How to Make a Purse From Recycled Grocery Bags

One creative way to recycle all of those plastic grocery bags is to turn them into yarn and crochet a purse---or any kind of bag. Crocheting with plastic yarn uses up hundreds of bags that would otherwise clog landfills or go unused for years. Plastic bag projects are durable and extremely versatile. This project focuses on crocheting a simple purse, but once your plastic yarn is made, almost any style of purse or bag pattern may be followed.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic bags (75-100, depending on desired size of purse)
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Size N crochet hook

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Instructions

Make Plastic Yarn

• 1

  Lay a plastic grocery bag out flat. The bag should be in the shape of a rectangle, except for the handles sticking out.

• 2

  Fold the bag in half lengthwise

• 3

  Fold the bag lengthwise a second and third time, keeping the handles on your left and the glued edge on your right.

• 4

  Cut off the handles. Now the bag should resemble a long, skinny rectangle.

• 5

  Cut the bag into 1-inch-wide strips from left to right, discarding the glued edge at the end.

• 6

  Unfold the 1-inch-wide strips. Each should be a loop of plastic approximately 1 1/2 feet long.

• 7

  Knot the loops of yarn together by placing one loop of plastic---Loop 1---so that it just overlaps the end of another---Loop 2. Pull the other end of Loop 1, the one not overlapping Loop 2, underneath and through the overlapped end of Loop 2.

• 8

  Pull firmly but gently on the ends to tighten the knot. Add the rest of the loops to this chain, then wind the "yarn" into a ball. Continue cutting bags, adding loops, and winding until you have used all of your bags.

Crochet the Purse

• 9

  Make a slipknot and chain 15 to 25, depending on the desired size of purse . This will be the top.

• 10

  Turn and single crochet in the second chain from the hook. Continue single crocheting in each chain, all the way across. At the end, chain two and turn.

• 11

  Continue following this pattern until the bag is twice the desired size.

• 12

  Fold the bag in half and join by single crocheting down the loose sides.

• 13

  Crochet a handle by chaining 4 or more (to desired thickness). Turn and single crochet in the second chain from hook, then single crochet across. At the end of the row, chain two and turn. Repeat until the handle is the desired length and attach it to the bag with single crochet.