“Plarn is short for “plastic yarn.” Plarn is made by cutting plastic grocery bags into strips, which are then strung together into a single long strand. You can use plarn instead of regular yarn to crochet sturdy, reusable tote bags, purses, doormats, and more.” ~Plastic Bag Crafts
We all collect bags from various shopping centers. If you don’t have an option for paper bags at your local stores or if you don’t carry-in your personal market bags, you end up stock-piling a collection of plastic bags that can one day end up in our landfills. BOOOO!! We don’t want that!!! So, what do we do with this accumulation? Well, I’ve got a solution! I did an experiment to make my own reusable market bag recycling about 35 plastic bags.
Once you determine what you plan to make, and you have accumulated a significant amount of plastic, the biggest “chore” of this entire project is cutting the strips to make the plarn. In this case, I use the term “chore” lightly. This literally takes little to no time, but I find it to be the one thing most people complain about.
I followed the instructions in this link to make my plarn. This information is very helpful in helping you create the amount of plarn needed for your project!
Once my plarn was cut, I rolled each bag up into a ball of plarn! I used a variety of Target bags and some gray grocery bags. I used a J-6.00mm crochet hook and a single crochet method to make this bag.
These are very easy to make and end up being very durable! There are various tutorials online to show you how to make your own! Then, you’re all set to use your new bag the next time you go to the market! I gave this one to my sister-in-law and she uses it ever summer at the farmers market! Use this idea on a smaller scale to make your own lunch bag or for other creative ideas using plarn! Enjoy!!
Have you tried this technique before? Share what you’ve made with plarn in the comments section!!
~Nadia
Thank you for this great post, Nadia! I love making and using plarn. It’s free, as opposed to purchasing yarn. I have made doormats as well as bathroom rugs out of it. My current project is making laundry hampers with handles. Double it’s durability by using one strand of string or yarn scraps along with your plarn strand. Easy to make, easy to wash. Our local Wal-Mart also accepts plastics bags that they, in turn, recycle. If you can, recycle or reuse plastic bags. Save money, save the environment! -Valeri
Hi! How do u make an outdoor rug with plarn?
Tonya Boone
On Apr 21, 2017 1:48 PM, “YARNutopia by Nadia Fuad” wrote:
> Nadia Fuad posted: “”Plarn is short for “plastic yarn.” Plarn is made by > cutting plastic grocery bags into strips, which are then strung together > into a single long strand. You can use plarn instead of regular yarn to > crochet sturdy, reusable tote bags, purses, doormats, and” >
Typically, outdoor rugs are 3′ x 4′, or 4′ square. A easy pattern for a rug this size would be comparable to using a simple single crochet baby blanket pattern. If single crochet seems too boring, granny square blankets patterns make great rugs, too. I would check out Ravelry or AllFreeCrochet for brainstorming ideas. Good luck and have fun! -Valeri
Wow it looks really good!