Styrofoam ice resin bangle by ChelleV2, Fused plastic lunch bag by Copabananas, Recycled plastic change purse by Cara Taylor.

Meredith’s recent post about what is NOT appropriate for curbside recycling inspired me to explore the craft-worthy potential of plastic bags and Styrofoam containers. It turns out that the possibilities are endless though I managed to select a few favorite items, like Cara Taylor’s crocheted coin purses and ChelleV2’s hand cast resin bangles (as pictured above). I also discovered that plastic bag crafting is an art in and of itself. Crafters of the world have helped “the cause” by making anything and everything from handbags and headbands to knitted ensembles.

So if you’re at all inspired by what you see here, round up your non-recyclables and make something with them. You might start here, with an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to make a fused plastic bag.

Plastic bag dress by mleak.