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Tutorial Video - How to Make Plarn

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Got more plastic grocery bags than you know what to do with? Consider plarn (aka. plastic bag yarn)! Plarn is sturdy, washable, economical, and environmentally friendly. This tutorial leads you through flattening, cutting, and joining your plarn loops.

 I have personally made plarn market bags and metal water bottle cozies, but it has a variety of applications, including sleeping mats for the homeless, rugs or doormats, and more. A cozy for a 3" bottle takes 20+ grocery bags, and a market bag close to 90 (!), so you can easily clear your bags out and save them from the landfill at the same time. How eco-friendly! So get ready to make some plarn with me below! You can choose to just use the video, but the text instructions have some additional tips to get nice even plarn, plus the minute/second markers from the video where the different steps happen.

0:00 - Flattening

Start by laying your bag out with handles pointing towards your dominant (scissor-using) side and spreading out the wrinkles. Stick the thumb (or fingers) of one hand into the top of the handle and the thumb of the other into the bottom indent between the side layers one one side of the bag and gently pull them in opposite directions. You may notice that the handle looks twisted; to fix this, twist the handle in an inside-out manner until the bare seam sticks out along the top edge. Take your thumbs out and smooth between the side layers until flat and even like at 0:32 (yes, it's hard to see there, my apologies). Flip the bag over and repeat on the other side, smoothing out the middle last. The smoother everything is before folding, the more uniform your plarn strips will be.

01:00 - Folding

Fold your bag in half lengthwise, and then in half again, making sure everything is as flat and even as you can. Especially along the creases you're making, stick your fingers inside the edge of the bag to pull the inner layers smooth (1:14) before flattening the creases down.

1:46 - Cutting

Cut off the handles and discard them, cutting right at the curved top of the folded edge (1:58). Cut the rest of the bag into strips that are 1-1¼" wide. You don't have to get out a ruler and be precise about it (unless you want to); as long as you don't make them all vastly different in size and you'll be fine. I usually just eyeball it. I also like using bags with words because 1) it leads to some nice variegation in colors and 2) I can make my cuts straighter if I use the words as guides. When you get close to the bottom and don't have enough space remaining to make two full strips, cut one and then discard the rest of the bottom (make sure you leave at least ½" before the bottom seam).

2:48 - Joining

Spread out two strips into circle/oval shaped loops. Grab the end of Loop 1 in one hand and put the end of Loop 2 through it (3:21). Take the opposite end of Loop 2, put it through itself on the other side of Loop 1, and gently pull it almost all the way through (3:32). Once you can see it tightening around Loop 1, pull the first end of Loop 2 you used down over itself to make an interlocking knot (3:38). Gently pull the knot tight - if you pull too hard, you will stretch or tear your loops.

At this point, you are technically done and able to start crocheting with your plarn. Some tutorials recommend you join them all and wind into a big ball, but I've found that that method has a higher chance of making the two sides of each plarn loop uneven, resulting in messy or difficult crochet. I choose to join as I go - every time there's about 4" of loop left, I use the joining method above to add another loop and keep going. You can also use this method to control the location of your color changes better if you use multiple bag types.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy crocheting new and interesting things with your plarn! 

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