Plarn Crafts!

I have no idea how I found out about crocheting with cut up grocery bags. Once I found the idea I googled and read as much about it as I could before I attempted it. My first attempts ended up becoming lunch bags for my kids. They usually get school lunches but every now and then, they are very proud to bring a snack to school in those bags. I should take pictures of them.

This purse and tote bag are some of the earlier things I made. The tote bag is made entirely out of Target bags. I cut the plarn into a single strand ball.* It is done with a double crochet stitch. It's not all that strong and very stretchy. I've made later things with double strand plarn. The handle is a weak point. It tore the 2nd time I used it. I mended it with yarn. Now I use acrylic yarn around the inside of handles when I make tote bags. I got the purse pattern here. It's the first crochet pattern I've ever followed.

I offered to make a tote bag at my church service auction. The winner of the item paid the church $15 and has to save the bags. I will turn them into a tote bag, purse, or other creation within my abilities. Sandy won the auction and gave me a great idea: newspaper bags. The bags that newspapers are delivered in are colorful and make nice accents to the tote bags. I made this tote of various things I had laying around for my friend, Amy. There are newspaper bags, bread bags (tough to work with!) and a plastic lei that my kids had destroyed. Amy is one of my cheerleaders and always encourages me.

This is another purse where I was experimenting with a flat bottom.

This tote was made on the airplane. I was up very late the night before cutting up the bags so I'd have something to do during the flight. I had more colored plarn than grocery bags, which gave me many rows of color. It's a smaller bag compared to my Target bag tote. The top blue handle is actually a shopping bag I happened to get with something I bought on my trip! The newspaper bags are way too soft to make a handle. I sent out an email to my church asking for people to collect their newspaper bags. Every week I get a new bunch. I am so thrilled. I have yellow, orange, blue, 3 shades of red, two shades of purple and clear.

* I don't cut them the same way most websites show you. Instead I put the bag on a horizontal paper towel holder, use one hand to cut with scissors and the other hand pulls the strip. Then I tie the ends and roll it into balls. I'll post my method for cutting the bags eventually. I need to take pictures. I read about this method somewhere and I can't find it any more.