There are at least a couple of other instructables for similar projects already, including this one, showing a similar crocheted tote, and this one, showing a knitted plastic handbag.
I use this as a motivation to never forget my reusable bags. Every time I forget them and end up bringing a plastic bag home from the store, I have to save it and eventually crochet it into a reusable bag. This has worked on me. I am getting really tired of crocheting plastic.
My stupidity and lack of discipline has paid off, though, in that I think I've nailed down the elements that make up a good, sturdy plastic bag bag. The flat, structured bottom lets you set your bags on the counter for easy packing and unpacking, and the attached handles are strong enough even when the bag is loaded down.
I am way too stupid and lazy to count stitches and come up with an actual stitch-by-stitch pattern, so you will have to eyeball things a little as you go along to get it the size and shape you like.
What you'll need:
Scissors
A whole lot of plastic shopping bags
Crochet hook, size N
I use this as a motivation to never forget my reusable bags. Every time I forget them and end up bringing a plastic bag home from the store, I have to save it and eventually crochet it into a reusable bag. This has worked on me. I am getting really tired of crocheting plastic.
My stupidity and lack of discipline has paid off, though, in that I think I've nailed down the elements that make up a good, sturdy plastic bag bag. The flat, structured bottom lets you set your bags on the counter for easy packing and unpacking, and the attached handles are strong enough even when the bag is loaded down.
I am way too stupid and lazy to count stitches and come up with an actual stitch-by-stitch pattern, so you will have to eyeball things a little as you go along to get it the size and shape you like.
What you'll need:
Scissors
A whole lot of plastic shopping bags
Crochet hook, size N
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Signing UpStep 1: Make plastic bags into yarn
Note: I make yarn as I go along, so I only cut up one bag at a time. I find this is a little easier for me, as I don't have to keep track of a whole bunch of yarn at once, and it's slightly less tedious when you switch between cutting yarn and crocheting.
First, flatten your plastic bag as neatly as you can.
Keeping the bottom seam as flat, fold the bag vertically until it's maybe an inch wide, as shown in the second photo.
Snip off the bottom seam.
Cut the bag into strips anywhere from about .5 to 1 inch wide. This doesn't have to be perfect, and it doesnt' have to be consistent, so as long as the strips are thick enough to stay intact, and thin enough to work with, as in the third photo here.
Unfold the loops and connect them by using a girth hitch, described here. Pull the previous loop taut before attaching the next, so the loops are evenly spaced.
First, flatten your plastic bag as neatly as you can.
Keeping the bottom seam as flat, fold the bag vertically until it's maybe an inch wide, as shown in the second photo.
Snip off the bottom seam.
Cut the bag into strips anywhere from about .5 to 1 inch wide. This doesn't have to be perfect, and it doesnt' have to be consistent, so as long as the strips are thick enough to stay intact, and thin enough to work with, as in the third photo here.
Unfold the loops and connect them by using a girth hitch, described here. Pull the previous loop taut before attaching the next, so the loops are evenly spaced.
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I just made a small one of these a couple weeks ago on my knifty knitter to see how it went. Super easy project with a great outcome! Thanks for doing this instructable! It helps reuse plastic bags without making us all look like plastic bag users. Very important for the rep!
I've made probably 20-odd bags, and tried a bunch of different things, and this incorporates all of the little tweaks I've found that make for a strong, durable bag.
The major elements are the yarn width and stitching (the width of the strips, hook size, and single stitching only); the structured bottom to distribute the weight; and the short, integrated handle, rather than one that's made separately and then attached.
One of the bags in the final picture has been in very heavy use for about a year or so, and it's carried loads of cans and bottles that were almost too heavy for me to carry.
So, see, if you make the bags any stronger, you're going to have to hire people to help you carry them. And nobody wants to see that.