Tuesday 10 November 2009

plarn wreath all recycled goods!

plarn is basically yarn made from plastic carriers bags there are many websites with tutorials on make plarn i prefer the method where you fold and cut the top diagonally across quick and even! other skills required included minimum of sewing, crochet and plastic fusing..plastic fusing is melting of plastic bags together..again lots of websites show methods of this you don't need to get too fussy with this project though when plarning do not use biodegradable bags as they will fall apart after a while as they are meant to disintegrate materials required 8 dark green bags or another colour for the base..maybe black or white? 2 red bags one for the Berry's and one for the ribbon and bow flower 1 lighter green bag to be fused for the holly spruces one metal coat hanger some red and green cotton a bead or shiny button or bear/milk bottle top 4mm crochet hook first of all make sure you have plarned all your plastic bags except for the 2 red and the 1 light green bag, fuse your light green bag allow to cool and cut out 10 holly shapes from the fused plastic material shape your coat hanger into a circular shape and bend the hanging portion down and over to form a look this will be your hanging hook taking your 4mm hook tie one end of the plarn to the hanger near the bottom and slip crochet the yarn around to start ..now chain ten and slip crochet the plarn around this will for a loop, chain ten and slip crochet the plarn around again forming a loop continue in this method until the hanger is completely covered in chain 10 loops this will create a fir affect now to decorate plarn bow flower and ribbon taking one red bag make a ball of plarn 1.using 4mm hook chain 4 and slip crochet shut to form a ring, 2.8sc into ring 3. chain 5 and slip crochet into next space, then into the same space you have just slip crocheted chain 5..continue around to end , slip crochet into first chain 5 space at the bottom 4.into each chain 5 space around sc 6 times around to end slip crochet into first space to close ring 6..ribbon bows , continuing from last slip crochet chain 20, turn and sc into 2nd chain from hook and into rest of the chain till you return back to the base of the flower, again chain 20 , single crochet in 2nd chain from hook and into the rest of the chains until you return to the base of the flower now fasten off.. 7..sew a bottle top or bead into the centre of the flower ribbon bow i used a beer bottle top and found it easy to Peirce a hole either side using a corn on the cob holder piercing through the top rather than through the base as the base had a plastic covering and was a little slippery holly balls taking your other red bag cut 12 2x2 inch squares scrunch into balls and sew into clusters of 3 balls ..sew each 3 ball cluster evenly onto wreath and place and sew a holly leaf either side and lastly sew your flower ribbon bow onto the bottom of the wreath and sew a holly leaf either side.. all done ..id love to see other colour variations of this any questions please ask!