Here is a crocheted plastic bag keeper made from recycled plastic and bread bags. This is the second installment of my to-do list that I promised you all that I would work on. I had never crocheted a bag keeper so last week I tackled this project. I had to experiment a bit with the pattern to figure out how big it should be and also how I was going to create my bag holder. Many bag keepers or holders that I see have elastic holding the bags in. I wanted to keep this a completely recycled product so I tried a few different things before settling on using some pretty red bread bag strips to weave between my stitches. I then gently pulled on my bread bag strip to clinch it up and tied a bow in the front which created my bag holder. You can untie the bow should you need to put in or take out plastic bags without it being clinched up.

Anyway here is my completed recycled plastic bag keeper that you can crochet from plastic bags and bread bags. You could also use ribbon or strips of fabric rather than bread bags to make your bag holder. As always, here is the free pattern to crochet your own recycled bag keeper.

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Free Recycled Plastic Bag Keeper Pattern

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

Material: One large ball of plastic bags cut into 1” strips.

Hook: Metal “N” US sized hook

Round 1
With plastic bag yarn (plarn), Ch 30, Sl St to join in first st of chain to form ring.

Round 2
Ch 2, work Hdc in each st around, do NOT join but just continue working Hdc around in each stitch until bag measures 18 inches long. At end of last round, Sc into next to last St, Sl St into last St of round, then to reinforce for strap attachment, Sl St into next St and draw back up into last stitch of last round. Do not fasten off.
(Edit: correction 10/2009 to round 2 as need to Hdc in every st)

Strap: Ch 20 and connect to opposite side of bag with a Sl St. To reinforce strap attachment, Sl St into next St and draw back up into last stitch. Turn and work back up the chain by working a Sc around the chain until you get back to opposite end of strap. Adjust your Sc stitches around chain as needed to provide a smooth strap for your bag. The Sc’s slide a bit and this allows for you to adjust your stitches as needed. 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.

Bow Ties: With red 3/4” bread bag yarn strips, weave yarn strips in stitch space between rows 6 and 7 from the bottom. […]