Turning plastic shopping bags into a useful mat pic.twitter.com/qDAD7N0Dc8 — Anna Laurel (@ALaurelABC11) February 15, 2017

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Crocheting is all the rage. Grandmothers and college students - and everybody in between - are crocheting these days. But have you ever seen someone crochet a plastic bag into a mat? It's actually, dare I say, pretty? Cindy Bolden and Donna Belt created a local group called "Glenwood Gatherings". They get together once a week and crochet bags, creating mats to give to refugees in North Carolina."We're learning to do this because we want to welcome you to our country. They come with nothing. They will often be in an empty apartment, no furniture," said Belt.The mats are also surprisingly soft. Think of one of those sleeping mats you can get at REI. It takes 800 bags and 20-30 hours to make a 6 by 2 1/2 foot mat. Glenwood Gatherings started making the mats in January, and they think they'll have several dozen by the time they give them to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants of NC in a few weeks. Bolden and Belt are actually surprised at how many people have joined them."I think there is that need or desire within all of us to help each other, at least I hope that's the case." Bolden says.