Making your own custom sized carry bags out of plastic bags adds personal style and functionality while helping save the environment. Plastic bags have proven to be sturdy enough and a cost effective material for the carrying needs of retail and food store consumers. However, due to its economical price to manufacture, convenience and disposable properties this lead to a growing use and demand created a problem. Landfills and oceans are being polluted with this waste. Now if you follow these methods, patterns and steps you can bring some new use for your bags.
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:
Preparing Plastic Yarn
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Choose the color, pattern and desired thickness/strength of your tote.
- Recycle plastic bags to make your yarn.
- Buy a roll of plastic bags the color you prefer.
- Use a thicker plastic material like shower curtains or plastic drop cloth.
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Collecting Used Plastic Shopping Bags
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Sort out all the bags you have collected into color, thickness, and material.
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Cut the top handles of each bag and stack them evenly.
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Fold the bags twice leaving one side edge seam sticking out.Advertisement
Cutting a Roll of Plastic Trash Bags Into Strips
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Cut along the entire length of the unrolled bags. You will need to cut the bags into two or three sections depending on the thickness you desire.
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Don't unfold the bags as you cut with your scissors.
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Keep the width of the strips in a uniform size. Variations in thickness will make your tote pattern look bad and be weaker at some sections.
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Leave three or four inches of the end of your roll uncut. To keep a continuous long yarn you must turn the plastic roll over and make your second strip cut from there on, skipping six inches and leaving the uncut end intact.Advertisement
Cutting a Large Plastic Sheet into Strips
Part 2
Part 2 of 2:
Crocheting the Tote
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Hook and loop your yarn with the Crochet Needle.
- Select a large diameter needle, larger than you would normally use on common yarn.
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Crotchet chain stitch into the same loop to make a round or oval bottom of bag.
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Keep casting on the round using only the chain stitch or the single crochet to avoid gaps in your pattern.
- You can alternate colors every circle turn you complete using a second plastic yarn.
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Add extra stitches per turn until you reach the desired size of your tote's bottom.
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Count the same number of stitches when you build up the sides.
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Continue your on the round crochet pattern until you reach the desired height of your bag.
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Cast a chain stitch to form the handles of your bag.
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Make sure that you make the handles wide and strong enough to handle the load.
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Run a wire or Nylon line to the handle to give it strength and support.
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Use an Iron to weld and join thicker plastic strips to reinforce the side, edges, handles and bottom.
- Set the iron temperature under the polyester temperature setting.
- Use parchment paper to keep the iron from sticking to plastic.
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Add a flat plastic bottom to keep small objects from falling.Advertisement
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