Make A Backyard Hammock Out Of Plastic Bags And Do Something Good For The Environment

You may live in an area that's outlawed single-use plastic shopping bags. This is a great step toward reducing waste, litter, and pollution, but plastic bags aren't going away any time soon. They're still the packaging of choice for many frozen foods, bread products, and much more. Unfortunately, many of these bags are so challenging to recycle that they're probably destined for the dump. But if plastic bags can take 1,000 years to break down in landfills, then they're obviously strong enough to reuse in clever ways. With DIY yarn made from plastic, you can knit, crochet, or weave together a hammock that saves a lot of plastic packaging from a dead end.

If you haven't heard of "plarn," it's yarn made by linking cut strips of plastic bags. This material works similarly to traditional yarn used for fiber crafts like knitting or macramé. Even if you don't have any experience with fiber arts, you can still make a plarn hammock with virtually no crafting skills. Just cut, tie, and braid together a series of plastic bag loops. You can make yours with 15 20-foot plarn braids, six 10-foot braids, and a surplus of plarn strands for weaving the braids together.

There are many different types of backyard hammocks out there, but you don't often see a handmade, upcycled-plastic hammock strung up on someone's patio. Take on this planet-friendly project that leaves you with a relaxing hangout — literally.

Whipping up an entire hammock from plastic bags might not be quick, but it could be an easy way to make your home more eco-friendly. If your plastic stash seems like it's coming up short, just open your fridge, freezer, and pantry. You're bound to find more sources of plastic bags than you knew you had. You can even repurpose pet feed bags for this DIY. Why not help your friends and neighbors reduce their environmental impact by asking them to save their bags for you?

An even more impactful move is to ask a local grocery store that offers plastic bag recycling if you can take some plastic bags off its hands. Whatever you do, make sure you're reusing old bags rather than opting for new ones, like trash bags.

Once you've assembled a decent collection of plastic bags, create your plarn by cutting the bags into loops. For shopping bags, fold them lengthwise a few times, then cut off the handles and the seam at the bottom of the bag using either scissors or a rotary tool. Cut the remaining folded plastic into 1-inch strips. Once you unfold them, you'll have loops of plastic that you can then tie together to create a strand. If you're using plastic bags of different weights, adjust how wide you cut your strips to ensure that each strand has similar strength.

To make the body of the hammock, you first have to make a collection of long plarn braids. To start, knot five bag rings together by slipping one loop through another. Do this three times to create three separate strands for braiding. Tie the strands together at the end, and braid them until you reach the end loops. Knot five more loops together and continue braiding. Repeat this process until your braid is 10 feet long. Make five more 10-foot braids and 15 20-foot braids.

Knot the ends of three 10-foot braids together, and braid them until you reach the ends of the original braids. Tie the ends and cut off any excess. This will be one of the end pieces that both hang the hammock and hold its woven body. Take one 20-foot braid and fold it in half. Attach this to the very middle of the 10-foot end piece by sliding the two braided ends through the loop created by the fold. Repeat until you have all of the longest cords attached to the end piece. Remember to keep the ends of the 10-foot rope even for tying.

With your plarn supply all connected, slip the end loop of another plarn strand onto the first 20-foot braid and slide it up until it's flush with the first 10-foot rope. Weave this strand over and under the long braids all the way across, attaching more plarn loops as you need them. Continue with additional strands until the hammock is about 6 feet long. Tie off the woven plarn, and knot the loose ends of the long braids over the remaining 10-foot braided end piece.