How to Make a Rug Out of Plastic Bags

When plastic bags start to reproduce under your kitchen sink, the burning question is, "What can I do with these stupid things?" Obviously, you can use them for cleaning up after your dog or even for carrying groceries home from the store again. But one more creative use for these ubiquitous signs of our commercial society is to recycle them as a rug for your floor.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Plastic shopping bags
• Plastic garbage bags or strong ribbon
• Scissors
• A piece of cardboard slightly bigger than the desired rug

Prepare

1. Make your loom. This plastic bag rug is woven and you'll begin by making a loom out of cardboard. To make this project VERY environmentally friendly, use a piece of recycled cardboard as well.
2. Cut the cardboard to size. It must be three inches larger than the size of plastic bag rug you want to make.
3. Use a yardstick or ruler to draw a line one and a half inches inside the top and bottom edges of the cardboard. Then make a mark every one and a half inches along each of the lines.
4. Use your scissors to cut a "V" at each mark along the top and bottom of the cardboard.
5. Cut the large garbage bag into six inch wide strips and tie them all together, making one long piece.
6. Wrap the long garbage-bag strip, or the ribbon, around the cardboard using the "V" to hold it in place. Tie the ends together in the back of the cardboard.

Weave

7. Cut the plastic shopping bags open along the sides and flatten them.
8. Tie three bags together. Vary the colors to make a more interesting rug.
9. Tie one end of the grocery bags to the top corner of the loom; to the garbage bag strip or ribbon, not the cardboard.
10. Weave the shopping bags over and under and over and under the garbage bag or ribbon strips. Alternate each row and add more bags as you work. Continue weaving your rug until the cardboard is completely filled.
11. Tie the last plastic shopping bag to the last strip in the bottom corner when the cardboard is full.
12. Cut the garbage bag strips or ribbon at the top and bottom of the loom. Be sure to cut them two at a time and tie them together to avoid having your new plastic bag rug unravel.