Welcome to plastic bag pattern headquarters! I am building a library of patterns here for crocheting with plastic grocery bags and other recycled materials. Currently I have free patterns available for purses, a plastic bag keeper, shoulder bags, coasters, and other bags.
If you are new to crafting with plastic bags here is the tutorial on how to create yarn from plastic bags.
You may also want to read my tips on crafting with plastic grocery bags, just click here.
I love to share my free patterns and recycling ideas with others to promote recycled crafting. My plan is to continue building this website blog into one of the best resources for crafting with plastic bags as well as covering other materials that can be used. More patterns are being added all the time so please make sure you check back often.
September 2014 update:
It has been over 7 years since I first wrote this post and over the years I have added many new recycled plastic bag patterns to my blog. You can find a list of all the patterns with thumbnail photos of each project at my free patterns page.
Thanks for visiting My Recycled Bags!
Plastic Bag Keeper
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.
———————————————————————————————————————
Free Recycled Plastic Bag Keeper Pattern
Finished Bag Keeper measures 4 inches circular wide and 18 inches long.
Strap holder length is 10 inches.
Material: One large ball of plastic bags cut into 1 inch strips.
Hook: Metal N (9 mm) crochet hook
Recycled Shoulder Bag
This is one of my all time favorite bags that I have created. It’s a crocheted shoulder bag made of recycled tan plastic grocery bags. It is a quick and easy crochet project to try if you are just starting out doing recycled crafts. If you need to know how to create yarn from plastic bags, here is my link to the step by step process to make the plastic bag yarn. If you want a larger bag, just add more stitches to your beginning chain and if you would rather have a deeper bag, just increase your rounds as desired. This pattern is worked in rounds and you do not join at the end of each round. Because of this you do not need to sew side seams together. As you work the first few rounds, the bag will turn up at the sides. Just continue working one Hdc in each stitch around and it naturally forms your purse without having to sew any side seams.
Enjoy this fun eco-friendly project!
—————————————————————————————————————-
Crocheted Recycled Plastic Shoulder Bag Pattern
Purse measures 9 inches wide and 6 inches long.
Strap length is 42 inches when not tied.
Material: One large ball of plastic bags cut into 1 inch strips.
One button 7/8 inch button shown on bag.
Hook: Metal N (9 mm) crochet hook
For complete pattern just click on read more link below.
Recycled Plastic Bag Coasters
I had been asked recently if I had a recycled coaster pattern. At that time, I did not have a pattern nor had I ever crocheted any coasters using recycled plastic bags. I decided that there are many things that I need to crochet using recycled plastic bags. So I have complied a to-do list of items and will attempt to create each item out of recycled materials.
Once I successfully complete each item, I will share the pattern with everyone. Some of the items have been made by other people in the past but I will make and test my own patterns. That way I can post the free patterns all here. I want to build this website into a complete library of free patterns where crafters can come, learn, and try new ideas using recycled materials. My goal is to continue promoting eco-friendly products through recycling and crafting.
So here is this week’s first installment of new projects and patterns from my to-do list – recycled plastic bag coasters!
These are a quick item to crochet. I made this set of four in no time at all. Two were crocheted using all white (with red specks) plastic grocery bags and the other two using grey plastic bags to create a different look.
————————————————————————————————————
Crocheted Recycled Plastic Coasters Pattern
Coasters measure 4 inches wide across.
Material: Plastic bags cut into 1 inch strips — Grey and white bags shown in pattern.
Hook: Metal N (9 mm) crochet hook
I wanted to bring everyone up to date on my latest discoveries and completed projects using different recycled materials. Recently I used VHS tape to crochet an evening bag and also a round Motif bag purse. It works fairly well to crochet using the VHS tape but you do need to pull a bit on your stitches to make them uniform and even. Be careful as it can be a bit hard on your fingers and joints. It is a wonderful way to use those old VHS tapes that so many of us have lying around. The black tape gives a pretty sparkly sheen to your project. It appears to do be an excellent eco-friendly way to recycle those tapes!
Next I experimented using cassette tape as yarn. It’s much narrower and you need to use a small hook. I used single strand tape to make a set of Barbie Fashion Doll purses. The free patterns are available under my pattern link on the right. I must say that crocheting with cassette tape is easier on my joints and smoother to crochet stitches with. Another nice discovery was that you do not need to open up the case to use the brown tape as yarn. You simply use a rewound tape and cut off the clear lead so you just have the brown tape to pull out of the case. You can then just work your project by pulling out the tape as you go. It reels out smoothly and you don’t have to worry about your yarn getting tangled. Be careful as the tape colors do vary so check your color shades when you do your projects.
My latest project consists of plastic bags and cassette tape used as yarn. The brown center was a plastic grocery bag I cut very narrow to match my cassette tape width. I cut the plastic bag strips at about ¼ inch. Now I know this is narrow but you need this to match the brown cassette tape. I believe this is a bit like working with thread. While I don’t work with thread much, this was an easy item to stitch as you don’t need to manhandle your work. The stitching seems to move along effortlessly unlike some of the other recycled materials I use. I will post a picture of the bag here when it is completed.
Knitting Links for Recycled Bags
I will continue to try out new and test other recycled materials here on this website. My motto continues to be that this website blog is dedicated to recycling and crafting. In an effort to expand beyond just crocheted recycled crafts, I wanted to share with you several knitted recycled bags. Thanks to Mike at Pieandcoffee.org who agreed to allow me to link this knitted recycled plastic bag in a post.
So for you knitters out there, click on this link for instructions on creating a knitted recycled tote bag using a different method than I do for the […]
This week’s recycled bag is made with two different recycled materials. First plastic bags were used for the center Motif using pink and grey retail bags. Next an old recycled VHS tape was used for the black yarn in this project. I call this my diversified recycling craft idea. It uses several items that many of us having lying around and don’t know what to do with. If you didn’t already read my blog about how to use old VHS tape as yarn, just click on this link to get the full details on how it is done.
I am attempting to take recycling to a new crafting level and make extra eco-friendly products. I am experimenting using new materials and putting together different things to create new looks and ideas. I hope you enjoy this free pattern and challenge yourself to try a recycled craft project today! It is a lot of fun and very rewarding.
Free Recycled Round Crocheted Motif Bag Pattern
Materials: Plastic bags and VHS tape
Size: 9 inch round bag with 2-1/2 inch center Motif if using 3/4 to 1 inch strips of cut plastic bags. Strap 38 inches long when not tied.
Hook: N metal crochet hook used in this pattern.
Click on the read more link below for complete pattern.
It is time for another installment to my website blog. I hope you have enjoyed and learned a bit more about recycled bags from my first blog and the subsequent articles I’ve posted here.
It has been just about a month since I began this adventure. I do use the word adventure rather than venture because I am having so much fun. I am learning and discovering new things at every turn. So far it has been a thrilling adventure! I’m so excited by the response that I have had concerning recycling and crafting. Many people had no idea the crafts that could be created using recycled plastic bags. I find sharing my knowledge of recycled crafts very rewarding. It’s like giving someone a gift and it doesn’t even cost me anything. The crocheted Granny Square Motif bag was especially well received. I posted the free pattern on several crafting and crocheting boards so it could be shared with the most crafters. The pattern was picked up by Craftzine, CraftGossip, Crochet n More, and Crochet Pattern Central. It is wonderful that so many sites and crafters are interested in recycling and my craft ideas.
I want to let everyone know that I have appreciated all the comments and emails that I have received concerning this website. I hope to expand it to include more free patterns, helpful links, product tips, eco-friendly ideas and other valuable information for all of us interested in crafting and recycling. Please feel free to contact me if you have something you want to share with others at this website. Just click on the My Contact at the top of the page.
Well that’s about all for this installment of My Recycled Bags.com blog.
Remember my motto — enjoy!
Cindy
My Recycled Bags.com
A Website dedicated to recycling & crafting
Each photo below is thumbnailed, click on photo to view larger size
This process is a great way to recycle those old plastic bags into something useful. You can crochet or knit a cool tote bag similar to reusable totes that are sold.
Cutting
Lay recycled bag out flat
Fold in half lengthwise then fold in half again
Cut off top handles
Cut bag in strips about 1 inch wide or as desired
Set aside the end of bag where bottom edge was glued. The ends and the handles can be recycled either as stuffing for other projects, packing material for shipping, or taken to your local recycling bin for plastic bags.
Tying strips together
Take two strips and inter-twine together as shown
Gently pull on ends to knot two strips together
Connect next strip to last strip in the same manner
Continue connecting strips until you have a large ball of plastic yarn
Tips:
Pull ends evenly to create a smooth and flat strip.
If you find your strip doesn’t lie flat between knots, you didn’t pull
evenly which creates a bunched strip. Just make sure your strip is
even before you pull your knot tight between the two connected
strips. To fix a bunched strip, just loosen your knot between the strips
then pull on the ends again to make your strip flat and smooth.
Granny Square Motif Bag
Crocheted using recycled plastic bags this Granny Square Bag
is a quick and fun project!
Size: Approx. 8-9 inch square bag if using 3/4 to 1 inch strips of cut plastic bags into plarn.
Hook: N metal crochet hook used in this Motif pattern.
(Any large size hook can be used but Motif size will vary.)
With center color (White shown) Ch 4, Sl St to form ring.
Recent Comments