be usable and clean.

Remember depending on your product you can use bread wrappers, dry cleaning bags, grocery bags, clothing store bags, tire bags, plastic caution tape, unused garbage bags, packing or shipping plastic bags, plastic tarps, and many other plastic materials make wonderful plarn yarn.

Width of strips

The width of your strips will vary but some tips are:

If using very stiff plastic or plastic store bags, cut your strips about 3/4inch or less in width. This makes it easier to crochet with the yarn that is created.

If using lightweight plastic bags, cut your strips 1 to 1-1/2 inches wide. Don’t pull too hard when making your yarn as they tend to break. If the strip does tear in half, just tie the ends together. You can always hide the knot in your work.

Cutting the strips

You can cut the strips with scissors or for a quick cut, use a paper cutter.

Cleaning plastic bags

In most cases, use only clean plastic bags for projects. Throw away any bags that smell or have something sticky or dirty in them. Should you find that you need to clean a plastic bag that has a small sticky or soiled area, use a warm damp towel or sponge. Wipe the area off and make sure it is completely clean and odor free. Once the bag is clean then air dry the bag before you use it in your project.

Hiding loose ends

To successfully hide loose ends, use a small crochet hook. Weave the loose ends under on the inside or backside of your projects. Bury those loose ends by going under stitches and in the same direction as the loose end lies. Then cut the end close to your work to get rid of any excess loose ends.

Minimizing and hiding knots

After you have intertwined two plastic bag strips together, sometimes the knot is big or […]

Recycling Plastic Grocery Bags and Making Recycled Handmade Items

Cindy26 Comments

Hello! This is my first attempt at blogging and the opening blog for this website. I have read other people’s blogs and oftentimes been fascinated in other people’s ideas that they shared through a blog. So here goes.

Ever get tired of all those plastic grocery and store bags you have left over after going shopping? I always asked for paper bags so I didn’t come home with 40+ bags and not much use for them other than filling up our landfills and taking like a 100 years to decompose. Also many animals are injured or killed each year by these plastic bags. But several months ago, a friend had a cute handmade purse she was using. It was very unique looking and appeared to be crocheted out of some type of unusual yarn.

Well, it was crocheted out of old recycled plastic grocery bags! I was shocked and couldn’t believe it. How was that possible? I have crocheted for years and had never seen or heard about such a thing. She explained that her Mother cut the bags up in strips and tied them together to create a ball of “yarn.” I thought what a fantastic idea and a wonderful way to re-use all those pesky plastic bags.

I researched the process and found many other crafters out there doing the same thing. I have seen some beautiful creations of purses, totes, shoulder bags, hairpieces, coasters, rugs, placemats, and other clever uses for recycled plastic bags. Some people crochet, knit or weave to make their handmade products. But no matter what process you use, it is a wonderful, eco friendly use of these bags.

Myself, I have made totes, handbag purses, clutches, and shoulder bags using a large metal crochet hook. I have found that the metal hooks work smoother than the plastic ones but experiment with what works best for you. I clean my hook off with rubbing alcohol to remove any sticky ink or build-up that occurs. That helps the hook move a bit easier when you are crocheting. Crocheting using the plastic bags is hard on my hands and finger joints. I have heard this from others too so please be aware of this. I find that if I crochet for too long my left hand gets very sore. I am a right-handed crocheter. Taking breaks and shaking out my hands does help some.

Anyway that’s my blog. I would love to hear from others who are interested in this topic or people who would like to comment on my crocheted products. I do sell some of my items and hope to use some of my creations for future Christmas gifts for my family and friends. I do hope you too can recycle and help make our world a bit better one plastic bag at a time.


My shoulder bag created using brown plastic bags.