Crochet Projects for Recycled Plastic Bags
As more people become aware of the need for reusing and recycling, there has been a growing concern about plastic bags. Instead of letting them pile up under the sink or throwing them away, crafters have decided to come up for uses for them. It's surprisingly easy to make "yarn" out of plastic bags, and there are a number of uncomplicated crochet projects that earth-friendly artists can make from it.
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Tote Bags
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Perhaps the easiest and the most popular plastic bag crochet project is the tote bag. Tote bags do not need a great deal of shaping and can be designed in simple squares or rectangles, along with two handles. An elongated rectangle would allow one-piece construction of the bag--just fold it and stitch up the sides with a large craft needle and more "yarn." Crocheted plastic tote bags are strong and need no liner if they are going to be used primarily for grocery shopping. Crocheted totes can be made all in one color or with stripes. You can make the plastic yarn by simply cutting the handles off a plastic bag so that it is more or less square, folding it vertically into a strip and then cutting it crosswise into 1-inch or 1/2-inch loops. Connect the pieces by looping them through each other one by one until you have a long ribbon that you can roll into a ball. It takes about thirty grocery bags to complete a small project.
Hats
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You can make extremely sturdy hats from recycled plastic bag "yarn," able to withstand washing, folding, being sat on or scrunching. You'll need about thirty bags' worth of plastic yarn and a crochet hook. Since plastic bag yarn can vary and the size of the hat is your own choice, you can choose almost any crochet hook. You may want to do a swatch to see that the result is acceptable before you start making and shaping your hat, however. Hats are generally crocheted in a circle. Artist Jeanne Barofsky has detailed instructions on how to crochet a plastic bag hat on her website.
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Rugs/Bath Mats
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If wearing something made from recycled plastic bags sounds hot and itchy, there are other things you can make with them instead. One easy crochet craft that works well with plastic bag yarn is a rug or a bath mat. These can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, as the only real shaping you will need to do is to make a coil or a rectangle. You won't have to worry about staining your rug and it should remain sturdy in all kinds of weather. Plastic bag bath mats will also retain less water and dry more quickly than regular mats.
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- Photo Credit crochet image by Lytse from Fotolia.com
