Bed Mats Made From Plastic Grocery Bags

It s time to make a difference with these roll up mats for the homeless.

Bed mats made from plastic grocery bags. One easy project appropriate for ages six to adult is weaving a doormat from left over bags. How to make plarn. How to make plarn plastic bag yarn the first time i learned about plarn yarn created by cutting and tying together strips of plastic grocery bags was in 2005 when british designer erika knight was a guest on a tv show i used to host called knitty gritty she showed it made using a rainbow variety of bags an array of which i have yet to come across here in the states and knitted into a. Opting to use green canvas bags for your grocery shopping is an effective option but many people still have excess plastic bags lying about the place.

Come on let s make some mats how to crochet a plastic sleeping mat step 1. Each mat is made using recycled plastic shopping bags. Sleeping mats made from plastic bags supplies. Maria mendez young and other american legion auxiliary members in california are part of an initiative to create and provide these sleeping mats to homeless veterans in their community.

Straighten out each bag by pulling at the end and the handles so that it becomes as nice smooth and flat as the plastic bag in the picture. Instead of becoming landfill plastic bags can be used for fun craft projects. How to make plarn. Cut off the plastic bag handles and the bottom of the bag.

500 700 plastic shopping bags for a person sized mat but can vary depending on what you re using the mat for 10mm or larger crochet hook. I found 500 600 per mat with a regular size grocery bag less if bigger bags are used but i d count on a minimum of 500. Crafters from the nanaimo harbour city seniors are turning plastic grocery bags into sleeping mats for the homeless. Rather than throwing them out you can reuse them by crocheting them into multi purpose mats known as plarn plastic yarn.

Start with about 10 plastic bags at a time. Materials to make a sleep mat from plastic bags. Clean plastic supermarket bags 500 700 per mat thicker bags or thinner bags can be used with modifications to size of strips. In particular plarn can be used as sleeping mats for people.

It takes about 500 bags to make a two and a half feet by six foot mat. Fold in half lengthwise then fold in half again lengthwise. Plastic bags 500 700 grocery bags knitting needles size 10 or higher. 8 mm or any large crochet hook.

The mats are made of plarn or plastic yarn crafted out of bags that are sliced into pieces and looped into a long chain. E ach 6 foot by 2 foot mat is made from 600 to 700 recycled plastic grocery bags and takes about 50 hours to make.