Releve Design – How to Fuse Plastic Bags

Last year was our family’s second time at the East Bay Mini Maker Faire.  October in Oakland tends to be a really rainy time – and the last few EBMMF’s are no exception.  The rain didn’t seem to dampen the crowds or diminish attendance, but it did make the experience a little more trying.  ((Don’t get me wrong – I love Maker Faire, even little ones.  But, the EBMMF has been a tough one to love.  There are small with tight quarters inside classrooms or open spaces outside – in the rain, there were long lines for the very few food options, and most of the vendors ran out of food really early on))

So, the point behind this post – I learned something really awesome I’ve been looking forward to putting to use.  Some ladies, unfortunately I don’t recall who, were teaching people how to fuse plastic bags into a fabric.  The basic process was shockingly easy – layered sheets cut from plastic shopping bags are ironed together between protective layers of paper.  This one site has a good detailed description of the process with lots of tips and suggestions.

I’d love to make a bag, backpack, project enclosures, package linings, maybe a kite, and/or parachute using this stuff.