Crochet Plastic Mats for Haiti

By Rachel Choi – 12 Comments

I came across an article today (I wish I came across it sooner) that discussed making plastic mats for Haiti as a part of the post earthquake relief efforts. This idea is similar to the post I wrote featuring Rita Kunc, who crocheted milk bags to make mats for the homeless.

These crocheted plastic mats would also work great in Haiti. In fact, in Haiti’s warm climate, the mats become softer and are easy to clean. By sleeping on these mats as opposed to the ground, it can deter the chances of being bitten by parasites.

For more information about this project, please visit the following link to read the whole article: Mats Aim to Soften the Suffering in Earthquake-Rattled Haiti.

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12 Comments

  1. Cathrin says:

    Where are the directions to make the mats?

  2. gatyamgal says:

    Where can I find these milk bags? The ones they crochet with on youtube do not look like the ones that MILK come in. They look like thick shopping bags. They do not look recycled at all. Please let me know about these.

    • Rachel says:

      Milk bags are the bags that milk come in. Check out the link in the post to learn more about them. The pattern can be found in the older post that I talk about. Click on “Rita Kunc”

  3. Amanda says:

    What a cute idea – I love it! Thanks for sharing it.

  4. Rachel Sauvé says:

    Plastic Milk Bag Sleeping Mats for Haiti

    If you want the pattern for milk bag sleeping mats and the teddy bear you may e-mail me at [email protected].

    I live in Barrie, Ontario, Canada

    Rachel Sauvé

    PS: Haiti is in dire need of our help and our groups have been sending mats there since 2001.
    I must emphasize that ONLY milk bags are used for these mats … any other plastic bags will desintegrade after a few years from UV rays.

  5. Lyne Atkinson says:

    I am very very interested in started a community evening of making plastic Haitian mats. I am wondering if someone would come to Cornwall and show us how to start such”club”: I will take full responsibility of starting this club, just want someone to come show us how they do it….I am leaving for a holidays tomorrow till Dec. 13th and won’t be in the country. But like mentioned I am very very interested in starting this in Cornwall.

    Hope to hear from you,

    Lyne Atkinson

  6. CYNTHIA says:

    MY FRIEND IN MICHIGAN, USA, TOLD ME THAT HER GROUP ARE CROCHETING CHILDREN MATS FOR HAITI SIZED 18″ BY 20″ USING PLARN. DO YOU KNOW OF A CHURCH THAT COLLECTS MATS FOR HAITI TO WHICH I COULD SEND THE MATS?

    • Ray DeVries says:

      I too would like to find out where to send finished mats to Haiti. The contact I had quit sending them. I have a “ton” of cut strips available.

  7. CYNTHIA says:

    MY E-MAIL WAS WRONG ON MY LAST ENTRY. THIS IS THE CORRECT ONE. SORRY.

    • Jan Corley says:

      Hello Cynthia,

      I would love to get ahold of some of those mats. I can send them to a hospital my church runs in Zimbabwe- The Salvation Army Howard Hospital. I actually am going there on march 30 but would like to make this an ongoing mission. I should get some ladies at my church here in Peterborough, Ontario to make some. My address is 839 Talwood Dr., Apt. 612, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada K9J 7M6 and my name is Jan Corley.

      Thanks,

      Jan

  8. Diana Wallach says:

    Could you please answer a few questions regarding this project? Are people still making them? What organization is currently sending them to Haiti? RSVP. Thanks so much.

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