How to Make Plarn (Plastic Yarn)
By Rachel – 38 Comments| Why use yarn when you can have plarn? Inspired by eco-friendly crafts, I decided to make my first ball of “plarn”. Plarn is plastic yarn. The image to the right is my first proud ball of plarn. The ball contains about 10 plastic grocery bags. You can use plarn to crochet just about anything. To make plarn, all you need is a bunch of old plastic bags and a pair of scissors. Here is how I made it. |
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Step 1: Lay bag flat
Step 2: Fold bag in half
Step 3: Fold bag in half again
Step 4: Cut off handles and bottom of bag. Discard them into a recycling bin.
Step 5: Cut bag into 1 inch strips. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can also make thicker or thinner strips if desired. Just remember that thinner strips are more likely to tear.
Step 6: Open two strips and lay one on top of the other
Step 7: Take the loop that is on the bottom and pull it through itself
Step 8: Continue to add more loops to the end as desired
Once you have a nice ball of plarn, you are set to start making your first plarn crochet project!
Need plastic bags for your next crochet project? Try collecting grocery bags from your family, friends and neighbors.
If you need help making plarn, just leave a comment!
[...] 20 plastic grocery bags, cut into a ball of plarn (How to Make Plarn) Crochet Hook Size G ( 4 mm) Yarn [...]
Good morning Rachel!
Using plarn is a great way to use those plastic bags we have under our sinks.
They also make fun rugs to use under the bbq pit when cooking on your apt
deck; anywhere u need extra coverage. Easy to make, use and clean…run
it under water, turn down to dry and its ready to use again.
Thanks for The Crochet Spot!
[...] crochet project to start you off in exploring the world of plarn (plastic yarn). You can use the “How to Make Plarn Tutorial” if you don’t know how to yet! It is fun and a great way to recycle your old plastic grocery [...]
OOOK, Im going to give it a try, Ill E-mail you the results lol
Awesome! I can’t wait to see
I am having problems with my plarn tote bag. I have tried it three different times now, but the bottom piece, which I am crocheting in the round, keeps rolling up on me. It seems like there are too many stitches and it folds over on itself and refuses to lie flat. I don’t want to take it apart for the third time if I might be doing it correctly. Do I just have to block it or something? I’m afraid to keep going and waste too much time if it is never going to lie flat and look like a tote bag! Oh and thanks for this page, it was super easy to learn from your pictures!
Hey Andrea!
I’ve never blocked plarn before, but I would definitely try blocking it before taking it out and doing something else. Also if there is a gauge on the pattern you’re using, try to match it. If you are able to contact the designer on the pattern you can ask them if there are any corrections on it, because you never know if there’s an error in it
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Hello! Fantastic idea. I want to try this project, but I have a doubt. I am a very begginer in the crochet thing. At the ilustration of the Plarn, I observe that the pieces of the plastic bag form a series of loop. My question is how I reduce the plastic so far I can take it with the gauge. Thank you. I am very please with your web site.
Hey Alba!
For my patterns I try to cut 1 inch wide strips to make the plarn consistent. Also to help match gauges you may have to try different hook sizes. That’s the thing with plarn though it can be tricky to get the right size so experimenting is key!
I’ve made several plarn bags. Instead of buying the fabric bags sold in the grocery stores, I made a plarn bag the same size. Now I have 3 of them I take to the grocery store with me. Everyone wants to know where I bought them and are surprised when I say I made them. My sister wants a big bag to take all her stuff to the beach, so she’s getting a very large one for her birthday next month. Here we can get yellow, white and brown plastic bags, so the combinations are all attractive and unique. Plarn is very easy to crochet with, but don’t try bread bags or the black garbage bags, they are very hard to crochet.
[...] knew why people used can cozies, but now I know. Here is one that I made for my soda can with plarn (plastic yarn). I’m so proud of how nice and tight the cozy fits on a can. This cozy can also be made with [...]
Am I seeing this right? The strips are double? You do not sew them together?
Hey Wanda!
No sewing needed at all
The bags are cut into “loops” that are weaved/knotted together. Let me know if you need help with it.
[...] (plastic yarn) – Here is the tutorial: How to Make Plarn (Plastic Yarn). You will need lots of bags (too big of a number to even guess), so keep collecting them as you [...]
I remember years ago when my grandmother showed me a kitchen rug she made from plarn strips made from bread wrappers (tougher than grocery bags). She braided three strips and then sewed them together in an elongated spiral shape, you know, a traditional braided rug. I think she sewed it together with a yarn needle and thick fishing line. This would require LOTS of plarn strips, but a neat idea.
Hi i think this is a great idea. I am going to use those bags, which are in my way, and make a bathroom rug……………..won’t hurt to try
I’ve tried making plarn before but your instruction make way more sense, Thanks !!
Is there a pattern for a plarn tote bag?
Hi Darla, I don’t have a pattern for a plarn tote bag, but you can use plarn to make any tote bag pattern.
I cannot remember where i saw a tote bag, but if u enter plastic bag use it should show u the pattern. It is no different than making a long chain and going around it adding stitches as u go around the corners. Or make a rectangle and sew sides together. Good Luck!!!!!
Thanks so much, Rachel! You give excellent instructions!
Thankyou Rachel, for showing me how to make plarn! I’ve posted some fotos on my blog of a couple of things things I’ve made with plarn using this method. /thanks
I am planning on making my first roll of plarn sometime this week. However, most of our grocery bags are a thicker plastic than the traditional plastic grocery bag. Will that still work? They are red so I think they would look really cool. But I don’t want to waste too much time with them if they are going to be too thick. TIA
Hey Lissa, they will still work. You can make little bit and try working with it to see how it works for you before making too much.
[...] to make them. In fact, bags tend to be stronger when made with non traditional materials such as plarn (plastic yarn). Try recycling plastic or other materials to crochet your bags. I have lots of free patterns that [...]
This is too cool. I have so many plastic bags that I’ve gotten from the grocery store and just didn’t know what to do with them. I am looking forward to making my first ball of plarn and trying a couple of projects.
Hi Rachel,
I’m new to crochetspot.com.
I think that making
(almost) anything with Pl(y)arn
is eco. friendly – now…..
(after you’ve made a ball of
Pl(y)arn),how do you utilize a flat piece
of pl(y)arn like to crochet a project . . . it’s flat
and not at all round like “yarn”
How does one twist it and prevent it from UN-twisting!?
Please advise,
Thanks,
Lanette
Hi Lanette,
Don’t worry about twisting the plarn or keeping it flat. Use the instructins in this tutorial to make your ball of yarn. Then just crochet with it. The plastic is flexible and will become a nice string.
Rachel you are just brilliant!! I joined a few days ago and so impressed by your creativeness. Just luv it!! Gonna try this now!! thanks again
Rachel
Hi , I think your web site is the bomb! the tutorials are great. I learn alot better if I could see how it is done first, I have made your roses to emblish a bed spread I made, and a scarf and hat and, I love your pictures of crocet in strange places. I tried doing it on a small tree but lost my patience with the mosquito’s and various other creepy crawlies so my hats off to the people that croceted that tree.
Rachel, you are saying that the loops of the plastic are hold together and the the plarn? It that right or wrong?
Brenda
Can you also make a tutorial when you start making something with plarn? Please that would help me alot!
Hi Brenda, starting a project with plan is the same as starting any other crochet project. Just hold your plarn as if it’s regular yarn.
[...] grocery store, beach, or any where you need a large bag. This pattern is intended to be made with plarn (plastic yarn) but can also be crocheted with medium weight yarn. Instructions for creating the proper gauge and [...]
That is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool. Who’d have thunk it. LOL
An 85-year young woman on my bowling league has a water bottle cozy made with plarn that is falling apart after many years of use. I thought I would try to make her a new one. This is my first attempt at using plarn. Do you end the projects by tying off the plarn & weaving in the ends like you would with yarn?
Yup, you crochet and finish off just like you would with regular yarn.
This is a pretty awesome idea. I just wanted to clarify that you should recycle your left-over plastic bag bits in a recycling bin specifically for plastic bags. You CAN NOT recycle plastic bags with your other recyclables. They get stuck in machinery and disrupt the recycling process at the plant.