Plastic grocery bags are routinely discarded after a single use. Instead of tossing them out with the trash, you can try to repurpose used bags into plarn!
Plastic yarn, otherwise known as “plarn”, is made by cutting a plastic bag into strips and then stitching the strips together as with regular yarn. After stitching them together and forming one continuous piece, the plarn can easily be knitted into reusable shopping bags, welcome mats, coasters and more. Why use plarn? Apart from the creativity and durability of using strung together pieces of plastic, plarn also helps to reduce plastic waste consumption by repurposing something that likely would have found its way to slowly deteriorating in a landfill or polluting the ocean. Instead of discarding something that takes between 10 and 1000 years to decompose, why not transform them into a sturdy reusable tote bag? In order to make plarn, follow these simple step-by-step instructions from Leisure Arts YouTube video, How to Make Plarn. Step 1: Gather several grocery bags. The amount will vary depending on the desired size of the bag, but anywhere around 50 bags should do the trick. Step 2: Lay the bags out on a flat surface, smoothing out any creases and folds. Step 3: Fold the bag in half lengthwise three times, then cut off the top handles as well as the bottom seam. Step 4: Cut the bag into 1 inch strips. Step 5: Open each strip and lay them out on a flat surface. Using two pieces at a time, create a slip knot to string the individual pieces together. Continue doing this until one continuous strand is formed. Once all the pieces have been joined together to form a single strand, begin making a reusable shopping bag following these instructions from Etsy. To begin making a reusable grocery bag, start by first making the base of the bag. Decide on the size and chain about 20 stitches (add more for a wider base), then turn and begin crocheting as normal. Once the desired width is reached, use a single, double, or half double stitch (depending upon preference) and begin working around the base (instead of back and forth). After the desired depth of the bag is reached, begin working on the handles. This can be done by crocheting the handles separately and then sewing them on with more plarn or by crocheting it on the bag itself. I have to disclose that I’ve been a total failure at making plarn, mostly because I seem to lack the patience to see it through to a final finished product, but also because I may have done too good a job getting my family to eliminate plastic bags - I couldn’t find enough to make anything! But I’m committed to using the bags that come our way toward a successful plarn project sometime in the coming months, if for no other reason than to relieve the stress of applying to college. Have you made a plarn project? Share a picture with us, and we’ll share it here!
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