Crocheting with plarn (plastic yarn)

[Happyflowerlady]

Several years ago, I learned about crocheting with plarn, which is plastic “yarn” made from cutting up the plastic grocery bags. Since I enjoy simple crafting, and hate wasting anything; I now save my grocery bags, and then make them in to yarn and crochet them into throw rugs for the bedroom or bathroom.
The plastic bags last forever, and when used with a strand of colorful yarn, they make a very interesting rug that can go into the washer and dryer, and are soft and comfortable under your feet.

I have also used plarn , along with regular yarn, to make knitted slippers, and those last a long time also. This year, I am going to try making a nice heavy laprobe from plarn.
My husband smokes, so he goes out onto the front porch and sits when he smokes, and a warm lap robe should be handy for him this winter, and I think I would like one, even in the house, because I get cold so easily now.

There are good directions on youtube to make plarn, but basically, I just fold the bag over several times, cut off the top and handles, and then cut the bag into loops and string the loops together into a roll of plarn.
Here is one of the throw rugs I made from plarn grocery bags and regular 4-ply yarn. I used some white bags and some brown (Kroger) bags for this rug.

 

[Pepper]

Beautiful!

 

[hollydolly]

Several years ago, I learned about crocheting with plarn, which is plastic “yarn” made from cutting up the plastic grocery bags. Since I enjoy simple crafting, and hate wasting anything; I now save my grocery bags, and then make them in to yarn and crochet them into throw rugs for the bedroom or bathroom.
The plastic bags last forever, and when used with a strand of colorful yarn, they make a very interesting rug that can go into the washer and dryer, and are soft and comfortable under your feet.

I have also used plarn , along with regular yarn, to make knitted slippers, and those last a long time also. This year, I am going to try making a nice heavy laprobe from plarn.
My husband smokes, so he goes out onto the front porch and sits when he smokes, and a warm lap robe should be handy for him this winter, and I think I would like one, even in the house, because I get cold so easily now.

There are good directions on youtube to make plarn, but basically, I just fold the bag over several times, cut off the top and handles, and then cut the bag into loops and string the loops together into a roll of plarn.
Here is one of the throw rugs I made from plarn grocery bags and regular 4-ply yarn. I used some white bags and some brown (Kroger) bags for this rug.


View attachment 314988

wow..Yvonne.. super job....

 

[Tish]

Lovely.

 

[hearlady]

That's so nice!

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Several years ago, I learned about crocheting with plarn, which is plastic “yarn” made from cutting up the plastic grocery bags. Since I enjoy simple crafting, and hate wasting anything; I now save my grocery bags, and then make them in to yarn and crochet them into throw rugs for the bedroom or bathroom.
The plastic bags last forever, and when used with a strand of colorful yarn, they make a very interesting rug that can go into the washer and dryer, and are soft and comfortable under your feet.

I have also used plarn , along with regular yarn, to make knitted slippers, and those last a long time also. This year, I am going to try making a nice heavy laprobe from plarn.
My husband smokes, so he goes out onto the front porch and sits when he smokes, and a warm lap robe should be handy for him this winter, and I think I would like one, even in the house, because I get cold so easily now.

There are good directions on youtube to make plarn, but basically, I just fold the bag over several times, cut off the top and handles, and then cut the bag into loops and string the loops together into a roll of plarn.
Here is one of the throw rugs I made from plarn grocery bags and regular 4-ply yarn. I used some white bags and some brown (Kroger) bags for this rug.


View attachment 314988

Talented AND resourceful.
Well look at you.
Bravo. Very nice. I’ve never ‘really’ wanted to crochet but I might now. That’s brilliant.
The other stuff I’d always accidentally shrink.

 

[hollydolly]

One question tho' does it slip on the floor ?

 

[jujube]

Years ago, I made some tote bags by crocheting the plastic bag strips with a large crochet needle. I didn't have any instructions so muddled along until I got it right.

I made 4 or 5 of them. Gave them away and kept one but I have no idea where it is.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

One question tho' does it slip on the floor ?

They do not slip , at least on my floors. I can slide it around, so it does not grip like a rug with a base that clings to the floor; but we have one right by the bathtub and step on it getting into the bath every day, and it does not just slide around.
The bedroom one is on carpet, so no problems there. I am not sure how it would be on a slick hardwood floor, because I do not have that here. I think that having the yarn along with the plastic helps them not to slide.

I have made little rugs for dog beds, and they love sleeping on them, too. In fact, my Chipper, and now Marco Poodle, like to lie on my lap while I am crocheting anything large enough for them to snooze on while I am doing it.
It is something I enjoy doing in the cold and dreary winter months, when it is often too cold or wet to enjoy going outside. It is a great way to use up odds and ends of leftover yarn that you have no other projects for, and saves throwing away those grocery bags, too.

 

[Jules]

Very impressive.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Any plastic bags we get are plain white with advertising. Generally speaking most stores don’t carry them any more where we live. Where did you get purple , orange, green plastic bags?

 

[Happyflowerlady]

Any plastic bags we get are plain white with advertising. Generally speaking most stores don’t carry them any more where we live. Where did you get purple , orange, green plastic bags?

I didn’t get colored bags, just used colored yarn along with the bags, @PeppermintPatty . If you look closely at the picture I posted, you can see the little brown flecks in with the blue yarn, which are the brown Kroger bags. They are also in with the orange yarn, but do not show up as much as they do with the blue yarn.
In the white part, I used white bags and you can see the little blobs of color that are from the writing on the bags. Sometimes, we get yellow bags from the Dollar Store, and I might have used yellow bags in the orange part of that rug.
The fringe is just a multi-colored yarn that I had extra from some other project, and used for fringe, and no plastic.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I didn’t get colored bags, just used colored yarn along with the bags, @PeppermintPatty . If you look closely at the picture I posted, you can see the little brown flecks in with the blue yarn, which are the brown Kroger bags. They are also in with the orange yarn, but do not show up as much as they do with the blue yarn.
In the white part, I used white bags and you can see the little blobs of color that are from the writing on the bags. Sometimes, we get yellow bags from the Dollar Store, and I might have used yellow bags in the orange part of that rug.
The fringe is just a multi-colored yarn that I had extra from some other project, and used for fringe, and no plastic.

That’s impressive. What patience and tolerance you must have. What a great idea on so many levels. We have so much plastic on our earth that it’s so inspirational seeing someone using it up in such a beautiful creative way. Good stuff.

 

[MarciKS]

i agree, very impressive. how do you make the bags into yarn?

 

[Kaila]

Wow! That's great!
Both the final products, and the fact that it uses something, that is otherwise so negative and useless.

Thanks for sharing about it!

 

[Happyflowerlady]

i agree, very impressive. how do you make the bags into yarn?

To make the plarn, I fold the bags lengthwise, cut off the top part with the handle, and then cut strips, which make loops, and then connect the loops together, and roll them into a ball.
This sounds complicated when I explain it, but it is actually simple to do. Once you have the ball of plarn, then I use a strand of plarn and a strand of regular yarn together to crochet with.

Here is a short video on making them the way that i do it. Some people also use just the plastic bags and make mats for homeless people , which is another good way to recycle something that otherwise just gets dumped in landfills. They can be donated to homeless shelters.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

Winter weather has arrived here in north Alabama, and it is time for crocheting again. My husband goes outside to smoke and watch what is happening in the neighborhood, and he has a favorite chair where he likes to just sit and relax; so I decided that i would make him a nice heavy lap robe to put over his legs when he is outside.
I just finished it, and it is made from variegated yarn and plastic grocery bags, so it is nice and cozy warm for him. It is fairly good sized, larger than it looks in this photo.

 

[tinytn]

ive been crocheting for years mostly baby things,, for my grands and great grands, anyway ,, Im going to give it your unique idea a try,, ,,and i have plenty of plastic bags here at home , mainly use it for my small trash cans in my home. mine are mostly white so now wonder how you can clean the the rugs when need be, im guessing would be ok to just wash them by hand?either way , im going to try it, ...going to watch your video..

 

[Teacher Terry]

A local woman teaches people how to crochet sleeping mats out of plastic bags to give to the homeless. I always donate bags.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

ive been crocheting for years mostly baby things,, for my grands and great grands, anyway ,, Im going to give it your unique idea a try,, ,,and i have plenty of plastic bags here at home , mainly use it for my small trash cans in my home. mine are mostly white so now wonder how you can clean the the rugs when need be, im guessing would be ok to just wash them by hand?either way , im going to try it, ...going to watch your video..

I just throw them in the washer and the dryer. These rugs are virtually indestructible and last forever. They dry fast, so you can just wash them and hang them over something to dry, too.

 

[Kaila]

It sounds like these items would also be nice to keep some on hand in the car or truck.
On the seat and back cushions, and for covering legs, when chilly.

I might try to see if I could do it with the fat crochet needles that I have to use now, and then to see how they would be for cushions sitting in the wheelchair; which people assume is comfortable (because you're "just siting")
But it's not comfortable!
Perhaps these type of mats, would have a slight bounce to them.

 

[Meanderer]

A plarn rug

 

[Kaila]

Thanks, @Meanderer
I'm impressed.

And it seems like it might work fine with the bulky crochet needles!

 

[Happyflowerlady]

It should work fine with whatever size needles you like to use, @Kaila . The one I am using is about a 5.5 mm one, but as long as you can comfortably crochet with it, any size should work.

 

[hearlady]

Here is my plarn table cover. It has since deteriorated in the sun. Too bad.