Following is a guest post from frugal friend Lainey… enjoy!!
Do you love to crochet? Or do you know someone who does?? Here’s a fun tutorial for you… How to Make a Plarn Bag!
Wait ~ what in the world is plarn?? Well… it’s basically plastic grocery bags turned into yarn! Just recycle and reuse your old bags, and you’ve got yourself some plarn! 😉
How to Make a Plarn Bag
Step 1: Make your plarn!
- Use grocery bags such as Bi-Lo,Wal-Mart, CVS, etc.. Some others may be too stiff to use or too easy to tear.
- To make plarn… first lay the bag flat. Fold it in half and in half again. Cut off the handles and bottom off of the bag, then throw those away.
- Then cut the bag into roughly 1 inch strips. They do NOT have to be perfect! BUT if you have a large hole that makes the strip almost torn apart, do not use this strip.
- Open 2 strips and loop them together. Continue until you have a large ball. {how to make plarn video} However, if you want smaller balls, just attach a small one to another one as you use them. You can mix colors of bags or use solid colors. Pull GENTLY when looping together. If you pull that strip apart, take it off and do not use it.
>> Go here for a Video Tutorial on How to Make Plarn.
Step 2: Make the Bag!
- Loosely chain 45 with a K hook or an L. Using a K hook (I use an L to do the chain and then change to a K to crochet with), go into the 3rd chain with a dc (double crochet) and in each ch across, do a dc. *ch 3 and turn. Go into the back loop of the 2nd dc from the previous row and dc in each back loop across and in the top of the ch 3 from the row before*.
- Do 9 more rows from * to * until you have 10 rows of dc. Fold in half and single crochet across the bottom and up one side. Break off plarn. Do this part as evenly as you can and be sure the bag is laying flat as you go. Join onto a good firm piece of plarn at one side of the top of the bag. Chain across to the other side with 56 chains and join onto that side firmly. Ch 1, join again so that it will hold well. Ch 56 again and cut the plarn leaving a 6 inch tail but still holding your last chain in the hook. Twist the chain around the first chain until well twisted. Join right beside the place where you first joined on to start chaining. Tie off and pull the plarn firmly but gently closed. Then tie a knot using both ends. Work both ends in.
- Using some kind of trim or several lengths of a contrasting yarn, weave around the second row from the top of the bag going in 3 dc and out 3 dc until all the way around. Tie the 2 ends together and leave a long tassel down one end as decoration.
Lainey is a year round volunteer with Operation Christmas Child, and always tries to find ways to reasonably make items… so she can do more! She lives in South Carolina with her four cats… and is a stay-at-home wife to her husband of 40 years!
On the hunt for more fun craft ideas? Check out these creative ideas…
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So have you tried these tips for How to Make a Plarn Bag yet?
Leave a comment and share…
sher says
This is brilliant!! I’m off to go make strips!! ♥
robin lane says
love this it worked up fast and looked amazing thanks for sharing….I will make more ..I had to use a j crochet hook tho…
Jessica says
I recognized that picture. Lainey has shared her tutorial on my website as well!
Such a great project!!! Who knew plastic bags could be so pretty!
Mandy says
I tried to make the purse but the plarn kept stretching 🙁 I gave up on the purse, but thinking about a mat for the floor…
Andrea says
We have a ministry at our church that crochets the plarn into waterproof sleeping mats for the homeless. They use them under their sleeping bag or blankets. I don’t crochet but I do help by making plarn for hose that crochet.
Bethany Goff says
I am so gonna try this! what a unique way to use up your bags!!! Love the idea! 🙂
Virginia Stallings says
My daugher is very crafty. She is always making hats and scarves out of yarn scraps. She will love this!
Linda Lyles Lambert says
My grandmother used to crochet hats with a roll up brim out of bread sacks. Seems like she made some rugs, too.