Recycled Mini Shoulder Bag
I create this mini shoulder bag quite awhile ago and just never wrote up the pattern. Well I recently sold a few of these and decided I should write up the crochet pattern to share it here. It’s a quick little project and it only takes about 12-15 plastic bags to complete.
This cute little shoulder bag measures 6.5 inches wide by 5.5 inches long with 36 inch strap. It is of course crocheted from recycled plastic bags or plarn. It makes a wonderful little girl’s purse or a handy little shoulder bag to hold your ID along with a few small items.
As always here is the free recycled bag pattern and please enjoy this green crafting project!
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Crocheted Mini Recycled Plastic Shoulder Bag Pattern
Purse measures 6-1/2 inches wide and 5-1/2 inches long.
Strap length is 36 inches when not tied.
Material:
One ball of plastic bags cut into 1 inch strips.
One button 3/4 inch button shown on bag.
Hook: Metal N (9 mm) crochet hook
Chain 16
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.
Rnd 2
Hdc in each st around to first end, work 2 Hdc in the 2 end sts. Hdc in ea st to other end, then work 2 Hdc in the 2 end sts. Do not connect at end of rounds, just continue working Hdc’s in rounds as this creates a seamless bag.
Rnd 3 – 11
Hdc in ea st around the complete rnd. Repeat until measures 6-1/4 inches or approx 11 rounds.
At desired length of main body of purse, stop doing rounds at side mark of purse. (Then only Hdc across back side of purse to create flap for purse.)
Row 12 – 15 (flap)
Ch 2, turn. Work Hdc in ea st on back side of bag only to create the flap for bag.
Row 16
Ch 2, turn. Hdc across row to center, ch 1 at center for buttonhole, then Hdc in each remaining st across row.
Row 17
Ch 2, turn. Work Hdc to center ch 1 space, work 2 Hdc in the buttonhole space. Hdc in each remaining st across row.
Fasten off and weave ends under on inside of the bag.
Strap: Create strap by attaching your plarn with a Sl St to spot where you want to start strap on side of purse next to flap. Chain until strap measures 36 inches or desired length. 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. 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.
Sew button on purse under buttonhole space.
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
Rnd – Round
Sc – Single Crochet
Sl St – Slip Stitch
Sk – Skip
Sp – Space
St – Stitch
This pattern is copyrighted by Cindy at 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. ©2008
****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: free-pattern, plarn, purse, recycled-plastic
Sep 18, 2008
Hey, Cindy, do you realize you are in on the ground floor of a boom (depression) industry. In the Great Depression of the 1930s, such things as house paint, and shoe repair–anything to gloss over and make do–thrived. You should be all set for what seems to be coming.
Sep 20, 2008
Very cute!! And it’s small enough that I won’t get distracted before I finish!
Sep 20, 2008
Wow, your blog is so awesome! I hope you don’t mind me adding you to my blog roll.
Sep 21, 2008
I really hate the patterns for recycled bags. They are always ugly. Now, tell me to unravel a sweater and reuse the yarn and I am with you!
Gail
Sep 21, 2008
@Gail,
I’m sorry you don’t like recycled bag patterns. I do have other patterns for recycled materials such as vcr tape, cassette tape, denim and also bed sheets. I hope you might take a look at those. I also love reusing yarn from recycled old clothes. Right now I’m working a purse from old tee-shirts. I hope to have it done soon if I get enough old tee-shirts to complete the project.
Sep 22, 2008
[…] Cindy at My Recycled Bags provides instructions for making an adorable Recycled Mini Shoulder Bag. […]
Sep 23, 2008
Wow, I just came to your site from dailyecotips.com and see that you are making the same bags that my grandmother makes from those old grocery bags. Kudos for putting up the instructions to go about making your own!
Sep 24, 2008
I don’t know if Gail is joking but I love your bag, it is so cute.
I think all you bags are really fab and what a brilliant idea to make bags from old plastic bags!
I tried to find out about plarn, but the link wasn’t working, will keep trying! x
Sep 29, 2008
[…] buy an alternative fuel or hybrid vehicle. These factors are discussed below. RecycleCindy presents Recycled Mini Shoulder Bag and Recycled Round Plarn Rug posted at My Recycled Bags.com. For the mini should bag Cindy says, […]
Oct 13, 2008
Thanks so much for participating in this month’s Carnival of Trash. I adore this gorgeous little bag. The Carnival has been published today over at http://www.therubbishdiet.co.uk.. Thanks again ;-D
Oct 13, 2008
Thanks so much for participating in this month’s Carnival of Trash. I adore this gorgeous little bag. The Carnival has been published today over at http://www.therubbishdiet.co.uk.. Thanks again ;-D
Oct 15, 2008
Wow, that is really great. What a brilliant idea. 😀
Jun 25, 2009
I opened my cabinet that stores my plastic bags and was attacked by them. I told hubby that I remembered a woman crocheting bread bags when I was a kid. I wondered if there was a way to do the same with these bags that i keep because I don’t want them to end up in landfills. Low and behold my search brought me to your website…one of hundreds that came back in my yahoo search. But yours gave me exactly what I needed. I could think of a million things to crochet with them, but not a clue how to go about connecting the bags. Thank you very much for your detailed instructions!!!! You made my night!
Jun 25, 2009
Nora,
So glad you found my site and checked out my patterns. It is so wonderful and rewarding to make things from otherwise trash. It’s free, frugal, and fun! Enjoy the patterns and thanks for sharing your story with me. It inspires me to keep doing this.
Feb 20, 2010
I am excited to say that I am going to make this bag to use as a sort of passport holder type bag, something to put cash and tix in to wear under a layer of clothes at the Olympics next weekend. I may have to use tighter stiches so nothing can fall out, even coins, but I wanted to say thank again cindy!!
Jan 24, 2015
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