Plarning: Transforming Plastic Bags into Sleeping Mats

I read an article in our local newspaper about a woman making mats for the homeless using plastic bags. I called her and asked how our library could help. She gave a demonstration to library staff.

To make the mats, plastic bags are cut into 4-inch strips and looped together to make plarn, or plastic yarn. The plarn is then crocheted to make the mat. It takes 700 plastic bags to make a 6-foot-tall mat with two-inch straps and carry handle.

Plastic bags are brought into the library. Those donating bags are asked to smooth them out before donating; however, we do accept crushed and wrinkled bags. Sometimes volunteers take the donated bags, cut them into 4-inch strips and then loop the strips together to make plarn balls. Mostly though, we librarians cut these bags into 4-inch strips by using the paper cutter. We place a pile of approximately five bags on the paper cutter, cut off the bags' ends and handles, and then cut the remaining plastic into strips.

The strips are then distributed to patrons to make the plarn balls. We deliver bags of strips to shut-ins and those residing in assisted living facilities. There are at least 15 people (men and women ranging in age from 50 to 95) that loop strips into plarn balls.

These plarn balls are then collected and handed out to those that can crochet (instructions for crocheting the mats can be found under Attachments, at right). In a few weeks a completed mat with pillow is returned to the library.