Green crafting is a popular way to use up recycled items to give as gifts or for yourself. Plarn is the term for yarn made from recycled plastic shopping bags. It can then be used to make all sorts of crafts. Tote bags seem to be the most popular. It’s easy to crochet with plarn. I haven’t tried knitting with it yet, but I’ve seen some beautiful knitted items like glasses and cigarette cases, jewelry and purses. It’s an incredibly versatile craft.
Some people get really creative and make bowls, hats and even jackets. You can buy plarn but since the point is to recycle, you can try your hand at making your own. It’s easy to make but a little time consuming. You do need to be careful when you make it not to get too rough when you’re pulling on the plastic. Otherwise, it will rip which is annoying.
In the video below, YouTube user copabananas shares her plarn making technique and shows some tips on crocheting a tote bag.
Some other ideas for plarn are:
- Crochet or braided rugs.
- Baskets.
- Cup and can cozies.
- Rope and cording.
You might be surprised at how sturdy plarn is when it’s stitched which is why I added rope and cording to the list. For some of the crafts you could try making long strands of single crochet and braiding them together for some of the projects such as the rugs and rope. It’s an excellent craft to use your imagination with. Have fun green crafting!
great article..I love to crochet… I had no idea you could use paper bags.. thanks for sharing..
Debbie
Yay plarn! Better do it now because we’re working hard to ban the raw material. I haven’t plarned much since 2009 and I make serious efforts NOT to accumulate single use plastic bags by declining them, but I still have enough stockpiled to make a few totes. I always knitted mine, because I never learned to crochet.
It’s definitely a good way to use up your stash of bags. Thank you both for coming by and reading.