How to make plastic yarn

Why use yarn when you can have plarn? Inspired by eco-friendly crafts, I decided to make my first ball of “plarn”. Plarn is plastic yarn. The image to the right is my first proud ball of plarn. The ball contains about 10 plastic grocery bags. You can use plarn to crochet just about anything. To make plarn, all you need is a bunch of old plastic bags and a pair of scissors. Here is how I made it.

Step 1: Lay bag flat

Step 2: Fold bag in half

Step 3: Fold bag in half again

Step 4: Cut off handles and bottom of bag. Discard them into a recycling bin.

Step 5: Cut bag into 1 inch strips. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can also make thicker or thinner strips if desired. Just remember that thinner strips are more likely to tear.

Step 6: Open two strips and lay one on top of the other


Step 7: Take the loop that is on the bottom and pull it through itself

Step 8: Continue to add more loops to the end as desired

 

Once you have a nice ball of plarn, you are set to start making your first plarn crochet project

This is not my creation.

This is how I got my start. You can find patterns and more instructions on www.crochetpatterncentral.com , then go to free pattern directory and look for Plarn Items. The website is free. If you want I can bring the stuff and we can have a plarn class.LOL who'd of thought. Something else. It's good to have something to put the pieces of bags in until you want to put them together. Also you'll still have to trash the handles. I thought about getting a shredder and using them as stuffing for the animals I make, I tried just cutting the pieces into shreds but fingers get really sore.

It takes about 50 used bags to make one recycled bag. but the recycled one is almost indestructable.

maybe those of us that would like Jeanie to show us how she crochets the plarn into the bags will have our balls of plarn made and she can instruct us on it at the next meeting. i for one need something to do while stuck in the house these cold winter days. cause i think when you are in the house you are there to eat or sleep. 
Jeanie do we need what size crochet needle?  hey i bet i could make a big rug for the back porch lol . i do remember how to do that from scraps of material tied together. 

Jan sounds good, I'd love to share this. You need a size N aluminum crochet hook, scissors and plastic bags. I think there is a pattern for a round rug just like the old fashioned rag rugs.