T-shirt yarn is fun to work with and makes a project work up super fast, but my Super Thick T-shirt yarn takes it to the next level. Below I will show you how to create this thick t-shirt yarn as well as standard-sized t-shirt yarn and provide you with some ideas to put it to use. It is a great way to use up old T-shirts.
Bottom: Homemade thick t-shirt yarn.
What to do with T-shirt Yarn
This is the yarn used in my Recycle T-shirt Crochet Basket. The thickness of this t-shirt yarn helps make yarn baskets sturdier and rugs cushier. Not to mention you finish your projects faster! I will be coming out with a whole bunch of patterns using this yarn this month.
Picking the Right Shirts
Before we get started, I have just a few tips for you.
- When selecting your T-shirts, look for ones that do not have any side seams.
- If you have white shirts and want to dye them, I recommend dying them before you cut them into yarn.
I was lucky to receive a big batch of misprinted white T-shirts. Being the crafter I am, I saved them all. I cut a number of them into yarn and dyed them. It was not fun detangling yards and yards of t-shirt yarn after washing out the dye. So if you plan to do this, dye the t-shirt before making them into yarn.
Pros and Cons of T-shirt Yarn
T-shirt yarn is fantastic for certain types of projects. They make great rugs, purses, and baskets because it makes a very sturdy material. It is also very thick and is good for hot pads and coasters.
The big con to t-shirt yarn is that it is tough on the crocheter. The yarn will make your wrists and hands sore. When working with T-shirt yarn, make sure to take breaks and rest your hands.
Let’s get started with our tutorial.
T-shirt Yarn Materials:
Old T-shirts with no side seams
Sharp Scissors or Rotary Cutter
Self-healing mat (if using a Rotary cutter)
Pencil or pen
Ruler
Fabric Glue (optional)
When making t-shirt yarn from just the main tube part of the t-shirt, I reaped 23-24 yards of standard-sized yarn from an X-large shirt and 3-4 yards from extra thick yarn.
Video Tutorial
Check out the video tutorial and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more fun crochet video tutorials.
Photo Tutorial:
Note: The photos show me making the thick yarn. The video tutorial shows how to make the standard-sized yarn. The main difference is that the thick yarn is cut 4 inches wide and the standard-sized yarn is only cut 1 inch wide.
Step 1: Cut the shirt across the chest and remove the collar and sleeves. Also, remove the seam at the bottom of the shirt. Fold the shirt over leaving about 1-2″ between the side folds.
Step 2: Use a ruler and measure the height of the shirt piece. I like to cut my strips roughly 4 inches wide for super thick yarn and 1 inch wide for standard-sized t-shirt yarn. I do not like wasting any material. So measure your shirt in inches and divide that measurement by 1 or 4. This will give you how many inches wide you will make your cuts. For the shirt shown I used 3.75 inches just to keep from wasting any material. You want your measurement to be close to 4 inches to get a nice thick yarn or close to 1 inch for standard-sized yarn. If your shirt height is only 12 inches tall you will want to make 3 strips instead of 4. Once you find your width, use your ruler to mark where you will cut.
Step 3: Cut along the line you created. A rotary cutter makes this really easy, but mine needs a new blade. A sharp pair of scissors get the job done too. Cut where there is 4 layers of material. Do not cut the last 2 inches.
Step 4: Unfold the T-shirt. Lay the shirt out so the 2-inch uncut section is flat and does not have anything underneath it. You are going to draw a line from the bottom edge up diagonally to the first cut. Working parallel to the line you just made, draw a line from the first cut to the second cut, and so on. The picture below will show this better.
Step 5: Cut along the diagonal lines you created. You will be left with a very long strip of t-shirt fabric.
Step 6: Your yarn is almost done, but if you look at your strip you will see small points from where you cut the diagonal. Just use your scissors to make this more of a curve, than a point and it will stay hidden while you crochet with this yarn.
Step 7: This is the fun step. Just take your strip of fabric and hold one end in one hand and another piece about 18 inches down the strip in the other. Pull your hands apart. I would hold the fabric about shoulder-width apart and stretch it to elbows width. Grab the next 18-inch section and do the same thing. Continue this until you reach the end of the piece.
I like to cut a few shirts up, then stretch them while watching a little TV. I ended up with a 20-foot piece of thick t-shirt yarn once it was stretched out. For the standard-sized yarn, I ended up with 23 yards from an x-large shirt.
You can connect the pieces together by sewing them together or you can just weave in the ends when you have to start a new strand of yarn.
Now you have a big pile of yarn ready to be used. You can use this yarn to make my Recycled Crochet Basket or any other project that requires super bulky yarn or t-shirt yarn. I will be working with this yarn to make up a few patterns to share. Let me know how you like this t-shirt yarn and the tutorial in the comments below.
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