Instructions for Knitting Plastic Bag Purses

Plastic bags can serve as a type of knitting material.

You can recycle your plastic bags into sturdy purses by first cutting the plastic bags into long strips and then knitting the resulting strips. These uncomplicated and useful purses will hold all the essentials -- including your cell phone, wallet and more -- in a secure and water-resistant satchel. A basic knowledge of how to knit is needed to make these plastic-bag purses, which could also serve as thoughtful yet inexpensive handmade gifts.

Things You'll Need

• 100 plastic grocery bags
• Scissors
• Bamboo knitting needles size 10
• Ruler
• Tapestry needle

Instructions

1. Cut each plastic grocery bag into a long 2-inch-wide plastic strip, starting at the top edge and spiraling the cut through the entire plastic bag.

2. Wind the strips into a large ball of plastic strip "yarn" without tying the strips to each other.

3. Cast on 50 stitches with the knitting needles and plastic yarn.

4. Knit every row until the piece of knitting measures twice as long as the width. Do not attach the plastic strips to each other with knots, but leave the ends loose for a decorative and casual appearance, adding another strip when 2 inches of the preceding strip is left.

5. Bind off all stitches. Thread the tapestry needle with a 2-foot length of plastic-bag yarn. Fold the piece of knitting in half lengthwise and sew up the purse side seams.

6. Thread the needle with a 3-foot length of plastic-bag yarn. Weave the yarn between all the stitches of the top edge of the purse, without piercing any plastic, for a purse drawstring.

7. Knot the ends of the drawstring and pull the string to close the completed plastic-bag purse.

References

• "The Green Crafter"; Richela Fabian Morgan; Citadel Press; 2009
• Craft Yarn Council of America: Learn Knit Stitch