We generally use plastic bags in our garbage cans, but half the time they have holes in them that would make a messy leak. So I thought this would be a great way to use those otherwise useless bags! Here's how it works:
You start by taking the plastic bags and making them into a kind of plastic yarn, otherwise known as "plarn". (Get it? Pl-arn, plastic yarn)
Flatten the bags and fold them in half a couple of times.
Then cut the bag into one inch strips, discarding the handles and the very bottom of the bag.
When you unfold the strips of bag, they make large loops.
Then you link all of the loops together to make a long chain.
Roll it up into balls, and your "plarn" is ready to use! I decided to keep the different colours of plastic in separate balls.
The pattern I found online was a fairly simple crochet pattern, but you could probably knit it too. I found the "plarn" to be surprisingly easy to work with, although it takes a bit more wrestling than normal yarn does.
Having different colours of plastic makes it possible to make a bit of a design.
Finding this recycling symbol made me smile. Yes, yes I am recycling this bag, but perhaps not quite in the way you were expecting me to!
Here is the mat in its current state. It is about half of the finished size I would like, and has taken 14 bags so far. But sadly I have run out of bags! Our door may have to remain mat-less for a little longer.
I find that the crocheted "plarn" has a very interesting feel, and looks much better than I expected! I will post a picture of the completed mat once I have the materials to finish it.
Brownie points to anyone who can guess the 5 stores that are represented by the bags I have used so far!
No comments:
Post a Comment