Recycle Plastic Shopping Bags into 'Yarn'

Recycling plastic grocery bags and plastic shopping bags is nothing really new, but I like to do my recycling without smelling up my environment. If you merely return your bags to your local grocer for recycling, they will melt them down to make new bags. This emits more pollution into the air. I also discovered that fusing plastic bags releases noxious fumes into the air and I don't think that's any better either. So, in comes the scissors.

Step 1 Lay out a plastic bag.

Lay out a plastic bag, tucking in the side seams and smoothing the bag flat. It doesn't have to be perfect.

Comments

[kc8hps]

This brings back memories. My grandmother 40 years ago did this. she would crochet the bags and make oval rugs out of them. they were strudy and thick, she used them as entry mats at the doors of her home. being water proof they lasted a long time.

[pamgotcher]

Boy, I was just saying to myself as I read the previous step that this is one of the few times I really wished I could see a video - and there it is! Thanks

[Saturn V]

WOW! Five stars!

[Saturn V]

That's pretty cool! I'll have to do this!

[mcguinty]

This would be perfect for nalbinding. It's a cloth making method that requires you to pass the length of thread through each knot and connect more thread as you go. This results in a significantly stronger cloth and is not as hard as it seems. Here are some links on how to do a few of the variations Nalbinding workshop, Viking History:Nalbinding, and Connecting wool thread. I recommend starting with the Oslo stitch video from the second link.

[Mistress_Ariana]

I also use this method to make the mat I park outside my front door!  It looks pretty good when done with the beige bags--kind of like a straw mat.  It has enough texture to remove the debris from your feet before you come into the house, it can be tossed into the washing machine on gentle when it becomes dirty (but DON'T dry it in the dryer!), and when the hot Florida sunshine finally makes it give up the ghost, it is cost-effective and easy to just whip up a new one!  Woo  hoo!

[Lyssterine]

Brilliant!

[BarginsTech]

You can also use the "yarn" strips to tie up plants in the garden. You can tie them tight without killing your plants :]

[MaggieTCat]

A group here in New Orleans made plastic yarn blankets for homeless people since they were lightweight and pretty water-proof. I've been looking for the directions since, so thanks! =^.=

[PieMaster777]

i wonder if i could make a hammok with this

[MissPennyFarthing]

Cool! Nice instructable! :-) How much weight can the finished bag carry?

[tldudenhoeffer]

We tested it and so far it can carry 70lbs of groceries with minimal stretching. It's super strong! Leigh

[xilefakamot]

How did you fit 70lbs in there? It looks pretty small... Great instructable - I'll have to try it sometime

[MissPennyFarthing]

Wow! That is a LOT of groceries!! Thanks for letting me know! And thanks for the Instructable! :-)

[Kalispelldude]

there is another grocery bag pattern available here... http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2007/12/02/recycled-grocery-tote-bag/

[weezie putman]

Very nice instructions, especially the video.

[plzspoilme25]

so has anyone come up with a way to do something similar without crochet? seems alot of us like this but dont know how to crochet

[tldudenhoeffer]

Yes. You can take a box about the size of a Priority mail flat rate box and use it as a box loom and weave the bag. If you decide to weave the bag on a box loom, I'd like to see it.

Here are some links that can help get you started:
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/file/weavecardboardloom.pdf
http://www.fibre-art.com/box_weaving.htm
http://www.montessoriworld.org/Handwork/weave/weaving3.html

Any questions?? Feel free to ask!! Leigh MacD

[plzspoilme25]

ah of course.....that would work i'm looking for more of an 'airy' look like the crochet bag, and of course i've done that type of weaving b4 i never get it finished quite right, course having a.d.d. i'm good to get anything finished, at all. i think i'll try the finger weaving method maybe i wont mess it up since the plastic bags will be a wider width. tnx for the advice

[Ouchimoo]

That bag actually looks so great it makes me kind of wish I know how to crochet.

[Sullen70]

I was hoping someone would put up this instructable. Thanks! Our church did a humanitarian project last year, collecting bags and cutting them into strips which we then sent to a group in Africa. The women in this group would make the bags and sell them to tourists. They could feed their family for a month with the revenue from selling one bag.

[tachu]

Do you know where in Africa we can send these to?

[msdrpepper]

OH what a neat idea! What part of Africa? I could share this with my pastor - he's off to Ghana later in the summer. I really don't know the situation there, how many tourists actually visit the areas where his congregations are, other then the ones that might live near the larger cities like Accra ?

[katz]

This is a great! I have come up with some really cool things made by recycling very common things, like plastic bags or beer caps that people in very poor countries can make without spending money on materials and earn themselves a living (like jewellery etc). But I have not found a way of contacting with someone "on the other side" and interested if you can give me contact details or info on how you found where to send it in Africa. Thanks!

[Newblit]

You should make this into a back pack so you can carry more groceries in it if you ever get a instructable on that I would surely make it.

[walkerpedia]

that's an awesome bag...just wish i knew how to crochet

[marsuecom1]

I really like this idea, will have to try it for sure. Have you ever made it with different colored bags? Seems all I ever get are white ones.

[tldudenhoeffer]

I've done it with all types of colors. We get all the wierd colors for bags and promos all the time. I would have to say that white plastic bags make up about 80% of all the bags out there. At least in the U.S., anyway. Leigh

[msdrpepper]

I love this idea and want to share it with my grandma who always liked to knit and crochet but nowadays price of yarn is more expensive then she can afford - and we got so many plastic bags, you'd think they were breeding in the dark!

BTW, I wanted to refer her to the link but I got a 404 Link Not found error - is there a better URL address for the pattern? (as in "...The pattern for this bag can be found at: http://orangeflower.typepad.com/orange_flower/2008/02/crochet-basket.html
" which was quoted up in the beginning part of the instructions.).

Thanks!

[tldudenhoeffer]

I have posted an alternate link that came with the pattern. It is http://chickpeastudio.typepad.com/chickpea_sewing_studio/2008/02/the-little-croc.html

I have also updated the instructable so it is current. Thank you for letting me know!!!! Leigh

[msdrpepper]

cool!! Thanks! so this one is shown in yarn but it makes up okay using the plastic bags as well??

[tldudenhoeffer]

The pic in step 9 is the one made from plastic bags with the modifications for the handles. I included the original pattern with the mods because it's much stronger with grocery bag type handles. If you make straps or just one, long strap, it's not as strong.

[casey321b]

this is cool. i saw a video in the make magazine podcast. WHEN BRE WAS STILL DOING IT!!!! (sorry just needed to bring that up here) and made the yarn but i found it was very fragile and would rip. is There any way to strengthen it? I think I already have an idea but still i would like more.

[casey321b]

and i forgot to ask. is there anywhere that is a really good site that teaches crochet?

[cooltogo]

This is really cool! My grandma used to make rugs out of discarded stockings. I was too little to understand the mechanics, and your instructions on tying strips together would work for old nylons, too. I think a plastic bag or nylon mat would be great for getting out of the shower and not get cold feet on the tile.

[Badgergirl]

Hmm. This looks really cool. Is there a way I could do it without crocheting?

[tldudenhoeffer]

If you wanted to, you could knit it. Another way would be to get one of those cool looking knitting boards and do it that way. I've heard a lot of people weave them, but I don't like the weaving because it's too thin. When I want something super strong, I just crochet it!!! Leigh

[casey321b]

ive done this. it takes a while but i recomend weaving and not knitting or crocheting. even easier that that is plastic bag fabric http://www.instructables.com/id/Plastic-Bag-Fabric!/

[elfian]

Im proud to say that the fate of even more platic bags has been altered by thie post,Im having fun with it ,its very addictive and actually comes up looking pretty good too."I cant believe its plastic!"at least its not synthetic posing as wool or cotton.Ha Ha!Thanks for the great tip on the cutting.Im thinking of crocheting a sculptural piece of a human to make a statment of some sort about the connection between the human need to create convience without concience and the possibility to transform those disasters.

[tldudenhoeffer]

Makezine
Craftzine
I think that would be a very interesting project!! When you get it finished, be sure to submit it to the Makezine Blog and the Craftzine blog.