The New Trend -- Turning Plastic Bags into Plarn

Knitting and crocheting have long fascinated me as I enjoy seeing the finished pieces but never had the level of patience required to sit down and learn the skill. My Mom, Photographer by day, is a knitting fiend by night and she has made everything from baby bibs to Afghans to extremely intricate and involved clothing pieces. For years she has been trying to get me to learn the fine art of working yarn over needles but it is just not me -- so instead I will write about it!

This growing trend to use old plastic bags as yarn is amazing. The name associated with this substance has been dubbed plarn in the crafting community. Just like wool is eventually turned into yarn on a spinning wheel, the grocery store bags must first be turned into skeins of yarn fit for the needles.

The following photos depict sellers on Etsy who are using plarn in all forms from skein to finished product (it is not just about purses anymore!). Please check out their shops to see even more amazing, fun items!

Copabananas is among a growing number of artists who create and wrap skeins of plarn. The color selections available are amazing!


Check out Misty Amber Art to see details on this awesome plarn hat created from more than twenty five bags.

I can barely contain my excitement to share La Bolsa Chica, from dog collars to garden items this is how to use plarn!

There are fun bags made from plarn like this one from The Plastic Baggery. It has beaded accents and is fabric lined for added durability.

Dava Eva Designs gets down on the floor with this rug that blends plarn and yarn for a fantastic outdoor welcome mat solution.

All of these artists display innovation at its finest and a true love for the planet. The combined items above have saved countless bags from the landfill. Way to go!

Unconventional and Eco Friendly -- Animals

From art to clothing more and more people are surfing the environmental wave and locating products that are a benefit to the planet. My research on all things Green always leads me down some truly fun paths with amazing discoveries that I love to share with everyone here. In the past couple days I have come across some truly wild finds as related to animals in both the art and clothing categories. Prepare to be amazed!


Yes the gal in the photo above is indeed wearing a fur coat. Yes it is an environmentally viable solution. How is that you might ask? The fur is reclaimed hair from the pet standing next to her. Oh yes, I am quite serious.

I came across an old article on the blog If Its Hip, Its Here with regard to owners saving the hair that their pets shed and then sending it out to be cleaned and spun into yarn then turned into all sorts of clothing items. A couple of the ladies featured on the blog make hats, scarves, wraps, jumpers, sweaters, coats, anything conceivable that can be worn.

I would ask my Vegan friends and readers to please let me know if this is something that would be within the realm of possible for your lifestyle. Please feel free to discuss in the comments.

Known as Buck Jr., these laser cut deer heads are created from cardboard. But not just any cardboard; 100% recycled material for the added environmental benefit. The item is extremely lightweight and a fun, kitchy alternative to actually going out and knocking off a real deer.

Cardboard Safari does not just carry flat packed, ready for assembly deer heads however. The shop is chock full of moose, bison, trees, wreaths, full rhinos and a myriad of other funky recycled trophies for your wall or desktop. Talk about a conversation piece! The prices are extremely reasonable but just remember this is a do it yourself kit which they ship to you with all cut pieces included.

Eco-Fashion Friday Featured Designer: Off the Hooks

For a couple weeks now I have thought it might be nice to include a hat maker in our Eco-Fashion Friday series so when I came across Off the Hooks I knew they would be a perfect candidate for a review! Off the Hooks is a Canadian based shop who indicates they use “handspun & hand-dyed yarn, and eco-friendly goodies using locally-sourced, vegan, and upcycled materials whenever possible” and they also ship internationally. They carry fingerless gloves, legwarmers, booties, bags, scarves, home accessories, yarn and those funky hats.


With a range of colors and styles many items in the shop are universal to men or women and both can afford to own one of these fabulous hand knit hats with the average price point at roughly $21. Making use of organic fiber, cotton, wool, reclaimed fiber and even some vegan yarn they are certainly Earth minded. Not to mention they give tips for how a cotton hat can even be worn in the summer to keep us cool.

The only drawbacks I could find were a lack of selection in the hat department (only 9 currently available), they only listed measurements in centimeters, and cost to ship is a bit pricey on some items but overall these folks really impressed me as professional and seem very easy to work with so I am granting them a Four Leaf Rating!

Keep up the great work Off the Hooks! ♥love♥

Eco-Fashion Friday Featured Designer: Jess Pillmore of A Second Chance

Last summer I started my journey into eco-blogging by doing write ups and interviews for The Organic Mechanic blog and during those months I had the pleasure of running into many fine artisans from every genre possible. One of those amazing interviews was with Jess Pillmore of the shop A Second Chance. I enjoyed interviewing her so much it is time to feature her work yet again!


A Second Chance is full of pieces Jess has knitted or crocheted from upcycled materials, in fact every hand made piece is created in this manner and she has even begun offering skeins of the reclaimed yarn she uses, indicating in the item description:

“I pick high quality, gently used sweaters for my projects and for my yarns.”

Her price point for hand made knitted and crocheted pieces of this quality is moderate, with accessories at about $30 and tops falling in the $50 range.

In addition to her hand made items, A Second Chance also offers vintage pieces, which is another terrific way to “recycle” clothing!

Chatting with Jess was a joy as I learned that she ships in either recycled or once used materials and she will “drive to the thrift stores in a Prius.” Not only that but she donates 10% of each sale to Kiva, an organization which provides financial assistance via person to person loans to entrepreneurs starting their own business.

With such an eye on the planet as a whole, as well as her humanitarian efforts, I must grant Jess’ shop A Second Chance a Four Leaf Rating!

I am overwhelmingly impressed with her work and spirit and I hope everyone has a chance to visit her shop and see for themselves the quality work she completes!

Thanks Jess ♥love♥