Happy New Year! I can’t believe its 2020. That sounds so futuristic. It is also the 13th year anniversary of my blog that I began back in January 2007. So much has happened since then but the blog has continued.
As far a my new year resolutions, I have set crafting resolutions for the coming year. I will continue to craft for Warmth for Warriors (W4W) by crocheting hats and mini Christmas stockings. Of course I will continue to make recycled craft projects and share all my recycled patterns free on the blog.
While I don’t post as often as I used too, there are still over a 100 free crochet patterns and other craft projects that are offered on my pattern pages. You can find everything from recycled plastic bag patterns, denim projects, baby patterns, kitchen towel and dishcloth patterns, to purses and totes. There is something for everyone.
So happy crafting in 2020 and thank you for allowing me to continue My Recycled Bags for all these years.
This post is a follow-up to my plarn crocheted basket project. This basket was crocheted using recycled plastic bags cut into 1 inch wide plarn. You can read all the recycled basket making details here.
Once the basket was completed, I needed to fill it with some kitchen gift items for a charity fundraiser. I crocheted a kitchen towel topper, star dishcloth and added a package of fall napkins along with a set of wooden spoons.
The towel topper was crocheted using the pointed handle towel topper pattern. The brown towel is a Dollar Store towel that is folded in half with the towel topper crocheted along the top folded edge through both layers.
My free star dishcloth pattern is found
Here is a basket that was crocheted using plastic bag yarn for the project material. I used the Lily original basket pattern done in cotton for this recycled bag project. I chained 28 with plarn (plastic bag yarn) to start the smaller basket version of this pattern using a K (6.5) crochet hook.
Following the general pattern design, I crocheted each side to about 6 inches wide before working the fold line on each side by working in the back loops only (BLO). For the base, I chained 19 with the plastic bag yarn and worked even on 18 stitches for 17 rows. My base piece was just a bit wider than the sides but this worked out just right for placing the base inside the basket. With wrong sides together, I then crocheted single crochet stitch from the outside through both thicknesses evenly along the sides aligning the corners together to secure the base to the basket.
Here is a photo of the bottom of my crocheted basket.
Once done, I folded over the top of the basket about 2 inches. This recycled craft project used about
Introducing a recycled plastic crocheted wine bottle holder. I have wanted to create a wine bottle cozy using plastic bags for a long time now. It’s one of those things that I keep wanting to crochet and write up the free pattern to share for years. Well, I finally got the project done.
The crocheted wine holder holds a 750 ml bottle of wine easily and even a 1.5 L can be slipped into the plarn cozy.
Along with the free crochet pattern, here is my plarn wine bottle holder.
Plarn Wine Bottle Holder Pattern
Wine Bottle Holder Size: 10″ tall with 3-1/2 across bottom
Hook:
Metal “K” (6.5 mm) US size crochet hook
Materials: 14 plastic bags cut into 1 inch wide plarn
Piece of ribbon or strand of plarn for top closure
Directions:
With plarn, Ch 4, Sl St to join in first st of chain to form ring. Holder is worked in the round without turning unless directed to do so.
I posted a few weeks ago about my crocheted plarn tote that a customer ordered to hold her recycled paper. I have been working on writing the crochet pattern and am happy to post it today.
Here is the crocheted base which is done in single crochet for added strength.
One final photo of the recycled tote bag laying down and showing the base.
So without further ado, here is the free crochet plarn pattern for this recycled tote bag. Please enjoy and share any comments with me concerning the project below.
Recycled Paper Tote Bag Pattern
Materials needed:
Plarn yarn 1” wide – approx. 90 plastic grocery bags
Hooks: K (6.5 mm) & N (9 mm) metal crochet hooks
Description: Recycled Plastic Tote Bag
Bag measures 18″ wide, 12” tall and 7” deep with 8.5” handles
Directions:
Recycled bag is crocheted in 2 pieces. A base piece is crocheted and then the sides are worked in the round to complete the bag.
Row 1 (Base piece)
With K crochet hook, Ch 52. Turn and Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each chain stitch down to end. Ch 2 and turn.
A customer asked me if I could crochet her a large plastic bag tote to store her paper for recycling. She wanted a very large tote bag 18 inches wide, with a 7 inches base and 12 inches tall. Of course it had to have handles for carrying and be made from recycled plastic bags. I love a challenge and to crochet such a recycled tote bag was fun.
I used around 90 recycled plastic sacks cut 1 inch wide to complete this recycled paper holding tote. I used the double strand plarn making method to crochet this tote. Here are a few photos of the completed bag.
Here is a photo of the recycled tote bag laying flat.
Need a carrying case or sleeve for your laptop? Do you have a whole bunch of plastic bags that you’d like to recycle? Well you are in luck as here is a recycled plastic bag yarn (plarn) project for crocheting a laptop computer sleeve. This pattern uses up about 63 plastic retail sacks and creates a nice and sturdy carrying case for a laptop. The laptop shown is 15 inches wide by 10.5 inches and 1.5 inches deep.
As you can see the laptop fits in nicely and the holds the weigh just fine for carrying.
Should you have a larger or smaller laptop or tablet, just adjust the pattern by chaining additional stitches to start (or less) and crochet extra rounds to get the desired length you need. As always the free crochet pattern is found below.
Laptop Computer Sleeve Pattern
Materials needed:
Approx. 63 plastic grocery bags cut 1 inch wide
Here is my picture tutorial on how to make plarn from recycled plastic bags.
Hook: “K” (6.5 mm) crochet hook
Description: Recycled laptop computer sleeve
Sleeve case measures 16” wide and 12” long with 5” handles
Directions:
Using K hook, Ch 40.
It was time here at My Recycled Bags to crochet a new recycled plastic bag project. I needed a basket for the local nursing home fundraiser so out came my green plastic bags that I have been collecting. I cut my bags into 1 inch strips and assembled a ball of plarn to begin my recycled plastic basket.
I used this free recycled plastic basket pattern to crochet my basket with a K crochet hook. I did a modified version of the basket pattern by crocheting less rounds so it was shorter. My finished size is 5 inches tall, 22 inches around and about 7 inches across top.
Most of the green bags matched but some were a shade darker and lighter. As you can see, these different shades of green give the basket a cool blended color look.
I crocheted a towel topper onto a dollar tree towel and added a matching green dishcloth to complete this little green kitchen ensemble. Here is a close-up of my double-layered towel topper which uses the pointed handle towel topper pattern found here.
Here is a new recycled plastic bag yarn project. This pattern is called a Japanese Knot bag as it features 2 handles. One long and one shorter, which closes by sliding the longer handle through the shorter one as shown. The Japanese-styled bags are often times made smaller and worn over the wrist.
This tote bag is crocheted using recycled plastic bags made into yarn known as plarn. It can be worn over the wrist or also draped over your shoulder.
Here is the free Japanese Knot Bag pattern written using plarn but it also can be crocheted using bulky yarn or 2 strands of worst weight yarns held together.
The finished size of this recycled tote bag is
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