High school students are making blankets out of plastic bags for homeless – sparking a movement
By Positive Thoughts
February 26th, 2020
There’s a serious homeless crisis going on in America, it’s up to us as individuals to do what we can to make a difference. One student club in Lakewood, Colorado, is doing just that. They make “plarn” blankets for the homeless made out of plastic bags, by crocheting them together.
What a great idea, hopefully, it will catch on with other schools!
Students at Lakewood High School, are helping the environment and the homeless, all in one shot
A group of girls in Lakewood, Colorado, has its own quilting club with a twist. Instead of using fabric such as yarn, they’re only using plastic bags and call it “plarn.”
When the club was started back in 2017 by founder, Shelby Tillema, Lakewood High posted on Facebook to let people know they would start collecting plastic bags for the mats they create.
Each “plarn” blanket/mat takes 500-700 plastic bags to create
The club collects plastic bags cutting them into strips and tieing them together to create “plarn.” Once they have the makeshift yarn ready, they crochet huge mats for the homeless. They work as padding to lay on the harsh concrete, or blankets to keep warm.
Not only are the mats/blankets much comfier than the ground, but they’re also waterproof and help keep insects away. The “Plarn Club” meets after school to construct the mats before giving them to the Jefferson County Action Center.
“We take recycled plastic grocery bags or just any plastic bags, and you cut them into strips and you tie those strips together and that makes this thing called ‘plarn,’ plastic bag yarn. Shelby told JPS TV, she went on to say: “It makes the ground more comfortable and they’re water-resistant, and also, apparently they keep the bugs away.”
Senior, Shelby Tillema, got the idea from another group pf ladies making a difference
When Shelby saw a local news segment on Bev’s Bag Brigade, she knew she had to use the idea. The group of older women also crochets blankets for the homeless out of nothing more than plastic bags. The “Plarn Club” ran with the idea and the students love the fact that they’re able to make a difference!
With Shelby no longer a student at Lakewood High School, she hopes that people will continue making “plarn” blankets for the homeless community. Other schools have caught on to the amazing idea and are creating “plarn” mats in order to help those who live on the streets.
Students from Big Cypress Elementary, along with teacher Kristy Oen, posted a “plarn” tutorial video on YouTube. In the video, they give you a step by step on how to make plastic bag mats/blankets.
This is incredible, to see young and old minds’ working together to make a difference is extremely inspiring. To see the Lakewood Plarn Club in action, watch the video below! Here are links for Bev’s Bag Brigade and Big Cypress Elementary’s project as well!
