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Tag Archive | "recycling-plastic bags"

Recycled Plastic Bag Basket

March 17, 2024 No comments yet

Here is my latest recycled plastic bag project. It is a crocheted plarn basket made from plastic bags cut about one inch wide and assembled. Just follow the plarn link for more information on how I make my plarn yarn for crocheting.

The basket was crocheted using the free recycled plastic basket pattern but seamless. For this project, I did not do the ch-2 or joins. I just working in the round with out joining.

I added 3 rounds of single crochet (SC) in pink bags for contrast before starting the handle portion of the basket.

For handles on this basket, I chained 14 and skipped 9 stitches for opening for the handles on each side. For the next round, work 16 single crochet (SC) around each handle. Then continue working

Recycled Plastic Wheelchair Tote Bag

April 6, 2023 No comments yet

Introducing the latest of my recycled bags. This is a wheelchair or walker tote that is crocheted all in recycled plastic bags. Some people also call them a wheelchair carrier as you use them to carry things such as books, newspapers or tissues.

This recycled bag was crocheted using the free puff stitch wheelchair tote pattern. It features a red, white and blue striped theme. As it is hard to find these special colored bags, I only crocheted the puff stitches on the front of the tote. Each puff stripe row used less than 2 colored plastic bags made into plarn to crochet.

I used a K (6.5 mm) crochet hook to work this tote bag. Final finished size is 10.5 inches wide by 9 inches long with 6.75 inch straps. I added

14 Years Ago

January 24, 2021 2 comments

Well it all started 14 years ago today here at My Recycled Bags. I posted my first post January 24, 2007. I kicked off this blog by writing about recycling plastic bags and how you could create useful homemade items from the bags.

Of course I branched out over the years and have written about recycling and crafting with all kinds of materials as well as about my personal battle with breast cancer. Thankfully so far, I have beaten cancer and kept this blog site going for 14 great years now.

I have crocheted, sewn, and woven all kinds of things here at My Recycled Bags. I have posted and shared 100’s of free patterns and ideas from tote bags, rugs, baby bibs, dishcloths, hats, scarves, to doll clothes and bears. There is probably something for everyone at my free pattern page.

Anyway on this 14-year anniversary of my blog, I just want to thank everyone who has supported me and the site all these years. While I don’t post as often as I used to, I am still here and check all emails and comments daily. So keep reading and visiting My Recycled Bags and I will keep this blog going hopefully for many more years.

Plarn Crocheted Basket

September 14, 2019 2 comments

Here is a basket that was crocheted using plastic bag yarn for the project material. I used the Lily original basket pattern done in cotton for this recycled bag project. I chained 28 with plarn (plastic bag yarn) to start the smaller basket version of this pattern using a K (6.5) crochet hook.

Following the general pattern design, I crocheted each side to about 6 inches wide before working the fold line on each side by working in the back loops only (BLO). For the base, I chained 19 with the plastic bag yarn and worked even on 18 stitches for 17 rows. My base piece was just a bit wider than the sides but this worked out just right for placing the base inside the basket. With wrong sides together, I then crocheted single crochet stitch from the outside through both thicknesses evenly along the sides aligning the corners together to secure the base to the basket.

Here is a photo of the bottom of my crocheted basket.

Once done, I folded over the top of the basket about 2 inches. This recycled craft project used about

Recycled Paper Bag Tote

February 18, 2019 2 comments

A customer asked me if I could crochet her a large plastic bag tote to store her paper for recycling. She wanted a very large tote bag 18 inches wide, with a 7 inches base and 12 inches tall. Of course it had to have handles for carrying and be made from recycled plastic bags. I love a challenge and to crochet such a recycled tote bag was fun.

I used around 90 recycled plastic sacks cut 1 inch wide to complete this recycled paper holding tote. I used the double strand plarn making method to crochet this tote. Here are a few photos of the completed bag.

Here is a photo of the recycled tote bag laying flat.



About Me

Hello, I’m Cindy or aka RecycleCindy. Welcome to my blog site that is dedicated to recycling and crafting. I love to crochet and create crafts and other useful things from recycled materials. I share many free tutorials and patterns for creating recycled projects as well as other handmade items.


Here is a direct link to all my free patterns available here on My Recycled Bags.


Thank you for stopping by to visit and for your interest in My Recycled Bags!