How to decorate your kitchen using 200 plastic bags!

There! Now aren't you glad you came to visit today?

Just Kidding, Come back, I have a surprise for you!
If you have been following me for awhile you have probably seen these already.
That is why I am doing something totally different!
I Will take you step by step, so be patient with me... I tend to ramble!


The first thing you need is about 200 plastic grocery bags. With my boys that is about 4-5 shopping trips. But you may have actually seen me in the store with my arm in one of these too!

I have been doing alot of BLURFING (excuse me) lately, and I noticed alot of posts about a company called Ballard Designs. Now, I am no brand fanatic, so I had to google them. I was cruising around in an overpriced gallaria of home decor yummyness when I stopped dead in my tracks... THIS was what I saw!

Pretty right? Made from recycled drink containers, (water, juice, etc.)
NOW, You will have to scroll down to yesterdays post to see what I think about recycling. Come on, you know you want to!

Just look at her! She is the lacy cream of the crop! I want her! (thou shalt not covet Ballard Design rugs!)

WAIT A MINUTE!!!

See the light bulb?

I already have all the materials I need taking up space in my office room!

You don't even want me to go there!

Sorted by color! I actually took this picture after the project was 5/6th finished, so there really aren't as many colored bags in this shot as I used. Just wanted to give you the general idea.

Special thanks to Haggens for using pink bags so I can make pretty things! Special request to Haggens, Could you please use them all year long? I didn't get enough during the month of October, and am now out of pretty pink bags!

Please forgive the blurry action shot. The Hand model is my lovely assistant Cannyn.

He helps me alot and you will see more of him below.

Gotta love teenagers!

We gather up the handles and the bottom strip and take them back to the recycling bin!

(What? Let them recycle those too!)
So, the trick is to keep your "string" taught as you tie your strips together. Cannyn heard me grumbling about how slow it is to crochet two strips, then stop to tie more on, and crochet two strips and stop again.

So He devised this clever plan to tie a long "rope" so I don't have to stop so often.

No, I do not approve of "Energy" drinks, we had company and they brought it!
and please pretend you don't see that in the next shot too! My Hubby isn't the best at removing his own recycling!

Isn't he clever? Almost 15, ready to take on the world!
The next four shots were taken with my webcam and posted on facebook. Sorry Facebook friends, you can just scroll down real fast to skip over!

Want a close up?

From this ...

TO THIS

In only 20 hours! Actually, I wasn't keeping track, But since I don't know how to crochet, I think that was a pretty good estimate. I could have had it done faster if I had used a larger needle, and didn't have to keep taking the silly thing apart because I kept needing to adjust the increase. I kept getting ruffles and rolls! (Ruffles because I used too much increase, and rolls because I went too long without increasing. I am sure there are technical terms for this but since I don't know how to crochet, I couldn't tell you what those terms are!)

TA DA!!!

Isn't she lovely? Isn't she special?

I am so proud of myself! Now, I am going to go find some linky parties to show her off!!!

Yep, I made it all by myself!!! (and Cannyn)

=