Sofia Martinez
Plastic bags can take anywhere from 20 to 1000 years to decompose, so recycling them is an excellent way to help the environment. One way to do this is to make rugs out of recycled plastic bags. This can be done by braiding strips of plastic bags and then spiralling the braid outward, or by crocheting the bags together. Alternatively, polypropylene, a type of thermoplastic, can be used to make recycled plastic rugs. This involves mixing pellets of recycled polypropylene and plastics with different colours to create the desired colour tone, re-melting the mixture into a thick liquid, and then using the liquid to make the yarn needed for the rug's weaving.
Characteristics and Values of Recycled Plastic Rugs
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Materials | Plastic bags, Polypropylene pellets, recycled plastic bottles, yarn, old t-shirts |
| Number of bags needed | 150+ for a 33"x30" rug |
| Preparation | Cut bags into strips, smooth out creases, remove air |
| Technique | Braiding, crocheting, weaving |
| Design | Multi-colored, patterned, plain |
| Size | Varies, smaller rugs need fewer bags |
| Maintenance | Easy to clean, can be washed, suitable for indoor and outdoor use |
| Weight | Very light |
| Feel | Soft and comfortable, does not feel plasticky |
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What You'll Learn
Collecting plastic bags
There are several ways to collect plastic bags. One method is to save the plastic bags you receive after shopping. This can be a simple way to gather bags over time, especially if you want a multicoloured rug, as you can collect bags in different colours by shopping at various stores. Keep in mind that some stores may change their bag colours, so you might need to shop around. If you use reusable shopping bags, consider asking friends, neighbours, or even local stores if they have any spare plastic bags they can contribute to your project.
Another option for collecting plastic bags is to "borrow" them from recycling bins at grocery stores. However, it is important to note that taking bags without permission may be considered stealing, so proceed with caution. You can also purchase plastic bags specifically for your rug-making project if you are unable to source enough bags through other means.
When collecting plastic bags, it is important to inspect and prepare them for the rug-making process. Remove any rough creases and air from the bags by smoothing them out. Additionally, cut off the top of the bag where the handles are, and consider cutting off the sealed bottom as well. This will help create uniform strips of plastic that can be easily managed when braiding or crocheting your rug.
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Sorting bags by colour
If you want to make a multicoloured recycled plastic rug, you must collect plastic bags of different colours. You can do this by shopping at different places, as stores rarely change the colour of their bags. You could also ask your friends and neighbours for bags or take them from the recycling bin at your local grocery store.
If you want to make a patterned rug, sorting the bags by colour is a must. You should count how many bags of each colour you have. As the rug gets larger, you will need more bags to go around. For example, if you are making a brown-blue-white pattern, you may only have a few yellow bags to use as an accent colour. You can then cut and fold each bag and cut them into strips. The number of bags required for each ring will vary with its size and how tightly you braid. For instance, the inner brown ring might have 9 bags, the middle 29, and the outer 33.
If you don't want your rug to follow a pattern, you can skip sorting the bags by colour. However, you can make creating the coloured rings in the rug easier by sorting the bags by colour. While blue or yellow bags can be sorted together, white bags tend to have accent colours that can show in the finished rug.
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Braiding bags into a spiral
To make a recycled plastic rug by braiding plastic bags into a spiral, you will need at least 150 plastic bags. You can use bags of different colours to create a multicoloured rug, or bags of the same colour for a single-coloured rug. If you want to create a pattern, you will need to sort the bags by colour.
To begin, cut and fold each bag. Cut along both side seams through the handles, and fold the bag multiple times lengthwise, making sure to remove any rough creases and air. You should fold the bag enough times to make cutting easy, but not too thick for your scissors to handle.
Next, you can start braiding. Braid the strips of plastic bags and then spiral the braid outwards. As you lay the braid down, use straight pins to temporarily hold the spiral together. You can then fuse the backing on. The backing is simply another plastic bag split open. Put the spiral pin-side down on an ironing board or another iron-safe surface. Lay your sheet of plastic over the back of the spiral, with the ink side down to prevent any ink from transferring. Then, lay a sheet of wax paper on top of the plastic sheet. The plastic bag will melt slightly to the iron, fusing the layers together.
You can add some weight to the rug by interweaving strips of recycled old t-shirts or other fabric, or rope, with fluffy yarn. You can also add embellishments to make the rug more interesting.
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Fusing the backing
Once you've braided the plastic bags into a spiral pattern and pinned them together, you're ready to fuse the backing. The backing is simply another plastic bag, split open to create a large sheet. You should ensure that this sheet is large enough to have some overlap around the edges of the spiral.
First, place the spiral braid pin-side down on an ironing board or another iron-safe surface. Then, lay your sheet of plastic over the back of the spiral. It is important to place the sheet ink-side down, to prevent the ink from transferring to any other surface.
Next, place a sheet of wax paper on top of the plastic sheet. The plastic will melt and fuse to the iron, so it is important to use a dedicated iron that you wouldn't use for clothing. You can use a regular household iron, or a heat sealer if you have one.
If you are using a household iron, ensure that it is set to a medium heat setting. Carefully run the iron over the wax paper, applying even pressure and taking care not to let the iron come into direct contact with the plastic. You may need to experiment with the heat settings to find the optimal temperature for melting the plastic without burning it.
If you are using a heat sealer, follow the manufacturer's instructions for use, and apply even pressure as you run the heat sealer over the wax paper.
Once the plastic has fused, remove the wax paper and allow the backing to cool. Your recycled plastic rug is now complete!
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Weaving the rug
To begin, cut the bags into strips. Cut along both side seams through the handles, and remove the sealed end. You can cut the bags lengthwise into strips, or fold them multiple times lengthwise before cutting to get thicker strips. If you want to add some weight to your rug, you can cut strips of old t-shirts or other fabric to interweave with the plastic.
Next, braid the strips of plastic bags. If you want to make a patterned rug, sort the bags by colour and plan out your pattern before you start braiding. You can create different coloured rings by braiding bags of the same colour together and then braiding these coloured braids together. For example, if you want a brown, blue, and white pattern, you can braid nine bags of brown together, then braid 29 bags of brown together, and so on.
Once you have your braids, you can start forming them into a rug. Lay the braid in a spiral pattern, using straight pins to hold the spiral together temporarily. Practice this step first to get a feel for it. Once you have the braid pinned into the proper spiral, you can fuse the backing on. The backing is simply a plastic bag that has been split open and laid ink-side down to prevent the ink from transferring. Lay the wax paper on top of the plastic sheet. The plastic bags will melt to the iron, so be careful!
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Frequently asked questions
The number of bags you need depends on the size of the rug you want to make. For a rug that is 33 inches long and 30 inches wide, you will need about 150 bags.
First, collect plastic bags and cut them into strips. You can cut them lengthwise, or cut off the top where the handles are. If you want to make a patterned rug, sort the bags by color. Then, braid the strips of plastic bags and lay them in a spiral pattern, using straight pins to hold the spiral together. Finally, fuse the backing on by laying a plastic bag, ink-side down, over the back of the spiral and ironing it.
Recycled plastic rugs are environmentally friendly, durable, and easy to clean. They can be used both indoors and outdoors.
