Green DIY tutorials: Give plastic bags a second life

(Leave No Plastic Behind)

In Guatemala, a volunteer led the construction of a new schoolhouse using plastic bags as insulation, reported Planet Green last week. And now through March 15, the International Plastic Quilt Project is looking for participants to turn plastic waste into quilt squares. In these tutorials, clever DIYers demonstrate a few more ways of reusing plastic bags.

Some of the most durable and usable plastic-waste creations are made using a "fusing" technique, in which flimsy plastic bags are ironed together layer-by-layer. This video tutorial shows the step-by-step process.
http://www.diycraftvideos.com/video/264/Etsy-How-To-Fuse-Plastic-Bags

Fused plastic bags can be made into a variety of useful items. Here are a few:

Hooded Sweatshirt
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-plastic-bag-hoodie-How-to-fuse-plastic-bags-a/

Laptop Case
http://www.wikihow.com/Fuse-Plastic-Bags-Into-a-Laptop-Case

Reusable Shopping Bag
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=187283.0

A trickier technique involves shredding bags to create "plastic yarn." This video tutorial will show you how.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcv02spy7y8

A colorful bag, shown in the link below, is one of the many items you can make with your yarn. For more ideas, search "plastic knitting,' "plastic yarn," or "plarn."
http://www.diynetwork.com/decorating/recycled-plastic-carryall/index.html

If you're up to the task, consider donating a square to the International Plastic Quilt Project, which is now accepting applications. Get inspired from previous plastic quilt squares, featured on the project's website.
http://lnpb.org

See how a volunteer gathered plastic bags and bottles from neighboring villages to create insulation for a school building.
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/plastic-bottles-vilagers-schoolhouse.html