Wow, consider these fast facts:
I'm stunned. I did a short search and the fact of the matter is we still have work to do on our recycling efforts. Most know what recycling is and why we should recycle. If you need an incentive for recycling, consider it can help you or your organization raise funds. Think about the plastic bag you used to take the sweet treat to your co-workers in. I bet it went into the trash can before serving, right? If not, was it set aside to make PLARN? Plastic Yarn, made from cut up used plastic bags—the kind you bring home from the store.
PLARN can make so many things - sleeping mats (for the homeless); tote bags for shopping, school, work and outings; coasters; kitchen pot scrubbers; mats for working in the garden. What other items can you think of to make with PLARN?
Do you need a fundraiser but don't have the money to start one? PLARN projects make excellent fundraisers for youth groups or other organizations. It’s fast and no cost (except a little of your time) making your profit nearly 100%! Not only will your profit be high, but your group will be contributing to a better environment and left with a feeling of satisfaction brought by making green items for others in need.
Below is a step by step picture tutorial on how to make PLARN to get you started on your first projects. There is no need to be an expert at crocheting as working with PLARN is excellent for anyone to learn to crochet. Included are excellent sources for PLARN patterns (I didn’t see the need to re-create the wheel here). I’d love to see some of your projects or ideas for PLARN. Have fun !
Wishing you much inspiration,
Sher
- About 1 million plastic bags are used every minute.
- A single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade (20 years in good circumstances).
- Plastic bags remain toxic even after they break down.
- In just 4 trips to the grocery store, the average family accumulates 60 plastic bags.
I'm stunned. I did a short search and the fact of the matter is we still have work to do on our recycling efforts. Most know what recycling is and why we should recycle. If you need an incentive for recycling, consider it can help you or your organization raise funds. Think about the plastic bag you used to take the sweet treat to your co-workers in. I bet it went into the trash can before serving, right? If not, was it set aside to make PLARN? Plastic Yarn, made from cut up used plastic bags—the kind you bring home from the store.
PLARN can make so many things - sleeping mats (for the homeless); tote bags for shopping, school, work and outings; coasters; kitchen pot scrubbers; mats for working in the garden. What other items can you think of to make with PLARN?
Do you need a fundraiser but don't have the money to start one? PLARN projects make excellent fundraisers for youth groups or other organizations. It’s fast and no cost (except a little of your time) making your profit nearly 100%! Not only will your profit be high, but your group will be contributing to a better environment and left with a feeling of satisfaction brought by making green items for others in need.
Below is a step by step picture tutorial on how to make PLARN to get you started on your first projects. There is no need to be an expert at crocheting as working with PLARN is excellent for anyone to learn to crochet. Included are excellent sources for PLARN patterns (I didn’t see the need to re-create the wheel here). I’d love to see some of your projects or ideas for PLARN. Have fun !
Wishing you much inspiration,
Sher
|  |
| First things first. You will need to know a chain and single crochet stitch. If you don't know how to crochet a chain or make a single crochet stitch, About.com offers an excellent tutorial for both chain and single crochet. http://crochet.about.com/od/learnbasics/ss/stchain.htm  | Project Materials: Size K (7 mm) crochet hook Plastic bags (colored OK) Scissors  Plastic bags, scissors and crochet hook are all you need to get started! |
 1. Lay the bag out flat, smoothing out edges and folds. |  2. Fold sides of bag toward middle, keeping the plastic smooth. |
 3. Fold bag in half from middle, still keeping smooth. |  4. Still folding (last time I promise!), keeping smooth. |
 5. Using your scissors, cut off the top of the bag (handles). Keep the handles for other projects or re-cycling. |  6. Cut the folded bag into 1" sections. It's okay if you get them a little bigger or smaller. |
 7. Take each section you cut and open them out. You should have 15 complete loops (sections). |  8. Here's the tricky part. Lay open two sections and join together by placing one section over the top of the other. Take an end and pass through the loop that is under. Pull tight (not too tight, it will break). |
 * Here is what it will look like joined. While tying together you may want to consider wrapping into a ball that feeds from the center out. |  * Here are a few single crochet stitches in a short chain. |
Easy! There are so many color combinations you can make with PLARN. Think of all the colored plastic bags we have given to us from stores. Here are a few tips to get you going on your project.
- 1 plastic bag makes 5 yards (180") of PLARN. Most projects you will need about 125-130 yards of PLARN (or 26 plastic bags to make one tote bag). Remember, you can save 60 bags in 4 trips to the store!
- Try for color combinations of plastic bags.
- Watch density of bags. Some are thicker than others and you want to try and get as close as you can with the thickness (matching).
- Use and old hook you do not mind staining. Ink from the bags comes off on your hands and the hook (can you imagine what it does to our landfills and soil?).
- A larger hook will make larger stitches. Try using a larger hook if you just learning.
- Keep your hands dry for slipping the plastic through your fingers while you work.
- http://www.nezumiworld.com/crochet_029.htm
- http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/plarn_items.php
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