Crafting with Plastic Bags
It has been over six years now since I started this recycled bags blog. When I first started out I wanted to share the idea of using plastic bags for craft projects. I wanted to promote the reuse and repurposing of plastic for useful items. Over the years, I have crocheted tote bags, rugs, scrubbies, purses, baby bibs, soap dishes, coasters, baskets, gift bags, water bottle holders and much more using recycled plastic.
You can find all of my crochet free plastic bag patterns here at my site. Over the years I have shared all my patterns free so that everyone could enjoy crafting with recycled plastic materials. I have used every type of recycled plastic such as retails bags, toilet paper packaging, hotdog and hamburger bun packages, frozen vegetable packages, paper towel packaging, bread bags, hashbrown bags, and taco shell bags.
Trash Rug from Recycled Plastic
Recycling plastic to create yarn has endless possibilities. I only named a handful of plastic items you can make plarn from. Plarn (PLastic yARN) is the term my friend Joy coined first over at Crochetville to name what the material was called that you cut into strips to create a yarn that you can craft with. You can find my plarn tutorials here on how to create yarn from plastic.
Some recycled bags can be patriotic like this All American Plarn Tote.
Other projects can be useful in the kitchen like these kitchen scrubbies.
Maybe you need a rug. Plastic rugs made from recycled plastic make outstanding rugs. You can just hose them off if they get dirty and they make great doormats.
So whatever you may want to crochet as a plarn project, I hope you will find My Recycled Bags.com a useful resource. It you need help with a pattern or just using recycled materials, please contact me. I love to share and help people discover the joy of crafting with recycled materials.
Tags: crafting-with-plastic, crochet, free patterns, plarn, plastic-bag-yarn, recycling-plastic
May 04, 2013
6 years of sharing :). Cheers from we dear constant readers who love each and every one of your patterns. I am going to make something similar to that round “rug” on the lower left hand shot for our kitchen. I am tired of having to sweet the rug from dog hairs. Time to just pick it up and shake it over the side of the deck for the garden to “enjoy” ;). Cheers again for all of your hard work and your sterling efforts are most incredibly appreciated by us all š
May 07, 2013
Really nice work with plastic. Never thought of this plastic can be reuse to something nice and sweet. Thanks for this tips..
May 11, 2013
I love seeing all the different creations from plarn around the internets, each person has a unique view on how to use it.
May 17, 2013
Wow! Thank you for the free patterns, ideas and such an inspirational blog! My grandmother, great aunt and mum used to produce crochet creations using bread bag plastic years ago, but you have come up with so many more wonderful ideas for reusing all kinds of plastic for crochet! What a fabulous way to keep it out of landfill. Well done!!
May 27, 2013
….what about water bottles?? Anxious to hear your clever insights thank so much! Kathy
May 27, 2013
@Kathy — I don’t have water bottles so don’t do really any crafting with them. I did use a recycled plastic cup here to make a plastic bag holder. I do know people that cut up the plastic from the larger soda bottles and laundry soap bottles to make flowers and petals. You can also use the bases from large juice jugs and soap bottles to make totes. Hope these ideas help.
May 30, 2013
Wow, the creativity is amazing. I thought just recycling plastic bags in a blue container was the way to go. What inspired you to one day craft with recycled bags?
May 31, 2013
@Chris – I just love crafting with recycled materials and find it not only useful but a great way to recycle. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Nov 22, 2015
Don’t limit it to the grocery store!!! Take reaubsle bags everywhere!I haven’t made any bags, but I have a ton of canvas bags that I’ve gotten free as promotional objects for this or that. I like the idea of making them out of scrap fabric, old tee shirts, even sheets and towels!