Friday, October 15, 2010

Grocery Bag Yarn

So I have been showing off my Grocery-Bag Bag that I made using old disposable plastic bags that you get en mass from the grocery store, and everyone seems in disbelief of how I turned grocery bags into workable "yarn". We all have them, by the dozens, and despite the number that get recycled as trash can liners, and lunch bags, and any other number of re-uses, we always seem to have plenty more to spare. So turn them into yarn! Using a sizable hook (at least 10mm) you can make bags, or anything else your imagination can come up with.

How to Make "Yarn" from Grocery Bags:

Take the bottom of the bag in your right hand, handles in the left, and stretch it out. Then, using sharp scissors, cut the bottom off of the bag, so that you remove all of the seams. Throw away the bottom of the bag. Keeping a trash can handy for the scraps is ideal.


Cut the bag into 1" pieces, moving from the bottom of the bag to the handles. When you reach the handles, make your last cut just below them (where the plastic still goes all the way around) and throw away the handles.

Continue until you have cut all the bags you have. It takes approximately 35 bags to make a grocery bag. I prefer to sort them by color so that each ball of "yarn" will be relatively consistent. When you are done cutting, grab one of the chunks and spread it out. You will find that you have a loop. Take 2 loops and slip-knot them together. Now slip-knot on another loop of plastic. Then another, then another. When they are all assembled, wind them up into a ball and secure the end with a pin.

1 comment:

  1. this is cool. i have the same steps to make yarn out of old shirts or sheets. You then use that yarn to make rugs. Recycling with a good use.

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