Things Made From Recycled Plastic Bags

Often a single item, such as a greeting card, is put into a plastic bag to be carried out of the store. Despite their convenience, all those plastic bags are proving to be an environmental problem. According to the Earth Resource Foundation, plastic bags and packaging are one of the most commonly found items of litter in landfills and on streets. Recycling plastic bags into other useful items helps curtail that problem.

Handbags and Totes

• Plastic bags are quite durable, and when layered together, can be used to make strong, high-quality handbags and totes. Handbags of this type are made by using different-colored plastic bags and piecing them together into patchwork patterns. Bags are also melted down to create entirely new plastic handbags, cosmetic bags and totes that are beautiful, colorful, and made fully from recycled plastic. The totes made from this plastic are generally more durable than a single-ply plastic bag from a grocery store. You can use these totes again and again for groceries, eliminating the need to get plastic bags at the store.

Braided Crafts

• Tying plastic bags together, end to end, can create plastic ropes. These ropes can be stretched to be quite narrow, and braided together to create all sorts of items, including rugs, welcome mats and dog leashes. These items are not only one-of-a-kind, but durable and weather-resistant.

  Kids also can do crafts using this simple braiding technique. You can make braided coat hangers by looping the plastic bags around wire hangers. Braided jump ropes and belts are also simple for kids to make, are colorful, and teach kids creative ways to reuse plastic bags.

Plarn

• "Plarn" is plastic yarn. One step up the craft scale from tying bags together and braiding them, plarn is the process of cutting a plastic bag into looped strips. The width of the strips can vary, to make thicker or thinner plarn. The strips are tied together and used to crochet objects, just as yarn would be. Several items that can be made from yarn can also be made from plarn, such as beach bags, rugs and coasters. Crafts like wreaths and hair barrettes can also be woven from plarn. It is also used to make weather-resistant outdoor wear such as raincoats and hats.

Covers and Stuffing

• Plastic bags are cut up to make colorful and durable covers for pencil or recipe boxes, or to cover journals and books to keep them dry and clean and protect their bindings. Notebook covers are made out of recycled plastic bags, which result in colorful covers with no two alike. Plastic bags also make good stuffing or filling in household items. Ottomans and bean bag chairs can be filled with bags when they lose stuffing. You can fill a long tube of material with plastic bags to make a door snake to keep out drafts. These items make use of bags that would only clutter landfills if thrown away.