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Two Stripe Plarn Tote Bag

It is a new year and time for a new recycled bag! What better way to kick off a new year but with a new homemade reusable and upcycled tote bag. This tote bag was crocheted using about 45 brown plastic bags and 12 reddish-colored newspaper delivery sacks.

Here is a closeup of the top and handles.

This bag is very similar to my basic crocheted tote bag pattern but with a few changes including two stripes. The two stripes were added by cutting up 12 recycled plastic bags that newspapers are delivered in. Here is the tutorial link for cutting newspaper sacks into plarn to use as yarn.

I have provided the full new crochet pattern below for everyone’s personal use. As always, my patterns are free and I hope people will enjoy them.

Two Stripe Plarn Tote Bag Crochet Pattern

Materials needed: Plastic bag yarn “Plarn” in main color brown (40+ bags) cut 1 inch wide
and approx. 12 contrasting colored plastic bags for stripes

Hook: N (9 mm) size metal hook

Description: Recycled Plastic Tote Bag

Bag measures 12 inches wide and 12 inches long with 5 inch handles

Directions:
Ch 28

Recycled Seahawks Tote Bag

I have had lots of time on my hands lately to crochet with all the stay-at-home orders. I thought it was time to break into my huge stash of plastic bags and crochet a new recycled plastic tote bag. This bag was crocheted using mainly white plastic retail bags made into plarn and I added blue and green yarn to give it a Seattle Seahawks color theme.

This tote bag was crocheted using my free ultimate recycled bag pattern. I added stripes using regular yarn by doing 3 blue HDC (half double crochet stitch) rows, 3 green HDC and then 3 more blue HDC rows along with plastic bag yarn to crochet this bag.

Finished size is 12″ wide by 13″ long with 7″ handles. I think it would make a nice book bag so I may donate it to the next library fundraiser. So in honor of my beloved Seahawks,

Bloomin’ Bag

Here is my version of the Bloomin’ Bag pattern from Cathy Phillips. The free pattern link is available on Ravelry where you can download a PDF of the crochet pattern.

My tote bag was crocheted using Red Heart with Love Metallic yarn in fuchsia. I used about 410 yards of yarn for my bag.

I changed up the pattern just a bit to make it taller by crocheting one additional set of repeats of the main bag body. I then crocheted different handles using the same method I do for my recycled tote bags.

For my Bloomin’ Bag handles, I started in 7 inches from sides, chained 36 for handles, leaving 22 stitches unworked, then sc in each stitch until other side. Repeat for other side’s handle to match first side.
Row 2 – Sc in each stitch and work 38 sc around handle chain, repeat for other side.
Row 3-5 – Sc in each sts around.

Finished size of my Bloomin’ Bag with measurements taken flat are:
20” wide by 13” tall with 11” handles.

Overall a very good pattern and I love the look of the stitch design. Next I want to crochet this pattern using recycled plastic bags.

Recycled Paper Bag Tote

A customer asked me if I could crochet her a large plastic bag tote to store her paper for recycling. She wanted a very large tote bag 18 inches wide, with a 7 inches base and 12 inches tall. Of course it had to have handles for carrying and be made from recycled plastic bags. I love a challenge and to crochet such a recycled tote bag was fun.

I used around 90 recycled plastic sacks cut 1 inch wide to complete this recycled paper holding tote. I used the double strand plarn making method to crochet this tote. Here are a few photos of the completed bag.

Here is a photo of the recycled tote bag laying flat.

Japanese Knot Recycled Bag

Here is a new recycled plastic bag yarn project. This pattern is called a Japanese Knot bag as it features 2 handles. One long and one shorter, which closes by sliding the longer handle through the shorter one as shown. The Japanese-styled bags are often times made smaller and worn over the wrist.

This tote bag is crocheted using recycled plastic bags made into yarn known as plarn. It can be worn over the wrist or also draped over your shoulder.

Here is the free Japanese Knot Bag pattern written using plarn but it also can be crocheted using bulky yarn or 2 strands of worst weight yarns held together.

The finished size of this recycled tote bag is