This tutorial on fusing plastic bags was originally published on the now-retired Etsy Labs blog in May of 2007. Due to popular demand, we are reposting it in The Storque. Enjoy!
I realized this afternoon that I basically explain this technique to an Etsy Labs visitor at least once a day, but had never put the instructions online. So, here it is. Fusing! Plastic! Bags!
Do you have one zillion plastic drugstore and grocery bags under your sink, or perhaps smushed into a drawer? Ever wanted a cheap and easy use for them? One that leaves you with an intriguing and useful homemade craft supply? Do you have an iron? Why don't you fuse them together?
What you'll need Plastic bags (thin, flimsy ones work best) Parchment paper, freezer paper or plain old copier paper Iron (and your favorite ironing surface) Scissors
Making it Please do this in a well-ventilated area.
Flatten out the bag and trim the bottom seam and handles off. This allows the bag to be opened up into a larger rectangle of plastic.
Turn the bag inside-out if it has printing on it. Once the ink heats up, it comes off the bag and makes a huge mess. If the bag has an interesting design that you'd like to preserve, try using a clear plastic bag layered on top of the printed one.
We find that between 6-8 layers of plastic gives the best results. So, you can either fold your bag twice until it is 8 ply thick, or use three or more bags layered on top of one another. Trying to fuse less than 6 layers often results in little holes forming in the finished piece and a generally weaker material.
Sandwich your plastic bags between the parchment paper
Next, run a hot iron (we set ours to "rayon," but you will need to experiment a little to see what works for you) and keep the iron moving constantly. Make sure to get the edges, and after about 15 seconds, flip it over and iron the opposite side for a few seconds.
Peel a corner of the paper back to see if the plastic is fused together. It should be fairly smooth and "one sheet" to the touch (watch out, its a little hot). If the layers are not all melted together, iron it some more.
Peel the parchment paper away from the finished plastic sheet. Voila! Now, you can use this stuff to make a million things. We've made re-usable grocery totes, wallets, and floor cushions; I think its an inexpensive way to make waterproof linings for beach bags and make-up clutches.
Fused plastic makes fun and easy-to-clean bibs! Download this pattern and cut out two pieces (one from the plastic and another from a pretty cotton fabric), pin together with 1/4" bias tape (you'll need about 48") and run a zip-zag stitch around the edges with your sewing machine.
i also have to explain this to someone probably once a week. people LOVE it, and are so excited to try it. it's a great activity to do with kids--i went into a 5th grade classroom to talk to them about making recycled crafts, and with one class we just spent about an hour fusing plastic bags [which they made the coolest things out of] because they could NOT get enough of it. i cannot endorse this process enough!
so glad to find instructions on how to do this! i had seen a tote bag and a quilt made this way a while ago and didn't know how it was done. thanks... have a stash of bags i need to repurpose!
Nice Ikea ironing board by the way - I have the same one. On a side note, I found it nice to lay a tea towel underneath the cover(which slips right off) to make a cushier surface, since otherwise I was getting grill/mesh imprints when I ironed delicate things.
vaniallalotus- yes you can sew through it! It sews up great, I just use a longer stitch length because a short stitch makes a perforated line and could be prone to tearing. I don't use any special needle or presser foot. On smaller items it can be easier to have the seams on the outside (sew wrong sides together) because the "fabric" is stiff and hard to turn inside out. It won't fray, so exposed seams aren't a big problem.
I fuse plastic all the time and never smell anything chemical and have never gotten dizzy. I don't get the plastic hot enough to smell, but I think if you burn it, then it will efinitely smell and give off fumes! Well actually sometimes I smell the food item that was inside the bag, for example I smelled cinnamon when I fused bags from red hots candies. And then I was sad the bag was empty! Even when you wash the bags before fusing, I think plastic is slightly porous and can absorb strong food aromas.
I get a headache sometimes but I always do it somewhere with good airflow. There was a forum thread that I can no longer find where someone's husband who works with plastics said there should not be any toxic fumes.
I love this! Can't wait to try. Just be very careful with the Target bags (read this: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/05/13/tr...) that a friend shared) It talks about how Target is giving people a hard time when they upcycle their bags and show their TM bullseye
