how do you make a blanket out of plastic grocery bags

How to Make a Plastic Bag Blanket

• Step 1: Materials Materials needed: Plastic bags (approximately 500 plastic bags) Scissors Crochet needle (12mm) ...
• Step 2: Flatten Each Bag Firstly, you need to flatten each bag by pulling from each corner. ...
• Step 3: Fold Each Bag ...
• Step 4: Cut Edges Off ...
• Step 5: Cut Loops ...
• Step 6: Connect Plastic Loops by Knot ...
• Step 7: Roll Line Into Crochet Ball! ...
• Step 8: Begin Crocheting! ...

Full Answer

How do you make a grocery bag blanket?

Leneah Havlicek holds a finished grocery bag blanket. Moville United Methodist Church organizer Leneah Havlicek of Moville demonstrates the steps involved in making a blanket out of plastic shopping bags. The first steps, above, involve flattening the grocery bag. After flattening, fold the bag into fourths, left.

How do you make a bag out of plastic bags?

Instructions: 1 Flatten the plastic bag to best you can and straighten any of the bags creases 2 Cut off the handles and the bottom seam so that you're left with a rectangle. This can then be cut into four strips... 3 After you have lots of loops, hook them together with a basic larks head knot. This is done by overlapping two of the... More ...

Can You crochet plastic bags with yarn?

Plastic yarn can be used to crochet shopping bags very easily. The basic instructions are above and can be modified to the desired size of bag. You are now ready to begin knitting or crocheting your plarn mat. The goal is a 3′ by 6′ size plastic yarn mat.

How many plastic bags do I need to make a mat?

500-700 plastic shopping bags (for a person-sized mat, but can vary depending on what you're using the mat for) 1. Flatten the plastic bag to best you can and straighten any of the bags creases 2. Cut off the handles and the bottom seam so that you're left with a rectangle. This can then be cut into four strips that become loops when opened up. 3.

How many plastic loops are in a bag?

How to avoid tangling plastic loops?

How to make a fringed blanket?

How to flatten a bag?

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What is plarn yarn?

Plarn is the ‘yarn’ also called plastic yarn that you will use to knit or crochet the plastic mat. Plarn is constructed from the plastic bags and will be used just as one would use yarn in knitting or crocheting. We will go through the steps below to make plarn and then the knitting and crocheting will begin.

How long is a 3 by 6 crochet bag?

Make a swatch to test your gauge to determine the number of stitches. A 3′ by 6′ marks standard size, minimum length is 5′. The thickness of the bag can slightly alter the gauge. I found thinner plastic bags such as ordinary grocery store bags (or my favorite Kroger bags!) were the easiest to knit; plarn looks thin, but actually knits or crochets like bulky yarn.

How to carry a yoga mat?

The carrying strap is simply a few stitches wide and long enough for a person to carry the rolled up mat cross body or over the shoulder. Roll the mat like a tube, attach one end of the strap and test the length of the mat on a volunteer to gauge the length needed before attaching the second end. Yoga mat straps also make a very practical and useful carrying strap.

What size knitting needles are available for bamboo?

The minimum size of knitting needle used is usually 10.

What size knitting needles are used for knitting?

If you are unsure of the needle size, t he bundle packs have needles up to size 15 which gives alot of latitude to find the needles which suit your gauge and the plarn. The minimum size of knitting needle used is usually 10.

Is plarn good for crochet?

I really enjoyed using plarn for knit and crochet projects which peeked my interest in other eco friendly knit and crochet projects. Amazon has a great selection of books for eco friendly projects. Check them out – sustainability is a good good idea indeed!

Can you crochet with plarn?

Let the knitting and crocheting begin! As with any new project once you are acclimated to the plarn, the stitches will begin to fly faster after those first few rows. Anything goes with plarn – it is quite flexible and forgiving – if a piece breaks simply tie it back together with a knot and continue where you left off.

How many mats does Patti make?

Since 2016, Patti has created over 100 mats. Patti, along with other ladies who crochet has visited churches, schools, and assisted living homes to teach people how to make the mats. She supplies bags and plarn to some of those efforts. When she first began, she started giving them to homeless people she’d see beside the road close to home. Then, she made a connection to give out mats through a man in Marietta who was involved in helping the homeless. Now, the mats also go to homeless people in Atlanta.

Why do Patti crochet bags?

Patti crochets the bags into a long and narrow shape so that they can be pulled up and over to provide more cover. Then, she uses more bags to create a strap so that the mats can be rolled up and carried easily.

Why do we turn plastic bags into mats?

Another added benefit is turning these bags into mats keeps them out of a landfill, since many recycling locations no longer accept plastic bags.

Who is the main crocheter?

While Patti is the main crocheter, there are several others who also spend time crocheting: Shan Dye (crochets mats and hats); Miriam Swain (mats); Shelvey Rodgers (mats); Beth Dean (mats); and Cara Chapman (mats).

Who is the girl who collected bags for M&J?

Sandra Dunbar’s daughter, who is a student at Campbell High School, has been collecting bags from her fellow classmates to donate. Amy Clark’s Girl Scout Troop has collected bags and helped out at one of the sorting, folding, cutting sessions as part of a service project as well.

How many plastic bags do you need for a crochet hook?

What you'll need: 500-700 plastic shopping bags (for a person-sized mat, but can vary depending on what you're using the mat for) 10mm or larger Crochet hook. Scissors.

What is blanket Melbourne?

Blanket Melbourne is a relatively new project that distributes warm and clean blankets to people living on the streets and have already reached their goal of providing each person with a blanket for winter.

What is the switch to Enova?

Switch to Enova, a women-led power company that's championing the transition to renewable energy and giving back to the local community. For every switch, 1 Million Women gets $50 to help us continue our critical work.

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Can plarn be used as a sleeping mat?

In particular plarn can be used as sleeping mats for people without access to shelter. As sleeping mats, they're more hygienic, water proof, easily transportable, and provide protection from the cold concrete. They're a welcome comfort to those living rough, while also keeping more plastic out of landfill and our marine systems!

Where is the movement crew?

The Movement Crew is a volunteer-run initiative that distributes necessities to less fortunate people and have drop-off stations in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Wollongong, Sunshine Coast, and Perth . They also have stations in New Zealand located in Auckland, Wellington, Bay of Plenty, Nelson, and Whangarei.

Can you donate plastic mats to the homeless?

Several charities across Australia have taken this initiative on board and have enthusiastically agreed to accept donations of plastic mats to be redistributed to the homeless. So get crochet crazy and improve the quality of life for those who need it most.

How many plastic loops are in a bag?

If you did this correctly, you should end up with 7 plastic loops for each bag so about 28 to 35 strips per group.

How to avoid tangling plastic loops?

To avoid tangling, wrap the attached loops into a big ball, similar to a ball of yarn. You could make these balls as small or as big as you like. The bigger the ball, the less you have to introduce a new loop to ...

How to make a fringed blanket?

To make the blanket a little more decorative, I added fringes to each end . I had extra strips left over so instead of throwing them out (recycle them). I decided to you them to make fringes. I took each strip and folded it over. I then wrapped the folded strip over the crochet needle and slipped it into each individual opening on each end of the blanket. Once inserted, you will have a loop on the top and a double strand below. Flip the strand over and insert it through the loop and pull. This creates a fringe. Continue until each opening on the top and bottom of the blanket has a fringe. Since the length of the fringes were too long I cut the length of fringes equally on both sides.

How to flatten a bag?

Firstly, you need to flatten each bag by pulling from each corner. Place four to five bags on top of each other at a time. Place them horizontally with the handles on one side and the bottom seam on the opposite side.