There are dozens of people in the Davidson County living outside in the woods, under bridges, and in abandoned buildings. We can’t change their situations but we can do something to make it a tiny bit better.
Our Time
Some people bowl, others paint, while others do things online in their free time. Some of us do all of the above. There are thousands of ways to spend our free time. We choose to take a little of our and give it to help others.
Our World
About 2 million plastic bags are used around the world every minute. It is estimated that it takes anywhere from 20 years to 500+ for them to decompose. We have a choice as to where some will be. We chose to give them a second life.
Want to help us?
Here are a few ways to get involved. Click plus sign (+) or photo to learn more.
Join us Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at 202 North Main Street, Lexington, NC. We are above the Triad PC Repair shop.
Are you a member of a group, club, organization or just a collection of friends that would like to help out with the project? Contact us and we will see about arranging for Amy or another volunteer to come out and show you group how to get started. Just drop us a line and we will get back to you. Please be sure to include your phone number and your email address. We value your privacy, you address will not be stored nor will you be added to any list.
Collect and Cut Bags
One of THE most important jobs.
One of the most important parts in the process of making the sleeping mats is preparing the bags to be use. Before a bag can be woven or crocheted into a sleeping mat the bottom seam and the handles must first be cut off.
It takes between 500 – 600+ bags to make one mat. Cutting the bags into loops is one less step for the weavers/ crochetters to do. This step allow them to use their time to make mats . . . instead of processing bags.
Instructions:
Step 1 : Make sure all bags are uncrumpled, turned right side out, and flattened.
Step 2: Cut off handles and bottom seam
Step 3: Repeat until all bags are done.
Tips:
Two people can make quick work of a lot of bags if one person is making sure the bags are uncrumpled, flattening and stacking bags and the other is cutting.
More than one bag can be cut a time. Just be sure to line up the bottom seams and handles to ensure that all the bags are cut cleanly across.
Some of the weavers and crochetters like to get creative an weave patterns and designs. Sorting the bags by color is a helpful bonus but not expected.
If you don’t feel like cutting there are people who are willing to help cut your clean (no sticky, liquid, or meat juice) bags. Contact us and we will let you know when and where you can drop off your uncut bags.
Loop Bags and Roll into Balls
Help weavers do what they do best. . . weave.
Cutting the bags is just the first step in the process of turning plastic bags into sleeping mats. The next thing is that they need to be loop together to string up the looms.
One quarter to one third of the bags that are used to make a mat have to be strung on the loom before the weaver can start weaving.
Looping bags together drastically reduces the time that a weaver takes to get there loom set up and ready to go.
Difficulty Level: Easy Materials Needed:
Bags that have had their bottom seams and handles cut off.
Instructions:
Step 1 : Open and stretch two bags so that they are long and narrow.
Step 2: Follow pictured instructions.
Step 3: Repeat until there are 28 bags looped together.
Step 4: Roll line of bags into a ball.
Tips:
Again this is a great partner activity. One person can stretch out the bags while the other loops them together.
Take care to make sure you are making a straight even line of bags. Uneven looping can put stress on the shorter side and make the linked bags less strong.
Weave A Mat On a Frame Loom
The fastest, most efficient method.
Sometime during my process of coming up with the idea of weaving mats on milkshake straws, I came across an amazing project taking place in Canada. It was a network of people turning milk storage bags into mats to be set to areas hit by natural disasters.
The thing that really got me was the rate at which they were making the mats. They were weaving mats at a rate of more than 5 mats a day. Now granted they have several groups and organizations (schools, clubs, senior centers, etc.) working with them and a network of locations collecting bags, but that is still amazing.
So they were encouragement in my search for a faster method. Now, you might ask, “Amy, why didn’t you just go from crocheting to weaving on frames?”
Good question. The honest answer is cost. I felt like in order for this to be successful, it needed to be duplicatable. There were people from all walks of life willing to help and I wanted to find ways for everyone to participate that didn’t require more than a nominal investment of money.
So I made about a half dozen mats on drinking straws. In early October 2015, we turned in the mats that we had made to a local charity that would be able to distribute them to the people in need. We had less than a dozen to give. I knew that would help those who would receive a mat but I felt badly for those who wouldn’t. So I decided to revisit the idea of weaving on a loom.
I first tried using my Martha Stewart loom kit that I had gotten some years before from Wal-Mart. That worked really well. I was able to finish a mat in less than a week. But I felt it could go faster. One of our computer clients came in and saw me weaving at my desk and volunteered to make me a wider wooden loom. After she did that I realized with an extra kit, I could make my loom double in size so I purchased another Marth Stewart loom kit from Wal-Mart. Put it together and was off to the races. I was able to weave a mat in about 10 hours with lots of breaks. I started in the morning and finished right before I went to bed.
Maybe I should have been content. But I knew it could still go faster, so I decided to get my husband to help me make a full-sized wooden loom. In about an hour he had one made I strung it up and in about 3 hours I was more than halfway finished. The process of weaving is a little different as there are no pegs/screws on the sides. See below.
I tried the method I use to weave on the larger loom, on the Martha Stewart loom, that is weaving without looping around the pegs on the shortest side and found that it work and produced a thicker finished mat. I just had to be careful not to pull too hard or else the sides concaved in.
The neat part is that two people could work on the same mat at the same time. They can do this by making multiple rectangles and joining them if working on small looms. Or they and actually work on the same mat at the same time if using a large one. This greatly shortening the amount of time it takes to finish a mat.
Difficulty Level: Easy Materials Needed:
16 x 32 inch wooden frame loom or two (2) Marth Stewart Loom kits. If using a kit assemble loom so that it measures approximately 16 x 30 from corner to corner with pegs in every other space on all four (4) sides.
Method 1: Weaving on Martha Stewart Loom with pegs on all four (4) sides.
Step 1 : Loop plastic bags together until you have a chain or length of loops approximately 56 bags long.
Step 2: Hook the loop of the beginning chain over the first peg on the longest side.
Step 3: String the loom by wrapping the length of loops between all the pegs on the long side.
Step 4: When you reach the end turn around the first peg of the shortest side and start weaving. Over under over under. See picture.
Step 5:When you reach the other side, go around the peg. And start weaving in the opposite direction.
Step 6:When you get to the last row. Go through each of the eyes of the loops before removing from the loom so that mat doesn’t unravel. Leave about a bags length attached for weaving.
Step 7:Remove from loom. Repeat until you have made five (5) rectangles.
To Join: Lay two (2) mats together matching holes at the edge together. Using the excess bag whip stich across adding extra loops of bags as necessary. When you reach the end. Weave in excess along the edge.
Method 2: Weaving on a Frame Loom or the Marth Steward loom with pegs on only the longest edge.
Step 1 : Loop plastic bags together until you have a chain or length of loops approximately 56 bags long.
Step 2: Hook the loop of the beginning chain over the first peg on the longest side.
Step 3: String the loom by wrapping the length of loops between all the pegs on the long side.
Step 4: When you reach the end leave an inch of slack turn and start weaving. Over two, under two, over two, under two. See picture.
Step 5: When you reach the other side, leave and inch of slack. And start weaving in the opposite direction.
Step 6: Every couple of rows, push the bags down so that none of the warp threads (short threads running from top to bottom) are showing.
Step 7: When you get to the last row. Go through each of the eyes of the loops before removing from the loom so that mat doesn’t unravel. Leave about a bags length attached for weaving.
Step 8: : Remove from loom. Repeat until you have made five (5) rectangles.
To Join: Lay two (2) mats together matching holes at the edge together. Using the excess bag whip stich across adding extra loops of bags as necessary. When you reach the end. Weave in excess along the edge.
Tips:
Method two produces a thicker softer mat and uses more bags. This makes the mat a good bit heavier than mats made with method one.
With method one it is best to add bags as you go, since you are wrapping them around the pegs. And producing a tighter weave.
With method two you can string two (2) to four (4) bags together weave across and pull when you reach the other side. If you do this, hold the loop in the end with your thumb to keep the slack at the beginning. If you don’t the sides will come in and make the rectangle look more like an hour glass.
Pros:
You can weave a mat very, very fast.
The process is very straight forward.
Anyone can do it. Really.
You can see results quickly so that is very motivational.
If you know a handy many or someone with a few tools a loom could be made in a couple of hours.
Cons:
You need to purchase kit or make a wooden loom.
The Martha Stewart loom is $30 per kit if you wanted to make a large rectangle instead of a square, you would need to purchase two looms.
A wooden frame/ lap loom (or two) can be made for between $10 – 15 with supplies from Lowes but you would need to have some basic power tools or at least a saw and a drill to get it made.
Summary: Despite the cons, I am still looking for ways to get as many wooden looms made and Martha Stewart looms donated. It is just faster. Time is important even if you are volunteering.
Click the link to download pdf instructions for making a 30” x 18” wooden lap loom.
Weaving a Mat on a Milkshake Straw Loom
Faster than crochet. Easier to aquire than frame looms.
During my misadventure crocheting a mat that took me over 8 weeks to get done, I started deeply thinking about more efficient ways of creating mats from plastic bags.
I had already started hosting get-togethers in one of the rooms above my husband’s repair shop. Some of the ladies that came, wanted to learn to crochet so that they could help make a mat. As I was trying to show others how to crochet I realized this might not be the best beginner project.
So I started trying to find a simpler (quicker) way to make mats from plastic bags.
I’ve hand the opportunity to try a variety of crafts. One of the projects that I tried when I was younger was weaving scarves and belts using drinking straws. After some trial and error and tweaking the process I arrived a way of weaving a mat using milkshake straws.
Weaving on milkshake straws is faster than crocheting. Here are the pros and cons of this method:
Pros:
Other than of scissors the only additional tool you need are the jumbo-sized milkshake straws
TInexpensive – a package of straws only cost a few dollars.
Very portable – mat can be rolled up and stuffed in a bag
Can be done on one’s lap or at a table.
Once you get how the straws are slid up and down, weaving is straight forward.
Big Lots, Wal-Mart etc usually carry milkshake straws.
More than one person can help make a loom by stringing the straws. Could be a group activity if you had enough willing weavers to use the finished looms.
Cons:
Getting started that is stringing the straws, making the loom and weaving the first couple of rows can seem a little daunting.
Some people find the process of moving the straws up and down confusing.
After a couple of uses the straws will need to be replaced.
The thickness of the finished mat can vary greatly depending on how tightly you pull and how many bags you use.
when doing this as a group project, it is easy to get a bunch of looms but no woven mats since stringing straws and making looms are easier that actually weaving a mat.
Summary: This is a really great method for those who don’t mind a bit of a learning curve. The cost of supplies are inexpensive enough for a lot of people to try. Although it is faster than crocheting, it may still can take from two weeks to a month or more to finish one mat.
I’ve created a couple video tutorials to show you how to get started weaving on milkshake straws.
Weaving on drinking straws will work. But there is a far quicker and more efficient way to weave. What can take weeks to months can be done in 3 - 4 hours or a few days. The faster side of those results can be achieved consistently when you weave on a loom.
Crocheting a Mat
Most common method in US. Not the most efficient.
If you google “make mats for homeless” you the top search result are usually stories about individuals and groups of people creating mats by crocheting them.
I learned to crochet when I was around five or six. My grandmother taught me to keep my busy mind and hands working toward more useful aims. When I get into a groove, I can crochet quite quickly. So when I considered making mats for the homeless out of plastic bags and saw that crocheting was the method most widely used to achieve that goal here in America, that is where I started.
After a month of crocheting interspersed with stopping to cut bags into thin strips. I was only half way done. The project was feeling like more than a second job.
There were dozens of people in my community that were sleeping outside. If I wanted to really make a difference. I needed to find a faster method.
If you have extra time and really enjoy crocheting and want to do something great with your passion, by all means crochet. You will get a mat. It will just take you exponentially longer to make one than using almost any other method.
Difficulty Level: Depends Materials Needed:
Crochet hook (size M, N, or P)
Lots of Plastic Bags
Instructions:
Step 1 : Chain a lenght about 30 inches long.
Step 2: Single crochet across. Chain 1 turn. Repeat.
Step 3: Repeat until mat is six (6) feet long.
Pros:
Only need one tool outside of scissors – crochet hook
Inexpensive – the crocheting hooks only cost a couple of dollars.
Very portable – mat can be rolled up and stuffed in a bag
Can be done on one’s lap or at a table.
If you already know how to crochet there is no learning curve.
It is pretty easy to get started if you live near a craft shop or can shop on line to purchase a large crochet hook.
There are lots of videos out there showing you how to crochet and crochet a mat from plastic bags.
Cons:
If you don’t know how to crochet you’ll need to learn a couple of stitches.
It takes four (4) times more work to process the bags to be crocheted as they need to be cut in quarters.
Only one person can really work on the mat at one time.
It takes a while. If you have a short attention span or need to see results really quickly to stay motivated. Don’t try this method.
Summary:: I think crocheting mats are great for certain people. I’ve been crocheting since I was 6. I’m 36 now and I can crochet very quickly. But I found myself getting discouraged about halfway through (week 3). It took me almost two months to finish my first mat and I finished it out of principle.
If you love to crochet and will enjoy the process as much as the feeling of doing something for someone then by all means crochet some mat! Here are some links to tutorials and instructions on making mats.
If you think that might feel too much like a job than fun, but would like to actually make a mat, there is hope. There are still two other ways to create a mat from plastic bags: Weaving on drinking straws. Weaving with a loom.
Make or Purchase a Frame Loom
Are you good with tools?
I’ve made almost a dozen mats for people who are homeless. I’ve used a variety of methods. I’ve done a lot of research as to the fastest way. Using a loom wins by a mile.
The thing is looms need to be purchased or made. That takes time and/or money. But when someone who wants to help is provided with a loom they are happy to make a few mats or rectangles.
You may not have the inclination or ability to weave an actual mat, but if you are willing to purchase a couple kits or build a wooden loom or two you could help a lot.
There are a lot of willing weavers. I just don’t have enough looms.
Purchase a Martha Stewart Loom Kit
Martha Stewart loom kits can be found in the crocheting/knitting/yarn section at most craft stores and at larger Wal-marts. They cost between $25 - $30 per kit. It takes two kits to make a loom.
I am looking in to seeing if we could get Ms. Stewarts charitable organization to donate some. I’ve purchased 4 to date. As that was getting expensive I dusted off the drill and got hubby and some friends to help make a few from wood.
Make a loom from wood
There are two types of wooden frame looms that can be made. One only has screws on the two longest sides. That is the easiest to make and requires the least amount of materials and tools. The other has screws on all four sides. That would require the knowledge/ability/tools to create over lapping corners that lay flat.
Difficulty Level: Depends Materials Needed:
1x2x6 or 1x2x8 pieces of wood
1 5/8 or 1 1/2 inch wood screws
Wood working tools (Saw, drill, drill bits, screw driver, etc)
Instructions:
Step 1 : Cut 2 lengths of wood 16” long and 2 lengths of wood 32” long.
Step 2: : Join four corners to make rectangular frame.
Step 3: If joining without over lapping, mark out 1” spacing across the top of the two longest pieces. They should be on top the short pieces should be on the bottom.
Step 4: Pre drill holes. Insert screws. Leave about 1 inch to 5/8ths of an inch above the wood.
