These designs are part of my Master’s thesis project. The designs are open source and available for free! I hope you will share them with anyone you know who works in International Development. My hope is to get people to see plastic bags as an abundant raw material that can be easily knitted or fused into useful items for people living in poverty.

The designs are not all detailed, as they are prototypes meant to provide proof of concept that plastic bags can be upcycled into useful items. However, they should provide a good starting point for creating projects that could prove useful to NGOs working in international aid, relief, and development.

Besides the knitted designs (i-cord sandals, fishing net, neonatal warming bag, rope, and construction webbing) listed here, the website also has some fused items - flip flops, tarps, rainwater catcher, and toilet seats. The site also has a photo tutorial for how to create plastic bag yarn (plarn) and links to great tutorials.