Merry Christmas! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with recycled crafting. Here is my latest using this ever so cute little Christmas sock pattern. I used a “H” (5 mm) crochet hook and worked the pattern using 8 recycled newspaper plastic bags and one large green retail bag for the trim. The pattern doesn’t state if you should join each round or just work in the round. I single crocheted in the round without joining except for the final round of each color. On the final round of each color, I did join with a slip stitch to keep each color edge smooth. My finished plarn mini stocking is 6 inches long.

Here is the same pattern crocheted with some ww Christmas yarn.

I made my yarn stocking a bit bigger than the pattern called for by adding a few additional stitches and rows. This 2nd stocking is about 7-1/2″ long. So whether your working with plarn (plastic bag yarn) or regular worst yarn, this pattern is super fast and easy. Enjoy![…]

Here is the free crochet pattern and picture tutorial for making double layered towel toppers. The method I use is to just fold the towel in half and using a small steel crochet hook, single crochet the base row through both layers along the top of the towel edge. Once this base row is complete, you switch over to a larger hook and the towel topper works up quickly using only about an ounce of yarn.

I added a jingle bell for the button closure on this towel. Just chain 2-3 stitches for a larger button opening than the original pattern calls for when you crochet the buttonhole.

So if you need a last minute gift idea, grab a towel and some yarn and crochet one of these pretty towel toppers. They really are a wonderful handcrafted gift. […]

Here is a closeup of the finished top. You can click on the photo to supersize it.

When I made the red triangle towel topper, I used regular cotton weight yarn. It’s Bernat Christmas Sparkle.

Because the red triangle towel topper is a thicker weight yarn, it has 44 stitches across the top edge of the towel to start. But don’t worry about the number of stitches across the top, just do your single crochet stitches evenly along the top edge. You can always adjust your stitches as needed as you work your topper. I did one extra row for the flap on the red topper. With 4 rows, the turning flap was a bit longer but you can do just 3 rows if that works for you like I did with the sport weight yarn on the blue triangle towel topper.

I used Christmas finger towels for this project but you can use towels of different widths or lengths. Just adjust your stitches as needed to end with a 4-stitch wide flap for the fold over the plastic ring. I used plastic milk jug rings but you can also use recycled juice or other round rings for this project. Make sure you crochet lots of stitches around the plastic ring to cover it entirely with the yarn. I found this gives the project a nice look and no one with ever know that you used an old plastic jug ring for your crochet project.

As always please enjoy the free pattern below and happy crocheting to all!

Crocheted Triangle Ring Towel Topper

Materials needed:
Finger towel – 10” wide by 16” long used
Plastic milk jug ring 1-1/2″ wide
1 oz. Cotton yarn

Finished topper: 10″ wide & 5″ long from top of ring to towel top edge

Hooks:
#7 Steel crochet hook
“G” (4.25 mm) crochet hook

Directions:
Because finger towels are shorter, there is no cutting or sewing necessary to begin your base row. You will use the steel hook to poke the first hole into the right side corner and pull the yarn through the hole. Then use the G hook to complete your first Sc st. Then move onto the next hole until you have worked completely across the base row evenly with your stitching. Once you have the base row done, you will only be crocheting with the G hook.

Row 1
Using the steel crochet hook as explained above to poke holes, Sc evenly along the top edge of towel.

Row 2
Using the […]

Here is my green plarn wreath. I crocheted this using plastic recycled from packing pillows cut into plarn. I did just a single round of double crochet stitch around an apple jug ring for this little wreath with a J crochet hook. A small piece of red cotton yarn was used to add a bow to the wreaths. That’s all it takes to make these cute and quick little recycled wreaths. Enjoy![…]

Time to kick of the holiday crafting with this little plarn Christmas bag I crocheted. Isn’t it adorable and guess what — its free to make. All you need is a few recycled plastic bags to create this cute little striped gift bag. So grab about 3 red, green, and a white plastic bag and cut them into plarn. For this project you want your plarn to be real thin so I cut my strips only about 1/2 inch wide.

With the built-in handle, you have a ready made gift bag perfect for that special little gift item or you can slip a gift card into your recycled plastic gift bag. My inspiration was Kristy’s ornament pattern as I tried doing it in plarn (plastic bag yarn) and it came out way too big. So I just modified the top and added the handle for a closure.

My little plarn Christmas bag is 6 inches wide by 3 inches tall. The handle is 3 inches long. Using a H crochet hook, I basically followed the pattern by Kristy until row 18 which was my last row to work. I marked the center of my bag by laying it down flat. Sc around in each stitch of this last row — at the center chain 3 and skip 2 stitches to create your hole for the handle. Then Sc in each stitch around to other center mark for the handle, chain 22 for handle. Skip 2 stitches and Sc into last stitches of row and finish off.

Volia — Your recycled Christmas gift bag is complete. You also can come and join the fun over at Retro Housewife’s Green Holiday Carnival that I am participating in this weekend.

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For that last minute holiday crafting, here are some quick crocheted items to share. I crocheted this kitchen set above as a Christmas gift. It includes one potholder, round ripple dishcloth, open mesh magic […]

Snowcatcher even provides an option to make this cute little guy into a plastic bag keeper rather than just a decoration for Christmas. Anyway I just found this to be such a cute recycled crafting project and am thrilled to be able to share it with all my readers. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Below you will find the free crochet pattern for my recycled Christmas stocking. I hope you enjoy the pattern and Merry Christmas!

Materials needed:
One ball of plastic bag yarn “Plarn” Approx. 25-30 plastic grocery bags
1 oz. of scrap red yarn

Hooks:
“N” U.S. size metal hook for stocking
“H” U.S. size crochet hook for trim

Description: Plastic Bag Plarn Christmas Stocking
Stocking measures 7” wide and 18” long with a 2” hanging loop

Directions:
Rnd 1
With plastic bag yarn (plarn) Ch 39, Sl St to join in first st of chain to form ring.

Rnd 2
Ch 2, work Hdc in each st around to beg Ch 1. Join with Sl St to beg Ch 1.

Rnd 3 – 23
Hdc in each st around, do NOT join but just continue working Hdc around which creates a seamless stocking until stocking measures 10” long. FO.

Heel
Row 1
Holding plarn and red yarn together, attach with Sl St into the stocking, Ch 1, Hdc in ea of the following 11 sts. (12 sts with Ch 1 counting as first st.)

Row 2
Ch 1, turn, Hdc in ea st across. (12 sts)

Row 3 – 7
Ch 1, turn, work one Hdc dec over the next 2 Hdc sts, then Hdc in ea st down to the last 2 sts of row. Work one Hdc dec over the last 2 sts. (Hdc decrease is done by working just one Hdc over two sts.)

Repeat until just 4 sts remain.

Row 8
Ch 1, turn, Hdc in ea st. (4 sts with Ch 1)

Row 9
Ch 1, turn, work 2 Hdc in 1st st, Hdc in ea st down to last st. Work 2 Hdc in last st.

Repeat Row 9 until you have 12 sts again.

Next Row
Ch 1, turn, Hdc in ea st. Drop red yarn now and FO.
Draw up heel so your ends are together and joints match for heel. (See photo and click to supersize it for closeup)

Foot
Rnd 1
Using just plarn and with RS facing, attach at corner of heel where the two ends meet.(See photo above.) Hdc in ea st of heel, around stocking leg and around other side’s heel. Ending back at beginning heel corner.
Continue working in rnds on foot without joining.

Rnd 2
Work one Hdc dec over the next 2 Hdc sts, then work one more Hdc dec over the next 2 sts again. (2 decs made). Then Hdc in ea st down to the last four sts of rnd, work one Hdc dec over the next 2 Hdc sts, then work one more […]