Crocheted Plastic Bag Rugs

By Susan Sarwinski

Supply list
-plastic bags
-ruler
-scissors 

All of us have many of those plastic grocery bags that we don’t know what to do with. With a few simple tools
 you can create ‘yarn’ for crocheting, knitting and weaving.

That is all you need!  The next step is to cut the bags and join the strips together.  

Flatten the plastic bag and accordion fold it.

While holding the folded bag, cut the bottom end off.  Using the ruler as a guide, cut every 2 inches.
 This does not have to be exact but try not to cut less than 2 inches or more than 2 ½ inches.

The pictures are not reversed-I am left handed.  

After cutting the plastic ‘loops’, chain them together.  I tug the loops to make the ‘knots’ smaller
and if the plastic is going to break, it is easier to remove the broken loop now.  

To chain the loops slip one loop through another as in the first picture below.  Then with one hand
 reach through and pull the loop end over the other end.

Keep adding plastic loops to the strip to make your yarn.  If you run out in the middle of a project,
cut more strips and add them to the end of the strip.  I love not having to weave in ends!  

The technique is identical to chaining sock loopers or making those Christmas garlands or daisy chains
 we did as children.  We used to have stores with bags in other colors than white.  If your stores still
do you can add the color to the strip either in a specific order or randomly.  

I crocheted a rug by making a chain of 60 stitches and single crocheting 30 rows.  I then did a single crochet
 around the outside.  I used a size N crochet hook.  I also used a small basket pattern I found on the Internet
 with a size N crochet hook to make the brown basket.

I have played around with knitting the strips when I demoed this to my knitting guild.  I used a US #15 needles.
  Wider strips can be used instead of the 2 inch ones.  Just use a larger sized crochet hook or knitting needles.
  Also a piece of yarn can be held along with the strip as the rug is crocheted or knitted   I haven’t woven with
 these strips yet.  The width of the strip will determine the set.

 The rug in the above picture is the only one I have left.  I made three identical rugs four and a half years ago. 
This one was in the garage while the other two were outside.  Plastic bags will deteriorate over time when exposed
 to UV light.  That is what happened to the two rugs that were outside but it did take three full years.
 Neither cold or heat or rain affected the plastic.  BUT there are bags made from a mixture of plastic and
cornstarch which are biodegradable.  When wet the corn starch dissolves leaving the plastic. 
So you may want to avoid any bags that say Biodegradable.