A supplemental instruction video showing you how to cut old t shirts into strips perfect for making a braided t shirt rug.
Cutting t shirts for rag rugs.
I save the part with the sleeves as a rag to dust.
Cut off elastic or hems so the fabric lies flat.
You ll only need one or two old t shirts some scissors to cut up your yarn with and a large crochet hook.
1 inch horizontal strips will yield a bulky weight.
Hi and thank you for your advice about cutting old t shirts into rags.
You can find the full step by ste.
I used a method that i found on youtube but i took some photos of this step for here.
An easy rag rug diy project that works up very quickly.
I do that too but actually go beyond t shirts and i cut up old sheets or any other soft material that i can use from old stuff.
Ideal as a bathmat or doormat that can go in the washing machine when it gets a bit dirty.
You can crochet a sturdy machine washable rag rug from old t shirts after turning the shirts into soft and stretchy yarn.
Make horizontal cuts across the t shirt stopping where the top half meets the bottom.
Now you have the trunk of the shirt left which is a tube shaped piece of fabric.
The trick here is to adjust the width of your t shirt strips.
The width of your strips determines the size of your yarn.
There are lots of different methods to do this that will still give you usable strips but i think this is the easiest way and uses as much of the t shirt as possible.
I haven t done that but i think i will.
If you re using a fitted sheet cut off the edge with the stretchy elastic.
This is how i do mine.
Cut the strips wider for thin fabrics narrower for thick fabrics so the finished t shirt yarn stays at a consistent thickness.
To use old shirts for rag strips cut off the bottom hem and cut across the garment near the armpits.
I used 5 5 t shirts to make a rug that is approximately 18 in diameter but if you have more time and patience than i do or if you want a bigger rug you could use more shirts.
I like your idea about making them nice and neat though.
Snip off the bottom hem and discard it.
Only basic crochet skills are required to make this handy mat.
Cut the top of the t shirt off just under the armholes so you end up with a rectangular shape.
If you re working with a flat sheet or pillowcase cut off bulky hems so you just have a piece of flat fabric.
You can also use this same technique to make t shirt yarn for knitting and crochet just look for t shirts without side seams and cut the strips about 1 wide.