I’ve been working on a new WordPress template for awhile now and finally have it launched here at My Recycled Bags. I hope you’ll take a moment to look around and see what you think of my new template. I am still working on getting a custom logo but for now am just using this one that was made with the help of some friends over at BlogCatalog. There are a few things that I’m still tweaking but for now I wanted to get the new template up so everyone could see it. A special thanks to my son William who has spent many hours helping me get this live.
This is also a special day, as today is my 2 year blog anniversary. I can’t believe it’s been two years already since that first post back on January 24, 2007. But they do say time flies when you are having fun and I’m definitely having fun sharing my recycled crafting ideas at this blog.
So for now — Welcome to the new My Recycled Bags site. I hope you enjoy the new look!
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here is a cute recycled plastic Valentine’s heart bag that you can crochet. It’s made from recycled plastic grocery bags into a handy bag that can hold Valentine cards. When I designed this recycled bag, I had a little girl in mind and thought she could use it to take all her Valentines to school in.
It would also make a cute gift bag for Valentine’s Day. You could fill it with candy and a card and give it to your favorite Valentine. A bonus of course is that this plarn bag could be used as a little purse all year long.
Here is the free crochet pattern so you too can create this fun little Valentine’s Day heart bag!
Free Pattern for Crocheted Valentine Heart Bag
Materials needed: One ball of plastic bag yarn aka Plarn
(Approx. 12 plastic grocery bags)
2 yards of red fun fur yarn
Small scrap piece of red felt
Red thread for sewing on heart
Hook: J (6 mm) size metal crochet hook
Description: Plastic Valentine’s Bag
Bag measures 7 inches wide and 6-1/2 inches long
Directions:
Ch 20
For my first post of the year, I bring you the green shopping bag. This is a true green crafting idea in every sense of the word. It is crocheted from recycled plastic grocery bags into plarn, then of course it’s green in color, and lastly it is eco-friendly as it saves the use of plastic bags as you can reuse this roomy bag over and over again.
This crocheted shopping bag is created in three pieces and then assembled as shown in the photos below. As always, I offer the free recycled plastic bag pattern below. Enjoy!
All photos are clickable to supersize
Assembly of main piece to long strip
Free Green Shopping Bag Pattern
Materials needed:
One large ball of plastic bag yarn or Plarn
Approx. 80 plastic grocery bags
Hook: N (9 mm) size metal crochet hook
Description: The Green Shopping Bag
Bag measures 12-1/2″ wide, 15-1/2″ tall and 6-1/2″ deep with 14″ handles
Directions:
This shopping bag is crocheted in 3 pieces. A front and back piece and one long strip that runs down the side, across the bottom and back up the other side of the bag.
Main pieces (make two for the front and back of your bag.)
Ch 30.
Well it has been quite a year for anyone who has been following this blog and my cancer journey this year. I figured I’d do a year-end update just to close out the year. First and far most, I am doing well. My recent scans show nothing of concern and I’m feeling pretty good. While my hair is very very short, it has grown back and I can go without the hats and scarves now. I survived surgery in April, chemo this summer, and radiation this fall. I have cut, poisoned, fried, and burned this cancer. Hopefully, God willing, I have permanently kicked it out the door and out of my body. I never want it to return and I pray daily that this can be the end of breast cancer or any cancer in my life.
In closing, I want to say thank you to everyone who has emailed, commented, prayed, written, called, or otherwise supported me through this pink journey. It hasn’t been easy. Cancer never is. But there is always hope and things can get better. I am proof positive of this.
So thanks again all my friends and family, I love you all. Enjoy life to its fullest and have a very happy New Year!
I’ve been on a bit of a dishcloth crocheting craze lately. Here is my latest creation. Its a crocheted cotton dishcloth or washcloth. I call it my pointed granny dishcloth.
Click to supersize
My pointed granny dishcloth can be made with scrap cotton yarn as shown above in the second photo. It’s a great way to use up those small pieces of cotton you have in your stash. My pointed granny pattern is similar to my star dishcloth design below that features a center scrubbie option using plarn (plastic bag yarn) with 5 points.
My 5 point star dishcloth
So grab your crochet hook and crochet yourself a 4 point or 5 point star granny dishcloth using one of the free patterns. Either way, I hope you enjoy my dishcloth designs.
My Pointed Granny Dishcloth Pattern
Dishcloth measures: 9 inches wide and 12 inches wide across diagonally (4 pointed corners)
Hook: Metal H (5 mm) US sized hook
Materials:
Sugar & Cream Cotton yarn (used about 2-ozs of cream and 1/2 oz green)
(This is almost a great pattern to use cotton yarn scarps as shown in 2nd dishcloth)
With center color, Ch 5, Sl St to form ring.
What better way to have a green Christmas than to handcraft your own Christmas gift bags from recycled materials. Maybe you need a small bag for a gift card. Well check out this cute little gift bag crocheted from recycled plastic bags.
Crafting with recycled plastic bags is also known as plarn. If you need to know how to make plarn, check out this picture tutorial. You can crochet this gift bag using plarn with this free pattern .
Maybe you need a larger gift bag. If so, here is a Christmas tote bag crocheted from recycled plastic grocery bags. This roomy tote bag would make a wonderful gift bag for a book or other flat items. Here is the link to the free crochet pattern for this tote bag.
Please consider this eco-friendly way to gift wrap your presents this year. Recycling plastic bags, upcycling them into reusable bags, and not using traditional gift wrap does truly make it a greener Christmas for everyone.
Are you like many of us handcrafting Christmas gifts this year? I have been busy crocheting kitchen towel sets for Christmas gifts. Each set includes a greenie which is crocheted from recycled lettuce netting and cotton, along with dishcloth, potholder, and a towel topper.
Here is one full Christmas crochet kitchen towel set and below you will find individual items with the pattern links.
All photos are clickable to supersize.
Towel topper with the free pattern found here.
Christmas star dishcloth pattern found here
Christmas potholder with the free crochet pattern link here.
Greenies are crocheted with this free pattern but with a scalloped edge option. The option edging is accomplished by working *Ch 3 in corner st, Dc in same st, skip 2 sts and Sl St in next st* and repeating between * around to beginning Ch 3.
So whether you are into crafting with recycled materials or just crocheting, I hope I have inspired you with my kitchen towel sets. They do make wonderful gifts and are very useful items around the kitchen.
Here is my latest recycled plarn tote bag. It is a roomy tote bag that features a nearly 4 inch wide flat bottom. This allows your tote to stand up on its own. I used a new stitch in this crocheted plastic bag project which is called the spike stitch. You crochet down into the prior row to create a long stitch that looks like a spike. I worked a spike stitch every 4th stitch to make a decorative blue stripe on my tote bag.
This bag also features longer handles. I’ve had requests for longer handles on my tote bags so I crocheted this bag with 18 inch handle straps. Of course if you use this tote for groceries, it will stretch even longer. With these longer handles, you can put it over your shoulder while carrying the tote bag.
Here is a closeup photo of the flat bottom of my recycled plastic tote.
So grab your crochet hook and crochet yourself a spike stitch tote bag today. As always, happy green crafting to all!
Free Spike Stitch Plarn Tote Pattern
Materials needed:
One large ball of plastic bag yarn aka Plarn
Approx. 50-60 plastic grocery bags – Brown/tan in color
One smaller amount of blue plarn – Approx. 10-15 bags
Hook: N (9 mm) metal crochet hook
Description: Recycled Plarn Tote Bag
Bag measures 13 inches wide and 13 inches tall with 18 inch handles and nearly 4 inch wide flat bottom
Directions:
Ch 28 with brown plarn.
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