Crocheted Sling Bag of Recycled VHS Tape
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
Chain 18
Round 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 chain stitch.
Round 2 – 13
Hdc in each st around and do not connect at end of rounds, just continue working Hdc in rounds until 13 rounds are completed.
Round 14
Mark front center of bag. Hdc in each st to within 2 sts at center front. Ch 3 and leave the 2 center sts unworked for buttonhole. Then Hdc in each st around.
Round 15
Hdc in each st around to buttonhole opening. Work 3 Hdc in opening (around the chain) for buttonhole then Hdc in each remaining st around to finish round.
Round 16
Hdc in each st around and finish round at side of bag to make strap. Make sure your buttonhole is centered and your strap beginning is at the side of bag. Do not finish off. Leave attached to begin strap.
Strap:
Start strap at side of bag. Chain until strap measures 44 inches. Attach strap to opposite side of purse with a Sl St. Turn and work back up the chain by working a Sc around the chain until you get back to opposite end of strap handle. Adjust your Sc stitches around chain as needed to provide a smooth strap for your bag. Make sure your strap is not twisted before attaching the strap end to the opposite side of bag. Attach your yarn with a Sl St next to the st where you started the strap. Fasten off and weave ends under on inside of the bag.
Sew button on purse under buttonhole space.
Optional embellishments: Add fun fur around the top edge of bag by working 2 Sc in ea st at top.
If you have any questions or find discrepancies in this pattern, please email me using contact tab above.
Abbreviations:
Ch – Chain
Hdc – Half Double Crochet
Sc – Single Crochet
Sl St – Slip Stitch
Sk – Skip
Rnd – Round
This pattern is copyrighted by Cindy of My Recycled Bags {dot com} and may only be used for private individual use. No commercial sales or use is permitted. Links to this pattern are acceptable. ©2007
****Please do not copy my patterns on your blog site or post my patterns on Internet sites. I do not allow my patterns to be republished without expressed written permission. Posting of my patterns, without written permission is in violation of my copyrights and is content theft.
Tags: crochet, free-pattern, vcr-tape, vhs-tape, video-tape
Apr 10, 2007
hi Cindy-
i love your bag- saw it on craftster- it’s such a great recycling idea, and awesome looking. re: trim or not- has anyone suggested doing something removable? you could have lots of options, depending on where you were going or doing. at first i was thinking velcro, but that wouldn”t work if you wanted plain and simple. perhaps there are some snaps, or big hooks & eyes or something that would blend in or add a kind of subtle edge across the top?. with, without, whatever- it’s super!
good luck-
missie
Apr 10, 2007
this is great!
got your link from sewgreen.blogspot.com
I think the red on top is fun, but on the bottom too may be too much.
what an excellent recycler you are :0)
Apr 12, 2007
isn’t vhs tape not all that great to hand chemical wise?
Apr 12, 2007
Tina,
I have not found anything to indicate that the tape is harmful to handle. It is very similar to microfilm or microfiche that was designed to be handled by the human hand.
Apr 24, 2007
Hi Cindy,
I looked at your website via the link through your post on thriftyfun. You have great ideas!!! As for your VHS bag. I liked it without the red fur. I think if it looks classy just the way it is or if embellishment were to be added, anything in black would look more classy.
You are an excellent recycler!!!
Apr 24, 2007
I’ve knit with VHS tape before and I specifically emailed a manufacturer to find out if I should be concerned about handling the tape. I was told it’s fine (those of you conspiracy-theory types might not trust the word of a large corporation, but that’s another story). However, toxic or not, I hate how the black stuff flakes off all over the place.
Follow-up from Cindy
Sam, I have never had the vcr tape flake or come off while crafting with it or using the bags made from this material. Possibly your material was different or damaged. I have never experienced any problem crafting with vcr vhs tape.
Apr 27, 2007
Really great idea and very pretty and useful. Because I do not know how to crochet it would be so helpful if you had the same patterns for us knitters. Do you have a pattern for knitting using the bag strips??
Thanks, Dutchie
Apr 27, 2007
Dutchie–
I myself do not knit. Therefore the patterns that I create are all crocheted. Here is a post I did which has some knitted items. Click here http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/03/09/update-on-crafting-with-recycled-materials/
There is a link toward the end of the article to a knitted bag. You could use the pattern as a base to knit with vhs tape. Hold two strands together when you are doing your project. Try that out and see how it works. Do you have a pattern for a knitted bag with yarn that you like? Just use vcr tape and do the same pattern. It should work out okay — just make sure you check your gauge so the size comes out good for you.
Good luck and thanks for visiting my site!!
Cindy
Aug 06, 2007
Daily Tip: Getting Rid of VHS…
VHS has been vanishing from your home movie collection and the rental store shelves for some time now, but there are still VHS tapes lurking about (especially if you haven’t switched to DVR just yet.) While it isn’t as easy as tossing them in the re…
Oct 26, 2007
[…] if you want to go the crafty route, here are some step by step instructions on crocheting a small sling bag out of VHS […]
Dec 13, 2007
Thank you so much for getting this idea out there. I am currently stationed in Germany with my husband and volunteer at the recycle center on base. There are two of us there that are teaching classes on how to turn trash into treasure and we too crochet with all kinds of wonderful different materials. I would love to share some of my bag pictures with you as well. I have been experimenting with mixing yarns in with the VCR tapes and the end product is really cool looking. Not to mention that added yarn really speeds up the crocheting time.
Thanks for all that you are doing.
Much Peace
Teresa
Dec 20, 2007
Re: Repurposing VHS Tapes for Art…
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/04/09/crocheted-sling-bag-of-recycled-vhs-……
Jun 21, 2008
[…] this little red fun fur VCR bag? If so here is the free pattern which has a crocheted strap or you can use a Spool Knitter to create a woven strap. This tool also […]
Jul 11, 2008
Hope you’re better real soon! My sister in law has just been through it and is doing fine now so keep up the spirit like she did. Thanks for the super recycling projects. Just want to let you know that you can make your own “spool knitter”. I’m trying to remember what we used to call it…I think a “granny spool” but you take an old wooden thread spool(hard to find now but also worth recycling) and hammer 4 small nails into one end of the spool and you have your own “spool knitter”. It’s good for straps for dresses also and you can coil and stitch the tubes together also.
Dec 07, 2008
!!!! I just found what I’m making my best friend for christmas. You rock! What an awesome idea. 😀
Apr 05, 2009
[…] There are lots of creative ways for you to re-use old VHS tapes. If you like to knit or crochet, you should check out My Recycled Bags. […]
Apr 19, 2009
VHS Tapes are magnetized, won’t the strips on our credit cards be ruined if they are put in these VHS crocheted bags?
Apr 19, 2009
Has anyone found out if there are any health issues connected with handling these magnitized VHS tapes?
Apr 20, 2009
@Cecelia,
Several people have commented about this and while I am no health expert, this is what I have to say on the matter…
I did research on the Internet on using, touching, and handling the vcr tape and couldn’t find any health concern. I don’t know for sure. I’ve tried to research this but didn’t find any for-sure answers. After another person asked me again about health issues using vcr tape, I asked a chemist blog friend about this issue. He gave this link http://www.answers.com/topic/videotape to provide information about the tape. He said the base is PET which has been controversial for water bottles. But we drink water from that so? He also said that the tape can flake off with use and aging but it’s not a health problem though. One thing he did mention is that if there is dust that could be breathed in which is not advised. So I guess the bottom line is that while there hasn’t been an actual study done on crafting with vcr tapes, there shouldn’t be a health issue. But it’s like everything out there, anything at times can cause us humans problems. My suggestion is don’t use flaking tape and don’t breathe in the dust or particles if it ages.
As far as the magnetized tape being a problem with credit cards, I don’t know for sure but I don’t think it’s that kind of magnetic issue that causes your card to erase. I will have to try it and report back. I had not thought about that issue before.
4/23/09 Follow-up
Just a follow-up about the old vcr tape and your credit card. I rubbed some vcr tape hard against a credit card and then stored it together for 3 days now. Then I ran the card here at work and it worked just fine on a card reader machine for credit cards here at my work. So it appears to be safe to have the old vcr tape against credit cards, at least the card I used in this experiment.
Jul 18, 2009
[…] knit or crochet them into bags following this creative site’s free patterns… My Recycled Bags […]
Mar 28, 2010
Can I link to your patterns from my blog? Thanks
Laura
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Granny’s Daughters Drive =-.
Mar 28, 2010
Laura,
Yes absolutely — Links to my site and patterns are always appreciated and welcome. I just don’t allow my patterns to be reproduced on other sites and blogs. But linking to any of my patterns is just fine.
Apr 03, 2010
Hi,
I was just searching around the net with this very same idea. I wanted to see if there were any dangers re-using VHS film for bags and such. I read most of this page here, and one thing that I found startling was that no one mentions the fact that VHS film is highly flammable. Thought you should know.
It was the first concern I thought of as a reason not to re-use it, reason why I searched in the first place.
Apr 03, 2010
Kathleen,
It doesn’t surprise me but like most things they can be flammable and burn. Just like the plastic bags and yarn will burn. We should all be careful and only use these recycled materials in appropriate situations and be aware of safety concerns.
May 05, 2010
Hi there,
I use to weave/ crochet placemats out of the tape years ago. I would border them or leave them plain. After a time getting tired of the mats I would fold them over and sew them up to make a clutch bag…sometimes sewing on handles other times leaveing as a clutch bag. At times sewing on big buttons or other things I had around. Two ideas in one !….go for it
May 16, 2010
I just wanted everyone to know… Chromium (IV) oxide (stuff that video tape is made from) is mildly toxic. so… don’t chew on it (don’t leave it near babies or pets) and if it starts to flake dispose of it properly. (the paint and battery pick up in your area should also take video tapes).
It actually isn’t considered flammable because it melts first. I consider that splitting hairs, but you should not store tobacco products, lighters or matches in them.
Pardon any typos!
Jan 27, 2012
Hi there Cindy,
You’re truly brilliant! I’ll try to make one of these.
Regards,
Joyish
Apr 18, 2012
[…] VHS tape – turned – party dress Scianca recycled VHS tape – turned – purse (I like the funky little pop of orange!) My Recycled […]
Nov 24, 2012
[…] Cindy from My Recycled Bags made a cute little sling purse – MyRecycledBags.com […]
Jan 24, 2015
[…] Recycled VHS Tape Sling Bag […]
Nov 23, 2018
This is great….and for any of you out there that think this is “so dangerous” as far as chemicals???LOL…breath that air in CA right now with all of the wild fires. Eat fast food or so many foods with preservatives and chemicals…unless you grow your own food and spin your own wool….get over the “fear factor”. College has brain washed too many kids…it’s fun and sad to watch all at the same time!