From the page: The plastic bag deserves a second life
Idea 2
Plarn knitted ecobag
Knitting with bag yarn is a modern tradition of fairs and markets: crafters all over the world turn bags into bags that hold weight and rain. The magic is in the structure — each stitch forms a plastic mesh that distributes the load's weight across the whole bag instead of concentrating it on the handles.
What you need
- 2 or 3 balls of plarn (about 20 to 30 bags)
- Thick crochet hook (3.5 mm to 5 mm)
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle to finish the ends
How to make it
-
1
Make a magic ring and work 6 single crochets into it; starting in a circle guarantees the round or oval base of the bag, with no hole in the center.
-
2
Increase in concentric rounds until the base reaches the desired diameter (about 25 cm for a market bag); evenly distributed increases keep the base flat instead of wavy.
-
3
Stop increasing and work single crochets in each round, climbing up the walls; without increases, the piece naturally rises in a tube shape — the bag's structure.
-
4
Work until you reach about 35 cm in height, keeping the same stitch; tight single crochets make the mesh dense, holding even small items inside.
-
5
For the handles, work a chain of 60 to 80 stitches and sew them onto the two opposite edges with the tapestry needle; reinforcing with two rounds of yarn keeps the handle from giving way under weight.
-
6
Fasten off, hide the ends and stretch the bag with your hands to settle the stitches.
Finishing touches
a firmer chain base or even a fabric-lined cardboard bottom makes the bag even more resistant to weight. Stripes of colored bags become a spontaneous pattern — each piece comes out unique.
This is one of the ideas from the full page — see all the possibilities.
This page feeds the collective knowledge 🌱 — every discovery makes the next answer better.