The mat-making technique requires cutting around a plastic bag to create a series of circle-shaped plastic rings. Next step is to loop the rings together, pulling them straight into a 3-foot-long strand of plarn then crocheting that strand — and many others, of course — into a mat.

How to Make Plarn: What you’ll need: 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.

This type of project doesn’t need many supplies. Depending on the size of the craft you are creating, you will need: At least two to three dozen plastic grocery or similar bags in different colors and strengths. A variety of crocheting hooks.

Crochet Hook Conversion Chart

Plastic yarn can be used to crochet shopping bags very easily. The basic instructions are above and can be modified to the desired size of bag. You are now ready to begin knitting or crocheting your plarn mat.

Nanaimo Harbour City Seniors in Namaimo, British Columbia, Canada, have taken plastic shopping bags and turned them into sleeping mats by crocheting them together! These sleeping mats make great supplies for the homeless population, allowing them to sleep comfortably wherever they need to. It also makes a great addition to any camping trip.

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. Rather than throwing them out, you can reuse them by crocheting them into multi-purpose mats (known as ‘plarn’ – plastic yarn).

Flatten the plastic bag to best you can and straighten any of the bags creases Cut off the handles and the bottom seam so that you’re left with a rectangle. This can then be cut into four strips that become loops when opened up. After you have lots of loops, hook them together with a basic larks head knot.