Making a plastic sleeping mat from reused bags

Serving the homeless and the planet together

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Start by collecting clean used plastic bags with soft seams*. Any color is fine. Best sizes are grocery store size or larger. Don’t throw away those other bags. Think of ways to reuse them, like trash can liners, pet clean-up, delivering items to family and friends, etc. If you can’t use them, try to find someone who can.

*See next slide for what not to use.

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What is a hard seam?

In this image, the bag has a rigid line that looks like it has been ironed. If you do not need to look for the seam, it is a hard seam. These do not work up well when crocheted, so I would advise not using them for the mats. Find another use for these bags.

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Cutting the “plarn” (plastic yarn)...

Start by smoothing out a bag so that it lays flat and the seams are relatively straight. This is the time to inspect the bag for cleanliness and damage. Small holes and tears are usually OK. You will get a sense for what works when you start connecting the strips.

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Fold the bag in half longways.

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Fold the bag longways again.

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Trim off the handles. Usually there is an easily seen line where the top of the bag is, so it is a sort of cut-off line.

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Cut off the bottom of the bag.

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Fold the remaining plastic in half short-ways.

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Cut the fold so you have two equal pieces.

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Fold and cut again. This should give you four equally sized squares of plastic which will each unfold into a loop.

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If you are cutting a larger size bag, do your best to cut squares that are close in size to the standard grocery bag size. Try to keep them at least 2 inches wide. The squares don’t need to be exact, but the more uniform they are in size, the more nicely they will work for you when you crochet.

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Create a big pile of those squares (more than you can imagine!). I fill a large basket before I sit down and connect them. I saw an estimate that said it takes somewhere between 500-700 bags to create one sleeping mat.

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Linking the loops...

Take two loops and spread them out laying one end on top of the other as shown.

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Pull the bottom loop through as shown.

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Pull the lower loop over the upper loop of the bottom bag.

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Holding each bag loop, slowly pull the other ends of each. This should create a sort of slip knot linking the two loops together. Most go easily, once you get the hang of it. If a loop tears now, you must remove it and replace it. Save any torn loops for later.

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Continue adding loops by joining a new loop to the last loop you added.

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Choose your approach...

You can either attach and crochet your loops all at once, or create balls of plarn and then sit down and crochet. You can always add more balls or loops if you don’t have enough, so don’t stress over how big to make the balls if you take that route. We have found that smaller, loosely wound balls work up the best. They stay fluffier, for a nicer finish.

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This is a very large ball of plarn I used earlier in mat-making. It takes a LOT to make a mat!

Crochet the plarn into a mat.

Different sources have suggested sizes from roughly 30 to 36 inches wide and 6 feet long. Since everyone is a different shape and size, I think a variety of sizes is fine. When I finish a mat, I am putting a tag on it so they know how long it is. Width is easily seen when the mat is rolled up.

I use a single crochet stitch. If you do not know how to crochet, please reference a good youtube link that makes sense to you. My hook is unmarked, but it seems it may be size “S”. One source I found said to use size “P”. It does need to be large.

I have seen links where people built a wooden loom and made woven mats. That looked great, too, but I don’t have the skills to make one.

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Here is a completed sleeping mat.

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Wrapping it up...

After you have finished crocheting your mat, roll it up for easy carrying. Some people fold theirs in half and then roll it up. Then it is time to make and add your ties to keep it rolled and your handle to make it easier for the user to carry it.

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Making the ties...

As you are linking the loops of plastic to make your plarn, you will run into loops that will break. Don’t throw these strips away! Save them and use them to make ties to hold the mat in a roll.

Use three of these strips and braid them together. You will need two ties for each mat you make*.

*Unless you use

Method B, explained

Later in slide 34

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Making the carrying strap...

There are many ways you can make the strap. Find one that suits you. Here are two we have used:

Method 1: This method is similar to making the ties, except you need to go bigger. You will need larger-sized newspaper wrappers for this, but any large bag can make the longer, more durable strips. The size below works well.

Take 6 larger sized newspaper bags, which are roughly 16 inches long and 7 inches wide. Slit them along the seams, making 6 strips of plastic 32 inches long and 7 inches wide.

Images on next slide...

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Pile them on top of each other and tie them together in a knot.

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Braid the strips together. I used 2 bags for each strand to make an easy braid.

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Method 2: Crochet the same kinds of loops you used to make the mat. I would do at least 2 rows to make a comfy strap. You can attach them to the mat or make them removable.

Feel free to share your other strap-making ideas with me.

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Attaching the strap and ties

There are multiple ways to attach the ties and strap to the sleeping mat. Here are some methods that work for us:

Method A: You can attach the ties to the strap.

Method B: You can tie loops in the end of the strap to slide over the ends of the rolled sleeping mat.

Method C: You can attach the ties and the strap to the mat itself.

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Method A: Attach the ties to the strap

The following series of slides shows how to attach the ties and strap together as one unit. You will see the mat is already rolled up and the strap is laying on top of it.

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Attach the ties to the ends of the carrying strap.

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Turn the mat over with the strap and ties under it.

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Tie both ties around the mat with a bow so they can be easily untied.

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Now you have a sleeping mat that is easy to carry!

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Method B: Making loops from the strap.

In this method, you will not make separate ties. Instead you will make a longer strap, then tie the ends into loops to slip over the ends of the rolled up sleeping mat.

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Method C: Attaching ties and straps to the mat as separate pieces

The following slides show how you can attach each tie and the strap separately to the mat. The advantage of this method is that everything is attached to the mat and therefore will not get lost in use. However, the strap may make uncomfortable knots on which to lay, which is why I switched to Method A.

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Attaching the ties

Attach each tie about 6 inches in from the long sides. Also, instead of attaching them to the end of the mat, go in a row or two so they don’t pull on the outer row. Tie the tie in half so that when rolling the mat they can be tied on the other side.

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Attaching the strap

The strap is best attached on the inside side of the ties so they don’t tangle with each other. This also is a more comfortable carrying position. I just pull it through and knot it.

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One final step...

The length tag. This does not need to be super-precise, but it is a good guide so that people get a mat long enough for them.

I simply write the length on a small scrap of paper and tie it on with a twist tie. It will be removed once the mat is given to its owner.

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Now your sleeping mat is ready to go! It is rolled tightly, tied with ties, and the strap is attached for carrying. It also has a tag showing how long the mat is.

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