I present my All American Plarn Recycled Bag! It is crocheted using red and blue newspaper bags and white grocery bags that were recycled into plarn. Here is my plarn making tutorial and I use the same method for cutting and attaching the newspaper strips together. They are much shorter strips but it’s the same loop method as regular plastic grocery sacks for making your plarn.

I got these nice wooden handles from a local thrift store for just 99 cents. This is my first recycled purse project using round wooden handles and I wanted to make sure to attach them firmly to my bag. I ended up working two rows of single crochet stitches around the handles and into the bag. I have explained the process below and hopefully it’s understandable to everyone. You could work this same pattern with bulky yarn and end up with about the same sized bag. Either way I hope everyone enjoys my free crochet pattern below.
Happy Crafting!

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All American Plarn Recycled Bag Pattern

Materials needed:
Plastic bags cut into 1 inch wide plarn strips in red, white and blue.
(Approx. 17-18 bags in each color.)
1) pair of 7 Inch wide wooden handles

Hook: N (9 mm) size metal crochet hook
Description: Red, White and Blue Plarn Striped Bag
13-1/2″ wide by 12″ tall with 9″ at top opening

Directions:
Using salmon red plarn, Ch 26.

Rnd 1
Hdc in 3rd ch from hook and in ea chain st down to end. Work 2 Hdc in end st then continue around other side of chain by working a Hdc in ea st to other end.Work 2 Hdc in end st. Do not join at end of rounds unless advised otherwise. Just continue working Hdc’s in rounds as this creates a seamless bottom bag.

Rnd 2
Hdc in each st around to first end, work 2 Hdc in ea of the two end sts, then Hdc in ea st to other end, then work 2 Hdc two end sts.

Rnd 3-4
Hdc in each st around to first end, work 2 Hdc in ea of the three end sts, then Hdc in ea st to other end, then work 2 Hdc in each of the three end sts.

Rnd 5-9

Hdc in ea st around the entire bag bottom. At the end of rnd 9, Sl St into next few sts to finish off edge smoothly at side of bag. FO red plarn.

Rnd 10-15
Attach white plarn at side of bag where you just ended. Ch 1, Hdc in ea st around. Don’t join at end of rounds, just continue working in rounds. End at side of bag after rnd 15 to begin decreases.

Rnd 16 (dec starts)
Work 1 dec by working 2 Hdc tog, then Hdc in ea st around to other side edge. Work 1 dec by working 2 Hdc tog at side of bag, then Hdc in ea remaining sts of rnd.

Rnd 17
Work even with Hdc in ea st around.

Rnd 18-19
Repeat rnd 16 (Dec rnd).

At end of rnd 19, finish off same as you did at the end of rnd 9. (9 rnds with white plarn.)

Rnd 20-26
Attach blue plarn at side of bag where you just ended. Ch 1, work 1 dec at side of bag, then Hdc in ea st around to other side. Work 1 dec at this side of bag too. Don’t join at end of round, just continue working in rounds with 1 dec at each side of bag and Hdc in other sts of rnd.

Rnd 27
Hdc over to place where handle will be added. (In my project this was about 6 Hdc sts over from the side of bag.) Work approx. 11 Sc around the handle and then Hdc in the remaining 6 sts of the front so you are at the side of bag now.

Going around to the other side, work Hdc in the first 6 sts, then work 11 Sc around the handle for this side of bag. Finish with Hdc in the remaining 6 sts of rnd.

Tip: Make sure your handles match each side in their placement. Adjust the sts and handles so they line up with each other.

Rnd 28
Hdc in ea st until you reach the handle, work Sc’s evenly around handle and into the st just below the handle from the prior rnd. Basically you work another Sc around handle and into st just under the handle. This secures your handles to your bag firmly.

Repeat Hdc in ea st around to the other side’s handle and repeat the Sc’s around the other handle. Hdc in remaining sts, ending at side of bag. Fasten off and weave ends under on inside of the bag.

If you have any questions or find discrepancies in this pattern, please email me using contact tab above.

Abbreviations:
Ch – Chain
Dc – Double Crochet
Dec – Decrease
Ea – Each
FO – Finish Off
Hdc – Half Double Crochet
Plarn – Plastic Bag Yarn
Rnd – Round
Sc – Single Crochet
Sk – Skip
Sl St – Slip Stitch
Sm – Same
St – Stitch
Tog – Together

This pattern is copyrighted by Cindy of My Recycled Bags {dot com} and may only be used for private individual use. No commercial sales or use is permitted. Links to this pattern are acceptable. ©2010

****Please do not copy my patterns on your blog site or post my patterns on Internet sites. I do not allow my patterns to be republished without expressed written permission. Posting of my patterns, without written permission is in violation of my copyrights and is content theft.