Things made with your own hands warm your soul and give you a reason to be proud. This is especially true for those things that require diligence and attention to detail when working on them. And the opportunity to decorate the interior of your own home with handicrafts is a huge plus.
Have you tried knitting rugs from garbage bags?
Not really
Plastic bags can quickly accumulate and take up a lot of space in your home. It's always a pity to throw them away, especially when you think about the considerable amount spent on acquiring them.
In this case, take up handicrafts, specifically weaving or knitting rugs from garbage bags with your own hands. Thus, you will introduce unusual and interesting decorative elements into the interior of the toilet, bathroom or hallway.
How to crochet a rug from bags
Crocheting rugs is a fun activity. In this way, you can quickly make a beautiful, practical thing that can decorate your home interior and make the room more comfortable. This type of handicraft does not require significant expenses if you have unnecessary plastic packaging that you are used to throwing in the trash. You can make a beautiful bathroom rug for your home or as a gift. Such a surprise will not leave anyone indifferent.
To make rugs with your own hands from plastic bags, you need a hook number 3, 4 or 5, scissors, a ruler, and a knife. The material used is cellophane of different colors. The bags need to be cut into strips. The thicker the polyethylene, the smaller the width of the tape should be. It is important that when twisting, the “thread” is approximately the same in thickness.
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The manufacturing process of polyethylene yarn is as follows:
- Place several bags on the table, cut strips about 4 cm wide with a stationery knife, pressing the stack with the attached ruler.
- Take one tape and unfold it. Thread another blank into the resulting ring.
- Connect the edges of the two ribbons.
- Tie all the rings cut from the package one by one.
- Wind the resulting thread into a ball, twisting the strips a little.
How to crochet a rug from square pieces
To make a rug with your own hands from plastic bags, you need knitted squares. The blanks are combined to create a product of the desired size with a specific pattern. The square is knitted according to the following pattern:
- Make 4 air loops, close the chain.
- Tie 8 single crochets from the center of the ring, alternating them with chain loops.
- Mark with a pin the loops along which the 4 center lines of the square will run.
- Complete row 2 and continue further. Make 2 single crochets at the corners, knitting a chain loop between them. Straight sides are made without air loops.
Crochet round rug
When knitting a round rug with your own hands from plastic bags, it is important to add loops in time so that the product takes the correct shape. The procedure for creating a multi-colored craft:
- Tie 5 chain stitches with red thread. Close the chain into a circle.
- Make 1 more loop. Turn the knitting in the opposite direction.
- Knit stitches of 5 loops. Pass the increase strips through the 2nd and 4th loops. Reverse the work.
- Work a yellow row 5cm wide, adding stitches at equal intervals.
- Tie the required number of multi-colored stripes.
Popular tips
An important point is the preparation of the yarn. For this, you can use old stock or new packages at your discretion. A plastic bag varies in density and you should pay attention to this nuance.
Recommendations for choosing packages:
- when cutting a bag, you need to take into account that the lower the density, the wider the strip (the standard strip width for loose bags is 3 centimeters, for dense bags - 1–1.5 centimeters);
- since as the capacity of the bags increases, the density of polyethylene also increases, inexperienced craftsmen are recommended to start knitting rugs from garbage bags with a volume of up to 50 liters (inclusive);
- in general, the garbage bag should be of medium density; the thinnest options are also unlikely to be suitable (for pom-poms, for sure, since the spheres will not hold their shape).
In fact, you can make rugs with a variety of patterns and decorate them with fringe if desired.
Polyethylene floor mat using pompom technique
Pom-poms connected into a rug transform the room and look interesting thanks to the volume of knitting. The attractiveness of an item depends on the color of the source material. Walking on this surface is like walking on grass. To make this warm and practical item you will need:
- plastic packaging of the desired color;
- cardboard for a template 3 cm wide;
- durable cord for fastening pompoms;
- scissors;
- base (a mosquito net will do).
Procedure:
- Cut the polyethylene into 1 cm wide strips.
- Wrap the ribbon around the template, 3 cm wide, and tie with strong thread.
- Cut the winding from the other edge. The result will be a pompom with a diameter of 6 cm.
- Prepare the required number of polyethylene balls.
- Make markings on the base.
- Sew the blanks onto the mesh.
- Cut off any excess cords. Carefully align the mesh so that no edges are visible.
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Crochet
The second stitch you need to know how to do (and is just as easy to learn as the first) is to assemble the rug using a method known as slip stitch. This is done by passing the hook through the previously formed stitch (while maintaining the loop that is already on the needle) before hooking a new section of ribbon and pulling it through both old loops to form one new one. You'll use this scroll stitch to do something like joining the two ends of a section of chain stitch together.
The only other stitch you need to master to make a rug is called single hook. For the first half of this you will hold the loop on the needle until it is out of the way. You will then take the formed stitch before hooking the new tape grip, which is pulled only through the formed stitch and not through the loop supported on the needle axis. Then one crochet stitch is wrapped by pulling a fresh section of ribbon through both loops on the needle. When you add row upon row to your rugs, you will find that this stitch is almost as important as the main chain stitch.
To start a round rug, line up the quintuple stitch, making sure you don't pull the stitches too tight, and twist the ends of the chain together to form a ring. Now, working through the center of the circle (instead of any of the five individual stitches) for the first half of each and working outside the circle for the second half of each, form enough single crochet stitches—usually about ten—to completely enclose the ring.
Do not stop forming single crochet stitches after completing the cycle. Make the next bottom-up slip stitch used to connect to the ring and continue around the circle, catching - the new row of crochet stitches you just laid down. You'll have to increase the number of single hooks by placing two in every other stitch or so inside. Continue around the developing mat for a few more lines and then lay the piece of work down on a flat surface.
Photo: knitted rugs from bags
Items made with your own hands from cellophane have an original look and fit perfectly into your home interior. Such things do not absorb moisture, wash well and clean with a damp cloth. To dry a polyethylene mat, you need to hang it on the balcony. This thing is warm and soft to the touch. The product can be placed at the entrance of the bathroom and walked on it without fear of slipping. Such a thing would belong in the toilet, in the bathroom, near the front door. When the craft wears out, you can easily throw it away and replace it with a new one.
Polyethylene clutch - a fashion accessory
Skilled craftswomen can create a huge number of things needed in the household, fashion accessories, as well as products for interior decoration, practically at no cost. Such things are very durable, are not afraid of sunlight, and can be washed without fear that they will lose their shape. Using a crochet hook, imagination and knitting patterns, you can knit a wonderful clutch - this is a small women's handbag without a strap.
We cut the prepared bags and put them in a box. We take a hook of a suitable size (if it is too thin, it will be very difficult to knit the loops; if it is thick, the holes will be too large). To determine the optimal thickness of the hook, we knit a sample. We collect a chain of air. loops 20 cm long. According to the pattern, we distribute the pattern and knit 30 cm. The result should be a rectangle with sides of 20 and 30 cm. We continue to knit the flap, decreasing one loop at the beginning of each row (knit and purl). When the resulting triangle disappears, we make a buttonhole. We tie it using the “crawfish step” method. We sew along the sides so that we get an envelope with sides of 15 and 20 cm. We trim it with beads, rhinestones or decorate it with flowers. We sew on a beautiful button - and that’s it, a fashionable unique handbag is ready!
Video: DIY floor mat
The first video tutorial shows step by step how you can make round rugs with your own hands from plastic bags. The material is cellophane bags; a hoop is used as the base. The product is made by weaving polyethylene strips. The second video shows the technology for making a bathroom rug from black garbage bags. The product has a square shape and is crocheted from the middle. The third master class clearly demonstrates the procedure for making a multi-colored rug from unnecessary plastic bags.
Weaving from bags
Rug made from garbage bags - master class
Tools and materials
To cut bags and prepare strips, take:
- stationery knife;
- wooden ruler;
- large and functional scissors;
- a suitable hook for weaving a carpet (numbers: 3, 5 or 7) for products without pom-poms;
- cellophane bags of different colors or one color.
The packages need to be leveled and stacked. This makes it easier to cut them. When twisted, these strips become threads of approximately identical size.
This way of using bags is a small individual contribution to the issue of recycling materials.
Polyethylene and ecology
Many plastic bags are produced every day. They are used in stores as packaging material and for waste collection. Not all are used repeatedly.
Few people think about their harm:
- Polyethylene products are dangerous to the environment and living organisms living in it. Toxic lead and other hazardous metals are used in production.
- Once in the soil, it decomposes over 500 years. In water bodies it has a detrimental effect on local inhabitants. Fish and birds mistake the particles of the bags for food and swallow them. This leads to death.
- When plastic is burned, hazardous substances are released into the atmosphere. They pollute the air and affect climate change. They enter the human lungs, causing diseases.
This is especially true for garbage bags. For safe use, they must be free of harmful substances and decompose quickly.
Square
Square rugs also turn out to be very bright and colorful, and making them with your own hands is no more difficult than round ones.
First you need to knit several square blanks. To do this, knit four air loops and close them into a chain. From the center, make eight single crochets, alternating them with chain stitches. Hook the pin in the places where the four corners of the square will be. Knit the second row. At the corners, make a couple of single crochets, a chain loop is knitted between them. Straight lines go without air loops.
Since the rug consists of several identical pieces, you can make it not only square, but also rectangular.
Yarn preparation methods
For many, the difficulty lies not in making the rug, but in the process of preparing the material - polyethylene yarn.
Today, housewives are offered a bright, cheerful palette of any possible shades.
Important! If you have never knitted items like this before, try knitting a small piece from the bags you have. And if everything works out, you can take on a more serious project.
To prepare “yarn” from garbage bags, carefully fold the bags lengthwise and then cut them crosswise into pieces of equal width. To make the process move faster, cut not one bag, but several at once, folding them in a neat stack.
For cutting, it is better to use a utility knife rather than scissors.
We connect the segments together with a “ring to ring” knot.
Another way to connect pieces of polyethylene is during knitting. When one segment ends, the next one is passed through it and work continues.
It should be noted that the density of plastic bags is different, and this fact must be taken into account when determining the width of the strips to be cut. The higher the density, the thinner the stripes should be.
Such an original rug will certainly decorate any interior.
And to create interesting bright models you will need bags of different colors. It is better if the density of the packages is the same, then the mat will turn out even.
Two ways to weave rugs
Pom pom method
Required:
- “threads” from bags;
- pompom base (round or square cardboard blank);
- sharp scissors;
- strong thread;
- base for the carpet (for example, mosquito net).
A stylish, bright, original rug is not only a decoration for a home, apartment, or cottage, but also a very functional thing.
Everyone knows how to make a pompom from yarn. However, not every needlewoman realizes that this skill will help create an unusual and very functional interior element.
You can make a pompom in the classic way: combine two cardboard rings and wind yarn around them. Then, having wound as much as needed, we cut it between the rings and tie it with a strong thread.
Lightly trim the hairs of the pompom and it is ready for use.
Or you can do it in a way that is more suitable specifically for polyethylene. To do this you will need a cardboard square. We fold it in half and place a strong thread inside. The main thing is that the thread is of sufficient length, since we will use it to both fix the pompom and tie it to the base.
One of the main advantages is moisture resistance; the mat can be used in rooms with high humidity.
So, we wind the polyethylene “thread” onto a folded square. It is better if it does not twist, then the pompom will be airy and fluffy. Having wound the required number of circles, we tie the main thread and cut it. Then we trim the edges of the pompom and move on to the next one. The number of pom poms depends on your preference. You can make a very dense rug, then you need a lot of pompoms, or you can place fluffy elements at some distance.
Wear resistance, ease of care, a successful tandem of stylish aesthetics and minimal costs - all these are the indisputable advantages of such a useful hand made item.
When all the elements are ready, attach them to the base. It can be any mesh fabric. For example, a large window mesh (mosquito net) or a rubber lattice base.
Interesting Bulky garbage or bulky waste?
And such a decorative element will adequately decorate a living room or children's room.
Knitting will bring true pleasure and will help you pass the time profitably.
As you can see, the color and shape of a polyethylene rug using the “pompom” technique is chosen at your discretion.
Crochet
Important! The width of the fragments cut from the bag (in cm) is equal to the hook number. If the hook is chosen correctly, the fabric will be smooth and dense
It is worth noting that you can knit from bags using any pattern: from the “granny square” to complex patterns for napkins.
It’s not a difficult task, rather primitive; even a child can do the job.
If you have at least minimal knitting skills, then this cute little toad (pictured) is quite within your power.
This bright accessory will make the hallway more sunny. And tying it is not at all difficult, the main thing is to follow the pattern exactly.
To make the threads strong and elastic, experienced craftswomen advise choosing soft matte plastic bags.
An interesting rug made from fragments. The right color scheme allows you to create a creative item. In this case, the “granny square” principle is used. Fragments of different colors and sizes are connected to each other and tied with edging.
To make a mat made from milk bags pleasant to the touch, soft enough and wear-resistant, you should choose bags with medium density.
Examples of advantageous color combinations
Even for such a small product as a polyethylene foot mat, you need to choose colors that will be pleasing to the eye and will not cause visual discomfort.
Similar dim combinations
Red colors of polyethylene will look advantageous in tandem with pink and purple shades, orange and yellow-egg colors will emphasize the warmth of the color. The yellow color will be bathed in shades of green and light green, and orange will also suit it. Green will be favorably presented in a blue frame or sea green color. The purple hue will require proximity to blue, pink and lilac flowers.
A game for people who love contrasts
Red in combination with green will add pleasant moments. The brightness of orange will highlight the shade of sea wave. A calm blue color will be offset by a bright yellow tint. Sunny yellow will play in contrast with bright lilac color. The salad color goes well with a bright pink shade.
