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Making a Plarn
The mats are made of a material called "plarn," plastic bags knotted into yarn-like string.
The balls of plarn are given to crocheters, who make mats, usually 3-by-6 feet wide.
Volunteers turn plastic grocery bags into sleeping mats for the homeless.
It takes an average of 500 to 700 plastic grocery bags — and about 80 hours — to make one plastic mat. Benefits include water resistance, mobility and re-usability.
How to make plarn
■ Flatten the plastic bag to make it look as if it was new
■ Fold it in half twice
■ Cut the ends off and cut the remainder into four equal strips
■ The strips will come out as loops, and the loops are knotted together, forming plarn string, which is rolled into a ball
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