Here is handy plastic bag keeper crocheted from what else — recycled plastic bags or plarn.

This project was crocheted using plastic bags made into plarn along with one strand of some fingering weight yarn I had to add color. You just crochet holding the plarn and the yarn together. I then trimmed the top and bottom edges using just the fingering yarn. I also used the fingering yarn to make the ties for the bag as shown. This project was a request for a teal or turquoise bag holder and since I can’t really find that color of plastic bags to recycle, I added this yarn that I got at a garage sale for just 25 cents. Anyway using regular yarn along with recycled plastic bags is a great way to add color and spice up those boring white bags.

Enjoy the project and free crochet pattern below.

Plarn Plastic Bag Keeper Pattern

Finished Bag Keeper measures 4” circular wide and 18” long. Strap holder length is 10 inches.

Materials:
One large ball of plastic bags cut into 1” Plarn strips (Approx 25 bags)
3 ozs fingering yarn

Hook: Metal “N” US sized hook

Rnd 1
With plastic bag yarn (plarn) and fingering yarn held together, Ch 30, Sl St to join in first st of chain to form ring. (more…)

Here is a baby sweater set that I crocheted for my new grand daughter. This sweater is from a free pattern called Baby It’s Cold Outside. It is worked all in one piece and is an outstanding pattern. Here is the link to the pattern found at Crochet Me. I added a matching crocheted spiral hat and the cap pattern can be found here.

The photo makes the yarn look red but it’s really more of a hot pink. I crocheted the sweater using 2 strands of Caron Simply Soft yarn and finished it off with Bernat Baby Boucle for the trim. I really enjoyed this pattern and plan to make another larger size soon.

Thanks for looking and please make it a great crafting day!

Crochet this recycled trellis tote bag which has been shared from a reader friend of mine Diane. Diane has shared other patterns at my blog and here is her latest recycled creation using plarn. She has added some flowers to finish off her tote bag and asked me to share the free pattern below.

If you need a tutorial on how to make yarn from plastic bags into plarn, here is the link. Thanks Diane and please enjoy her free crocheted tote bag pattern.

Free Trellis Tote Bag Pattern

Materials needed:
One ball of Plarn (approx. 25-30 bags)
Hook: “N” size U.S. metal hook

Description: Tote bag/handbag
Bag measures: 11” wide by 12” long

Direction:
Ch 24 somewhat loosely (more…)

Here is one more recycled Halloween craft project. It uses a yogurt cup and yarn to create a cute party favor. This is a perfect kid’s craft project as they can decorate the cup for Halloween. I cut construction paper eyes and a mouth to decorate my treat cup. Let your kid’s have fun with this and decorate the cups using yarn and different colored construction paper.

I used regular yarn to crochet this cup holder and the free pattern is found below. If you’d like to use vcr tape with yarn, here is that free pattern link.

Recycled Halloween Treat Cup

Materials needed:
1 oz Black yarn
Small amount of Orange yarn
Yogurt cup
Orange sheet of construction paper
Craft glue

Hook:
“N” US size metal crochet hook

Description:
Halloween Treat Cup – measures 3” wide and 3” tall with 9” handle strap

Directions:
Rnd 1
Holding two strands of black yarn together, Ch 4 and join with a Sl St to form a ring. (more…)

October is breast cancer awareness month. Unless you have been living under a rock, I’m sure you seen all the pink stuff promoting breast cancer. Everywhere you look you find pink stuff. Pink NFL apparel, pink Halloween pumpkins, pink grocery bags, pink hats, pink jewelry, pink signs, pink websites, pink purses, pink key chains, pink coffee mugs, pink umbrellas, pink packaging, pink pink pink pink everywhere. I think you get my drift.

Some survivors feel companies are exploiting breast cancer and just slapping a pink ribbon on everything in an effort to sell their products. I’ve read that the pink ribbon, as a symbol, tends to pretty up what is a pretty ugly disease. Some say the pink ribbon is easier to look at than the disease itself.

Cancer is a nasty, cruel, and deadly beast. It attacks our healthy cells, assaults our bones and blood, destroys our vital organs, and invades our brains. Cancer takes our hair, our loved ones, our body parts and our lives. It causes pain, despair, misery, sorrow, and death. Cancer is not a pretty picture by any means, pink ribbon or not.

Many people feel overwhelmed by the constant pink reminder of cancer. I know I’ve never really been a big fan of the whole pink thing. I remember when I first was diagnosed with breast cancer, I didn’t want anyone to know and I sure didn’t want to wear pink cancer stuff. I remember being given a free pink baseball cap at my cancer treatment center. I did not want to wear it. Maybe I was in denial but I didn’t want to publicize my cancer by wearing pink. Later as I came to grips with my cancer and accepted it, I did wear my pink baseball hat. I don’t know if I am making any sense but these are the many thoughts I have about the whole pink thing. Oh don’t misunderstand my feelings about cancer awareness. If all the pink ribbons will help some women to get their mammogram or do self-exams, I’m all for it. I only hope that companies aren’t looking to profit off all this pink stuff as that just isn’t what this is all suppose to be about.

So please during this month of breast cancer awareness, do focus on the important message in all this. We all want to kick cancer out of our lives and the lives of others permanently. I pray for all those fighting this terrible foe, may you have healing and peace as you move along your journey. But ultimately I hope and pray a cure can be found once and for all!

Here is a quick and easy way to recycle your yogurt cups and make some cute Halloween treat cups. I have been wanting to do a recycled craft project using yogurt cups and I came up with the idea to crochet these cup holders. I used some orange yarn I picked up from a thrift store along with a strand of vcr video tape. Here is my tutorial on how to use vcr tape as yarn if you are new to this recycled crafting site. You hold one strand of yarn along with the video tape to crochet these treat cup baskets.

Once you have the little basket crocheted, insert the yogurt cup inside and you can fill it with treats. These also would make wonderful Halloween party favors. Please enjoy this recycled craft project and Happy Halloween!

Recycled Halloween Treat Cup Pattern

Materials needed:
¾ oz Orange Yarn
Small amount of recycled Vcr video tape
Yogurt cup

Hook:
“N” US size metal crochet hook

Description:
Halloween Treat Cup – measures 3” wide and 3” tall with 9” handle strap

Directions:
Rnd 1
Holding one strand of vcr tape together with orange yarn, Ch 4 and join with a Sl St to form a ring. (more…)