Being Crafty & "Green" for my Home -- Plastic Bag Mud Rug

Well, it's finished!!!  After about 2 weeks of work (in my spare time of course), I have successfully crocheted my 1st mud rug/small rug made out of plastic grocery bags!!  More rugs and designs to come in future posts!

Prepping the bags--

~1. Flatten the bag and cut off the handles and bottom.

~2. Cut across the bag, making it into strips at least 2" long so that you have plastic bag "loops" when you are done.

~3. Join these bag loops together by drawing one loop through another, and then back inside itself so that the ends of each loop are knotted together. After joining your plastic bag loops together, you will have a long chain that you can roll into a ball of "plastic yarn".


Creating the Rug--

~1. Start by chaining 50. Then, chain 3 and turn.  

~2. Double crochet into 1/2 of the "50th" chain and continue until you reach the last chain at the other end. In this chain stitch (which would have been that 1st chain stitch you created), work double crochet 3 times. 

~3. You will then continue to make double crochet stitches into the other 1/2 of the 50 chain stitches -- thus making the other "side" of the rug.

~4. Continue double crochet around the rug, only working 3 double crochet stitches into the "ends" of the oval. 

~5. Make as many "circular" rows around the oval-shaped rug as you'd like based on the size you prefer for your finished rug.

~6. When finished, simply pull the "plastic yarn" through itself and through the loops on the "back side" of the rug to secure it. Tuck in any loose strands or bag pieces.


Now you can enjoy your plastic bag rug!  Not only did you recycle all of those annoying plastic bags you had accumulated, but you also created something useful and long-lasting.


How to care for your plastic bag rug--

~ Simply rinse off the rug either in a sink, bath tub, or with a hose depending on the size of the rug and how dirty/muddy it gets. Do Not dry in a dryer!! Hang it up to dry.~

~*~*~ Happy Crafting!! ~*~*~