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Friday, November 13, 2009

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)
=

17 comments:

  1. Love the rug! I just saw those in Ballard. My mom has been making the tote bags from plastic bags-I have to send her here to see your rug! Have a great weekend!

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  2. Fabulous job! I never would have guessed if I had looked at the finished project first that you made that from plastic grocery bags. Beautiful rug and great recycling project.
    Jane

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  3. My son has been trying to talk to me while I've been trying to take this post all in. I need complete SILENCE to reread this and totally admire what it is you've just done here! I can't believe my eyes. I've never seen anything like it. Shopping bags. Un. Real.

    Thanks for linking up to SNS #5!

    FJ Donna

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  4. I envy anyone who can crochet, let alone copy something and use recycling items at that. Great job.

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  5. @Cheap Chic Home. This is wonderful. I have been wondering what on earth I can do with all the bags I stack up. I'm not sure I'm up to this though...

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  6. amazing!! I love the rug!!! So Green!

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  7. I love this! Thanks for linking up. It's the ultimate Trash to Treasure project!

    Michelle
    www.TrashToTreasureDecorating.com

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  8. I am beyond impressed,especially by the fact that you say you can't crochet-you did an awesome job!

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  9. Awesome! I would have never thought to do that with my leftover bags!

    -Grace

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  10. Thank you for your lovely comments It made my day! I honestly only know how to crochet plastic bags. I taught myself how to do that so I could make the totebags. I figured this out as I went along. Patterns honestly don't make any sense to me at all!!! I have a request for a plastic hat from one of my teenaged friends, so I am going to try that next. Thank you for coming over to my place, Now I hope to visit yours real soon! Karyn

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  11. That is awesome! I'm going to see if I have any pink Haggen bags left, and I'll try to get them to you. I'll let you know :)

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  12. I think you are absolutely the cleverest gal I know! I like the idea of a plastic bag rug, and yours is soooo pretty. I'll bet they wash up well, and dry fast, eh?

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  13. No way! That is so awesome! I sure wish there was a store by me that used colored bags.

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  14. This is so pretty... amazing... and GREEN!!! I love it and your blog!!!! I am off to look around and am a new follower!!!
    Happy Wednesday!!

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  15. This is great. I love the colors of the rug. What a great idea you had!

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