Centennial Hills Library Hosts Crochet Meet-Up, Turning Plastic Bags Into Homeless Shelter Mats

Plastic grocery bags destined for the landfill got a second life at Centennial Hills Library on March 22, when the Las Vegas branch partnered with The Mats Project to teach community members how to transform them into plarn, the plastic yarn at the heart of one of the city's most hands-on humanitarian crochet programs.

The process is more systematic than it sounds. Volunteers cut plastic bags into strips, loop those strips into a continuous strand of plarn, then crochet the strands into sleeping mats measuring 30 inches wide by 72 inches long — big enough to serve as a full-length bed mat for someone living rough. Those finished mats are distributed to people experiencing homelessness on the streets and in the tunnels of Las Vegas in partnership with Shine A Light Foundation.

The Mats Project formally added its volunteer program in 2023, and the Centennial Hills event reflects a growing effort to bring the work into public spaces where new crocheters can learn the technique alongside experienced makers. The hook size matters here: The Mats Project works specifically with size S/19 (20mm) hooks, which are large enough to handle the bulk of multi-loop plarn strands.

The project's founder's team includes Ms. Merri Medley, Ms. Tanya Rodriguez, Ms. Lynda Ortiz Young, Ms. Mayra Moran, Ms. Nicole Owens, Ms. Catherine Walker, and Ms. Susan Emmett, with a core team comprising Ms. Marci Bing Uson, Ms. Juana Ibarra, Ms. Yumeko Vasquez, and Ms. Mei Pitre. The organization has drawn outside support as well: the NV Energy Foundation contributed a $350 donation, and Ms. Mariah Davis has been recognized for her "unwavering dedication" to the program. The project also received a mention in Desert Companion Magazine's April 2024 issue.

For anyone looking to contribute without attending an in-person session, The Mats Project maintains an Amazon Wish List stocked with the supplies volunteers need most: S/19 crochet hooks, scissors, and fingertip moisteners. Volunteer hours logged through the program can also count toward formal Community Service requirements, making it a practical option for students or anyone fulfilling service obligations.

The Centennial Hills meetup is one stop on a broader community calendar. With each mat crocheted from what would otherwise be discarded plastic, the project puts a tangible number on the impact of a single skein's worth of effort: one mat, one person, one night off a concrete tunnel floor.