If you are drowning in plastic bags, why not turn them into a dog leash? It's an eco-friendly way to make a useful product! The leash featured in this tutorial is suitable for a SMALL to MEDIUM sized dog only! Tools & Supplies That You Will Need To successfully make this leash you will need tin foil, an iron, a C-clamp, scissors, a flexible measuring tape, a lighter, some small rubber bands, two hemostat clamps a leash snap and plastic bags, of course.
The ironing board is optional, but you will need a flat, heat resistant surface to fuse the plastic bags on.
The hemostat clamps are optional, as well.
A basic screwdriver will suffice to push the plastic strips through the braid.
STEP 1 - Cutting The Plastic Bags To make the cords to braid the leash, you will need to cut the plastic bags into strips.
Cut the bags into approximately three inch wide, length wise strips STEP 2 - Fusing The Plastic Bags Make a tin foil sleeve, resembling a file folder.
Take two strips of plastic, open the tin foil sleeve and put in the strips, overlapping them by about an inch.
Close the tin foil sleeve and quickly swipe the hot iron over the tin foil.
Now gently peel back the tin foil, so you don't rip the fused plastic strips.
Repeat this procedure until all the strips have been fused into one big strip.
TIP- open the window and work with a fan when fusing the strips because the plastic can generate vapors that are unhealthy to breathe.
STEP 3 - Cutting The Big Strip Into Smaller Braiding Strips To determine how long your braiding strips need to be, break your project into inches and multiply by four.
We are making a four foot leash with an extra allowance of five inches for the handle loop, so the total inches of the project is 53 X 4 = 212.
Therefore you will need two strands of plastic bag strips that are EACH 212 inches long.
STEP 4 - Arranging The Strips On The Snap Thread the strips through the loop of the snap into two even lengths.
Use the C-clamp to secure the snap to a table.
Doing this makes the work stable and prevents the snap from twisting while you are braiding.
STEP 5 - Braiding Move One A and B are the first strip, on the left hand side of the snap.
C and D are the second strip, on the right hand side of the snap.
Now take A and cross over B.
D lies to the left of B while C lies to the right of C.
Keep a constant, light tension on the strands.
STEP 6 - Braiding Move Two Now cross D behind B and cross over A.
STEP 7 - Braiding Move Three Now take C and cross behind B and over D.
To continue making your leash, cross B behind D and over C.
Remember that the new strand that you will use to keep making the braid will always be the topmost strand.
Continue braiding until the length of the braid reaches 53 inches.
You can measure it with the flexible measuring tape.
When you have reached the required length, use one of the hemostat clamps to clamp off the braid.
I have intentionally not clamped of the top most strand, or the strand that you would have used to continue braiding.
Using scissors, trim the strands to a length of approximately five inches.
STEP 8 - Making The Handle Loop From the END of the braid, measure five inches and fold the cord over.
Take a hemostat clamp and insert it under and through one of the strands of the finished braid.
Open the clamp, grip the strand that is not clamped and pull it through until the end of the cord touches the other cord, making the handle loop.
STEP 9 - Brack Braid Move Two Unclamp the hemostat the is securing the end of the braid.
Go the the next free strand that is close to the strand that you just pulled the last cord under.
Insert the hemostat under this strand, open the hemostat, clamp the next free strand and pull it through.
Repeat this procedure with the remaining free strands until all the strands have been secured to the cord.
Continue back braiding for another two to three inches.
STEP 10 - Finishing The Back Braid Now that you have finished your back braiding, trim the ends of the strands very close the the cord.
Insert the back braided piece of cord into the tin foil sleeve & run the iron over it a few times on each side.
Take the leash out of the tin foil sleeve and gently roll the melted ends over the tin foil until the have cooled.
Now admire your super cool, eco-friendly dog leash, it's walkie time!!