We didn't have a fire escape, nor a ladder or rope for a three story apartment., so.... I made my own rope by braiding the strips of plastic bags. I made strips just like you did. I made many strips hooked together to long, long, long. Very long because I knew I'd lose length when they were braided together. Then braided strips again together by threes. I kept going until it was thick enough to be strong enough to use as a rope. A plastic rope. About 2 in. wide multiple braided throw down, out the window fire escape rope. I had a tug-a-war test with some ppl. It was incredibly strong and as long as a 3 story floor window escape.
I knew I had insanely saved mountains of grocery bags for a reason. We now use bags I made and wanted to find a use for all my old grocery bags. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing this video! The Ladies at our Church got together and made plarn to use to make the plastic mats for the homeless, like you were talking about. I got my mat started, but didn't finish it. Since then I had forgotten how to make the plarn, so this video is so very helpful. Now I can go back and finish my project. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
I am going to do these for my daughters to go with their Christmas this year! I had seen this video but came back to it because I knew you explained it better than anyone else. Thank for all you teach Heidi.
This is awesome!! Brings back memories of my grandmother crocheting rugs out of bread bags. Oh my...50+ years ago!! She taught me to crochet, she'd be tickled pink to know I'm going to do this!! ☺ Thsnk you Heidi! Blessings!
Thank you for sharing this video also! I am doing sometimes too this work, is a pleasure for me. When I was a kid, cause I am 55 now 😊, it used to be fashionable, there were hats even, I think is so useful and many savings involved. I also think you are an amazing woman, thank you! ❤
Thank you for this video!! My Aunt and the ladies in her mobile home community made mats and pillows for the military personnel in Afghanistan! That was one of the most requested items that they asked for! I imagine that would be true for the homeless in any area! I always wanted to learn how to make the yarn myself to donate to.those in need I'm my community!!
wow, now I can make a bag for me and my sewing nook instead of trying to figure out how to re use. I upcycle paper bags, but they aren't used by grocery stores these days. Thank you for a step by step project.
I love this! I've also seen stories about items for the homeless, such a great upcycle of something most people throw away. I always reuse some of my bags for used cat litter, various of my waste baskets, or putting wet/sloppy kitchen garbage in (I'm in an apt). I keep a large dept store bag in my pantry for shoving all my grocery bags in, and when full I take them to the grocery store and put in their bag recycle bin, keeping the large bag to reuse over and over. In the past we also recycled the bags by taking to our local library, and also a food bank.
Typically I use my bags as garbage bags. I intentionally keep all the waste baskets in the house of a small enough size that the grocery bags can be used in them so I never have to buy garbage bags :)
Here in California , they have banned the plastic, but I have saved many as I used to make items back in the Home island in the Caribbean , and sold them to the Tourist of the Cruise Ships... Thanks for doing this Video, as I plan to get back into doing this craft..I uses Ross bags and some times I wouls buy a roll of garbage bags , depending on the item I am working on, I have also Lined the bags, it gives it some strength... I also work my bags for the large bags in the round or oblong... ..Ninette Bird- The Caribbean Wife.
I've decided I'm going to make the Plarn and make my cat her own little mat. She seems to like lying on our plastic. I'll eventually make a bag or something like you have because I like those ideas too. Thanks for the great video.
Maybe after the move I’ll finally find time to learn to crochet! This is so super cool!! Loved the garden update video too...I forgot to comment there. Sorry mom! LOL So glad the wedding went well and can’t wait to see pictures. Love y’all bunches! ~The Kid
I'm working on making a plastic mat out of them to sit on in my chicken run when I go out to play with them. Thanks to friends I have 100's of bags to use.
Heidi. You are such an amazing mentor. I have learned so much from you. The only question I have is how do you find time do do everything? Do you sleep? I can’t find time to do a lot of the things I learn. I’m trying!!!😊
I do sleep! haha! Sometimes I sleep more than others but for me it has to be about planning my day, if I don't it would be too difficult to get anything done at all. It is also about prioritizing, get the most important things done first and if time does not allow me to get it all done, I try to not allow myself to feel guilty about it :)
Wow, what a great and creative idea. Where you taught on how to make it? Heidi you are pretty amazing. I just love watching your videos with all of your creative ideas......stay blessed....Love the bags.....Mindy
I learned how to crochet from a book, I do not remember where I got the idea of cutting up grocery bags and making totes but I did pretty much learn it on my own.
I had to laugh because I do this all the time, forget to bring the shopping bags when I go shopping. Then again, I do need those plastic AND paper bags for various things at home anyway.
@@RainCountryHomestead I finally got smart, and put a bunch of bags in my truck. Its a lot easier to walk out to the parking lot, than to drive all the way home. Tired of buying bags.
Thank you so much for this tutorial, Heidi. Years ago, I tried this but became discouraged when it took so long to prepare the yarn because I cut the bags one at a time. :-o DUMB!!! :-\ Anywho...now that I've seen a simpler, faster way to prepare the yarn, I might just attempt this again. Also, at the time, I was knitting everything, but I think that crochet will be a faster method of achieving the same thing. Thanks again for showing us a more efficient and clever way to make these useful bags. :-D
Great ideal. I have done the basic years ago but the other day I was telling my daughter that I wanted to try crocheting this winter. A cousin of mine makes throw rugs for the kitchen and bathroom out of her plastic bags.
The fist bag I made was in dc and still holds just fine but I do not like the way it stretches so much. The sc does this too but not nearly as much and of course the tighter stitch means you can hold smaller things in it better
Hello Heidi ! This is pretty cool!!! Plastic is pretty strong when put together this way, about a year and a half ago I took the plastic from a sleeve of cups from work, cut into strips lengthwise, braided it into a bracelet, it stayed strong for nearly a year, I’m sure it would have continued to stay strong, but I lost it, the slip knots kept loosening, it must of slipped off. I’ve been saving the plastic when stocking cups to make a blanket, I’d like to make it by way of a loom if I can figure out how to make a loom that is manageable. Then sow sheets on either side of plastic blanket. I’m not sure if the end product will look or hold together by feeding loose bags though the strings, seeing how wool must be spun before feeding through the strings of the loom. What’s ur thoughts on feeding loose cup sleeves through strings on a loom??? sleeves r roughly 2’ long. I’m aware that u may not have any experience with a loom, but feel u’d know better than I. Thank u
Rain Country hello Heidi! I have been racking my brain to come up with something similar to what I’m talking about, and the only thing I can think of that I’m sure you’ll know is...picnic/party cups, though here, the plastic their n, most call it a package. I’m not 100% sure how the name sleeve came to be, but what makes sense to me is, a sleeve covers the arm, a plastic sleeve covers a stack of cups. Also the plastic sleeve/package containing the party cups is a different material than our sleeves, they r closer to the plastic u use to make the bag ur making. U might see what I’m talking about later. Have a wonderful day
Rain Country hello Heidi! I have been racking my brain to come up with something similar to what I’m talking about, and the only thing I can think of that I’m sure you’ll know is...picnic/party cups, though here, the plastic their n, most call it a package. I’m not 100% sure how the name sleeve came to be, but what makes sense to me is, a sleeve covers the arm, a plastic sleeve covers a stack of cups. Also the plastic sleeve/package containing the party cups is a different material than our sleeves, they r closer to the plastic u use to make the bag ur making. U might see what I’m talking about later. Have a wonderful day
Rain Country hello Heidi! I have been racking my brain to come up with something similar to what I’m talking about, and the only thing I can think of that I’m sure you’ll know is...picnic/party cups, though here, the plastic their n, most call it a package. I’m not 100% sure how the name sleeve came to be, but what makes sense to me is, a sleeve covers the arm, a plastic sleeve covers a stack of cups. Also the plastic sleeve/package containing the party cups is a different material than our sleeves, they r closer to the plastic u use to make the bag ur making. U might see what I’m talking about later. Have a wonderful day
@@RainCountryHomestead haha I have! No one has any left. We've all used them up over the yrs since they were banned. We reuse till they wore out and landed in landfill. I wish I had known about all of the cool ways to upcycle them long ago! I am going to check CL but I have a getting I will have to get them from people when I am visiting MT where they still use them.
Not sure if I will make anymore for the store but if I did, I would charge more than I did before because of the time and effort that goes into them. What each person chooses to charge for their work depends on what they think they are worth.
At least our local store's bags have not changed. What makes them cool is they were all make from recycled plastic so they are getting doubly recycled :D
Make sure it’s a CMA-approved compostable bag, not merely labeled “compostable.” Some manufacturers like to pretend their plastic is more eco-friendly than it actually is.
I actually like having them to recycle and upcycle as we have many uses for them which is why I like to take them off people's hands who have them building up. Much better than allowing them to just toss them in the garbage
![เปิดบ้าน โคตรสวย ป๋องกพล รู้จักตั้งนาน เพิ่งรู้ว่ารวย!!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tmgCF_2HfYI/mqdefault.jpg)
We didn't have a fire escape, nor a ladder or rope for a three story apartment., so.... I made my own rope by braiding the strips of plastic bags.
I made strips just like you did. I made many strips hooked together to long, long, long. Very long because I knew I'd lose length when they were braided together. Then braided strips again together by threes. I kept going until it was thick enough to be strong enough to use as a rope. A plastic rope. About 2 in. wide multiple braided throw down, out the window fire escape rope.
I had a tug-a-war test with some ppl. It was incredibly strong and as long as a 3 story floor window escape.
You can use the cut-offs to stuff patio or porch pillows, so that they are more water-resistant.
I made large mats for the kids to sit on at the sandy beaches, also mats work great for the kids to play on the grass.
I knew I had insanely saved mountains of grocery bags for a reason. We now use bags I made and wanted to find a use for all my old grocery bags. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Anyone else made their own file to save Heidi's videos? LOL, You so loved, Heidi!
Aw! Thank you!
The state I live in Australia has banned plastic bags, now I'm used to it I love it.
I love your passion! Thanks!💝🙏💝
Thank you for all the tips you just provided. 😊❤
Thanks so much for sharing this video! The Ladies at our Church got together and made plarn to use to make the plastic mats for the homeless, like you were talking about. I got my mat started, but didn't finish it. Since then I had forgotten how to make the plarn, so this video is so very helpful. Now I can go back and finish my project. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
That is great! So glad this was helpful to you! :D
God bless you
I am going to do these for my daughters to go with their Christmas this year! I had seen this video but came back to it because I knew you explained it better than anyone else. Thank for all you teach Heidi.
This is awesome!! Brings back memories of my grandmother crocheting rugs out of bread bags. Oh my...50+ years ago!! She taught me to crochet, she'd be tickled pink to know I'm going to do this!! ☺
Thsnk you Heidi! Blessings!
@Stephanie Windler I agree totally!! It's frightening to think that we may HAVE to do these kind of things to survive!!
Hi Heidi, This is amazing. You did such a great job on that bag. This is probably one of the best upcycle projects I have ever seen!! Love, Mary❤️😘❤️
Thank you my friend!
Thank you for sharing this video also! I am doing sometimes too this work, is a pleasure for me. When I was a kid, cause I am 55 now 😊, it used to be fashionable, there were hats even, I think is so useful and many savings involved. I also think you are an amazing woman, thank you! ❤
Oh my gosh, these are soooooo cute! Honestly, I don't know where you find the time to do all the things you do. Thank you for this great video!
Thank you for this video!! My Aunt and the ladies in her mobile home community made mats and pillows for the military personnel in Afghanistan! That was one of the most requested items that they asked for! I imagine that would be true for the homeless in any area! I always wanted to learn how to make the yarn myself to donate to.those in need I'm my community!!
wow, now I can make a bag for me and my sewing nook instead of trying to figure out how to re use. I upcycle paper bags, but they aren't used by grocery stores these days. Thank you for a step by step project.
I love this! I've also seen stories about items for the homeless, such a great upcycle of something most people throw away.
I always reuse some of my bags for used cat litter, various of my waste baskets, or putting wet/sloppy kitchen garbage in (I'm in an apt). I keep a large dept store bag in my pantry for shoving all my grocery bags in, and when full I take them to the grocery store and put in their bag recycle bin, keeping the large bag to reuse over and over. In the past we also recycled the bags by taking to our local library, and also a food bank.
Typically I use my bags as garbage bags. I intentionally keep all the waste baskets in the house of a small enough size that the grocery bags can be used in them so I never have to buy garbage bags :)
I use the ends or weird parts that fragile and use them for stuffing my crochet projects
I love doing this. I don't know if you spin or not, but it gives the plarn a little more strength. I never thought of the little phone holder. Nice.
At 10 cents a bag in Connecticut now many people will be using reusable bags and won't want to just toss those old bags. Great idea
Your store is impressive!! I will be watching for a bag made bag. Plastic bags were banned a few years ago in my county.
You are great, thank you for teaching this!
Here in California , they have banned the plastic, but I have saved many as I used to make items back in the Home island in the Caribbean , and sold them to the Tourist of the Cruise Ships... Thanks for doing this Video, as I plan to get back into doing this craft..I uses Ross bags and some times I wouls buy a roll of garbage bags , depending on the item I am working on, I have also Lined the bags, it gives it some strength... I also work my bags for the large bags in the round or oblong...
..Ninette Bird- The Caribbean Wife.
Thank you so much Heidi!!
May the Lord bless you!!!❤️💐
Lovely seeing this great art!!!
I've decided I'm going to make the Plarn and make my cat her own little mat. She seems to like lying on our plastic. I'll eventually make a bag or something like you have because I like those ideas too. Thanks for the great video.
Thank you so much, learning to make plarn has been on my to-do list for a while now and I needed this reminder! Great tutorial!
This is an awesome idea to recycle those plastic bags!!! I love it!!!
From Linda...Wow! Now I know how my bag was made 😊. I love my bag and use it all the time. Thank you Heidi.
So glad you are enjoying that Linda!
JUST Amazing Mrs Heidi 😁😁😁
🥰
Maybe after the move I’ll finally find time to learn to crochet! This is so super cool!! Loved the garden update video too...I forgot to comment there. Sorry mom! LOL So glad the wedding went well and can’t wait to see pictures. Love y’all bunches! ~The Kid
This pretty cool... I may try this as a project with my kids. Thanks for sharing how to make this.
I am going to KNIT some for Aldi runs!! Thank you.
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing. Great tutorial.
Very very nice idea thank you dear Heidi!!
I have seen people make them for homeless people like bed type thing. But i think that would a great laundry bag
Love the "loop method"
Cool. I'm gonna try that with the bags I have. Thank you.
I'm working on making a plastic mat out of them to sit on in my chicken run when I go out to play with them. Thanks to friends I have 100's of bags to use.
These are really cute bags. Amazing! Thanks for the idea's and instruction. God Bless!
Thanks I'm finally trying this,
Thank you so much for showing this!
Great 💡 idea thanks 😊👍🏿
Making the plarn is great for while watching vids.
Great tutorial!! I hope to learn how to do this! Ty sooo much
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
I love this!!! Thank you!!!
Cool!!! If I didn't have 50 cloth bags. .... I'd get more plastic bags😅
Heidi. You are such an amazing mentor. I have learned so much from you. The only question I have is how do you find time do do everything? Do you sleep? I can’t find time to do a lot of the things I learn. I’m trying!!!😊
I do sleep! haha! Sometimes I sleep more than others but for me it has to be about planning my day, if I don't it would be too difficult to get anything done at all. It is also about prioritizing, get the most important things done first and if time does not allow me to get it all done, I try to not allow myself to feel guilty about it :)
Wow, what a great and creative idea. Where you taught on how to make it? Heidi you are pretty amazing. I just love watching your videos with all of your creative ideas......stay blessed....Love the bags.....Mindy
I learned how to crochet from a book, I do not remember where I got the idea of cutting up grocery bags and making totes but I did pretty much learn it on my own.
Great job..
Ha ha, pretty bags that I can forget to bring with me when I go shopping. Almost look like Super 1 food store bags.
I had to laugh because I do this all the time, forget to bring the shopping bags when I go shopping. Then again, I do need those plastic AND paper bags for various things at home anyway.
@@RainCountryHomestead I finally got smart, and put a bunch of bags in my truck. Its a lot easier to walk out to the parking lot, than to drive all the way home. Tired of buying bags.
That was great. Our state just banned shopping bags we have to bring our own.
Cool video 😎
use the ends and handles to stuff pillows
Love it.
This is amazing!
Thanks
Thank you so much for this tutorial, Heidi. Years ago, I tried this but became discouraged when it took so long to prepare the yarn because I cut the bags one at a time. :-o DUMB!!! :-\ Anywho...now that I've seen a simpler, faster way to prepare the yarn, I might just attempt this again. Also, at the time, I was knitting everything, but I think that crochet will be a faster method of achieving the same thing. Thanks again for showing us a more efficient and clever way to make these useful bags. :-D
Very cool! Thank you for sharing this with us! :)
Great ideal. I have done the basic years ago but the other day I was telling my daughter that I wanted to try crocheting this winter. A cousin of mine makes throw rugs for the kitchen and bathroom out of her plastic bags.
Thanks for the video I have been waiting for this one.
Awesome
My sister-in-law's church is making sleeping mats for the homeless. Her job is to cut the strips.
Woops, I do double crochets. They doin fine. We use ours for cans at gro store. Mabey they won't come apart
The fist bag I made was in dc and still holds just fine but I do not like the way it stretches so much. The sc does this too but not nearly as much and of course the tighter stitch means you can hold smaller things in it better
❤
I make my plarn differently than you do. I actually spin and ply it before I crochet it.
Was going to ask about the size of needle,a j. Thanks
I have used both the J and the K hook for these. I prefer the K for the bigger bags and often use the J for the smaller ones
Hello Heidi ! This is pretty cool!!! Plastic is pretty strong when put together this way, about a year and a half ago I took the plastic from a sleeve of cups from work, cut into strips lengthwise, braided it into a bracelet, it stayed strong for nearly a year, I’m sure it would have continued to stay strong, but I lost it, the slip knots kept loosening, it must of slipped off. I’ve been saving the plastic when stocking cups to make a blanket, I’d like to make it by way of a loom if I can figure out how to make a loom that is manageable. Then sow sheets on either side of plastic blanket. I’m not sure if the end product will look or hold together by feeding loose bags though the strings, seeing how wool must be spun before feeding through the strings of the loom. What’s ur thoughts on feeding loose cup sleeves through strings on a loom??? sleeves r roughly 2’ long. I’m aware that u may not have any experience with a loom, but feel u’d know better than I. Thank u
For some reason I cannot even think what a cup sleeve is other than those insulated ones to keep drinks cold or hot
Rain Country hello Heidi! I have been racking my brain to come up with something similar to what I’m talking about, and the only thing I can think of that I’m sure you’ll know is...picnic/party cups, though here, the plastic their n, most call it a package. I’m not 100% sure how the name sleeve came to be, but what makes sense to me is, a sleeve covers the arm, a plastic sleeve covers a stack of cups. Also the plastic sleeve/package containing the party cups is a different material than our sleeves, they r closer to the plastic u use to make the bag ur making. U might see what I’m talking about later. Have a wonderful day
Rain Country hello Heidi! I have been racking my brain to come up with something similar to what I’m talking about, and the only thing I can think of that I’m sure you’ll know is...picnic/party cups, though here, the plastic their n, most call it a package. I’m not 100% sure how the name sleeve came to be, but what makes sense to me is, a sleeve covers the arm, a plastic sleeve covers a stack of cups. Also the plastic sleeve/package containing the party cups is a different material than our sleeves, they r closer to the plastic u use to make the bag ur making. U might see what I’m talking about later. Have a wonderful day
Rain Country hello Heidi! I have been racking my brain to come up with something similar to what I’m talking about, and the only thing I can think of that I’m sure you’ll know is...picnic/party cups, though here, the plastic their n, most call it a package. I’m not 100% sure how the name sleeve came to be, but what makes sense to me is, a sleeve covers the arm, a plastic sleeve covers a stack of cups. Also the plastic sleeve/package containing the party cups is a different material than our sleeves, they r closer to the plastic u use to make the bag ur making. U might see what I’m talking about later. Have a wonderful day
Have you figured out what to do with the new thicker reusable plastic bags?
I use them for garbage bags. I do not like working with them for crochet projects
Can you knit with them too, or would it stretch too much?
I am sure you can
I use mine for farmers markets. You can wash them in a washing machine, just can't put them in the dryer.
Yes, I have washed mine then hung to dry
I love in Portland, OR. Plastics bags are banned here, which is a good thing, but how do I find used bags from when they were not banned?
Do what I did and ask friends and family if they have any they can give you
@@RainCountryHomestead haha I have! No one has any left. We've all used them up over the yrs since they were banned. We reuse till they wore out and landed in landfill. I wish I had known about all of the cool ways to upcycle them long ago! I am going to check CL but I have a getting I will have to get them from people when I am visiting MT where they still use them.
single use bags have been banned in western australia
How much did you sell your bag for?
Not sure if I will make anymore for the store but if I did, I would charge more than I did before because of the time and effort that goes into them. What each person chooses to charge for their work depends on what they think they are worth.
How many bags does it take
Depends on the size you are making and the tightness of your stitch but it can take 60-75 bags to make a tote
How much can we sell these bags for?
That will depend on the standard hourly wage for your area as well as what people are willing to pay. This can vary greatly from place to place
How.much are your totes.
I am not currently selling them, not sure if I will again. I might just stick to making them for auctions and as gifts
@@RainCountryHomestead how much did you used to sell them for?
@@kskorner74 $50-$60
@@RainCountryHomestead thanks
Heidi,
I don't think under pants would be a good idea either.
Bwahahaha! :D
Most of these bags are designed to biodegrade now, so if you make one now it will disintegrate in a year or two.
At least our local store's bags have not changed. What makes them cool is they were all make from recycled plastic so they are getting doubly recycled :D
Make sure it’s a CMA-approved compostable bag, not merely labeled “compostable.” Some manufacturers like to pretend their plastic is more eco-friendly than it actually is.
I refuse to take some Plastic Bags so I have not to Upcycle them.
I actually like having them to recycle and upcycle as we have many uses for them which is why I like to take them off people's hands who have them building up. Much better than allowing them to just toss them in the garbage