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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
â– Flatten the plastic bag to make it look as if it was new
â– Fold it in half twice
â– Cut the ends off and cut the remainder into four equal strips
â– 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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