by Alysa Dudley

Created on: February 12, 2009   Last Updated: March 03, 2009

It's like turning straw into gold! Take plastic bags and turn them into plarn (PLastic yARN) and use the plarn to make all kinds of useful and beautiful items.

According to reusablebags.com, from 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year, with billions of bags ending up as litter. Plastic bags can kill sea animals and contaminate soil and waterways. Non-renewable resources, such as polyethylene, are used to make plastic bags. You can help reduce the use of plastic bags by carrying re-useable bags. Creating things from already existing plastic bags is a fun way to keep these bags out of the waste stream.

Making plarn from grocery bags and plastic newspaper sleeves involves cutting across the bags to make loops and then chaining the loops together. The resulting plarn will be a double thickness, making it quite strong. Difficult to explain in words, an internet search for "plarn" will lead to numerous visual tutorials on how to make plarn. Search results will also include pictures of plarn projects, patterns and directions for plarn creations, as well as plarn items for sale. For those who don't want to make the plarn but would like to try working with it, there is also premade plarn for sale.

Thicker bags from retail stores can also be turned into plarn by removing the handles and then cutting the bag in a spiral to produce one long piece. These can be used to add a variety of colors and textures to your creations.

Plarn can be used as a "fiber" in just about any craft that would use yarn. Knitting, crochet, weaving, braiding, and macrame are some of the techniques that can be done with plarn. Get interesting results by holding another fiber alongside the plarn as you work. For example adding cotton yarn to plarn will give the completed product some absorbency.

Knitting plarn is best with needle sizes from 10 to 13 (US). For crocheting, different patterns call for hooks ranging from size K to size M. Experiment with different sizes to make samples and find out which works best for you and for your project.

Try braiding with plarn using strands of the same color or different colors. A simple braid can be used to make an interesting belt, or a dog or cat leash. Coil the braid and sew it together to make coasters, placemats or rugs. Look for braiding patterns and techniques on the internet. Play with it and see what happens!

What can be made from plarn? It's great for bags of all sizes and shapes. Plabric (Plastic fABRIC) is lightweight, strong, durable and easily washable. Moisture doesn't get trapped in bags knitted or crocheted from plarn because the bags are waterproof and breathable at the same time. Plarn bags are especially suited for use at the gym or the beach. Floor mats made from plarn are comfortable to stand on and don't trap dust. Pouches made from plarn will cushion cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, cameras and computers. Combined with cotton yarn to add some absorbency, Plarn can be made into coasters and water bottle holders. Crocheted dish scrubbies trap the soap for cleaning, but since plarn is not absorbent, dishcloths will not absorb bacteria. The possibilities are endless.

Start with making (or buying) a small amount of plarn, and then experimenting with it. It helps to get a feel for how to work with it and to discover what kinds of plarn and plarn projects work best for you.

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