How to Make T Shirt Yarn From an Old Tee!

Learn how to make some super cool and colorful TShirt Yarn. All you need is some of your old tees and a really sharp pair of fabric scissors.

Step 1: Prep Your T Shirt

Grab a Tee and the first thing you want to do is cut off the bottom hem. Next, you need to cut the shirt straight across from armpit to armpit. Make sure you cut through both layers. This leaves you with a rectangular shaped, double layer of fabric.

Step 2: Cutting Strips

Now, you need to cut your fabric into strips.

Decide how wide you want your Tshirt yarn to be. Obviously, the wider the strips, the heavier and bulkier your yarn will be. I cut my strips about 1 – 1 1/2″ wide. They don't need to be perfect.

So, beginning at one edge your fabric, cut a 1-1/2″ strip, straight line from the bottom to about 1 or 2″ from the top fold. Make sure you don’t cut all the way to the end.

Step 3: Continue Cutting Strips

Repeat until you have cut strips all across the t shirt. Try to maintain the same width across all of your strips but again, it is okay if they are not perfect.

Step 4: Connecting the Strips

Gather the shirt where the strips are still connected at the top. From now on, you will cut in diagonals. To begin, diagonally cut from the outside edge to the point where you ended cutting the first strip. This will be the beginning of your yarn.

Step 5: Making the Second Cut

The second strip will be cut from the cut end on the bottom to the cut end at the top of the next strip. (see the photos).

Continue cutting all across until you reach the end.

Step 6: Stretching Your Yarn

Notice how the yarn lays flat? You can leave it like this or you can stretch it out which makes it curl to closer resemble traditional yarn. It also makes the strip longer.

If you wish to curl your yarn, here is all you have to do: pick up a length of the yarn and stretch it or pull it between your hands. You will immediately notice is curling up and thinning out. Do this all along your strand.

This was a Men's XL Shirt. Before stretching, my yarn measured 22 yards. After stretching, I had 28 yards.

Step 7: What Can You Do With TShirt Yarn?

T Shirt Yarn is ideal for bulkier projects such as crochet and knit rugs, trivets and coasters, baskets or tote bags. Braided rugs and macrame plant hangers or wallhangings also work well.

Enjoy!

Check out the full step by step Tutorial!

Also see How to Join T Shirt Yarn without Sewing