How to Make a Crochet T-Shirt Rug – EASY!

Making a crochet t-shirt rug is the bomb!  It is smooshy and sproingy and the perfect instant gratification project!

A couple of weeks ago big kiddo cleaned out his dressers and there was a mahooosive stack of t-shirts that weren’t up to snuff for donating.  They had paint splatters and frayed necklines and hems.  I decided to cut them up into t-shirt yarn and make a quick photo tutorial for you!

Materials Needed to Make a Crochet T-Shirt Rug

• T-shirts of similar weights (100% cotton or as close to it as you can get)
• Sharp fabric scissors (or a rotary cutter, if you wish)
• Size Q crochet hook

Make the T-Shirt Yarn

Step 1:  Lay your t-shirt flat

Step 2:  Cut the sleeves off like so.

Step 3:  Cut the hem off.

Step 4:  Smooth the remaining t-shirt carcass to remove any lumps and bumps.

Step 5:  Fold one side seam edge over to the other side seam, leaving about an inch of space that isn’t doubled.

Step 6:  Fold that same edge over again, continuing to leave that inch of space.

Step 7:  Fold one more time and then we’re all done with folding!

Step 8:  Now we start cutting.  Make about a one inch cut through the folded part of the t-shirt and STOP.  Don’t cut through that inch of space you left unfolded.

Step 9:  Continue making cuts at 1 inch intervals for the length of the t-shirt.  You can be very precise and measure if you’d like, but I like the variation in texture that happens when cuts are freehand.

Step 10:  This is the fun part!  Shake out your t-shirt octopus!

Step 11:  Grab your scissors again.  You’re going to make diagonal cuts to separate those tentacles into one continuous piece of yarn.

Step 12:  Give your new yarn a good stretch to make the edges curl, and then roll it into a ball.

WOOT!  You have made t-shirt yarn!  Nice work!

Make The Crochet T-Shirt Rug

Now you have a chance to get super creative!  You can make a round rug, or an oval, or a rectangle.  If you’d like to make one like mine with little beachy waves, here’s a recipe for you.  How many rows of SC you’ll get depends on how much yarn you have to work with.  The rug is doormat sized.

1. Chain 22
2. SC in 2^nd Ch from hook, SC 20
3. SC, turn, SC across
4. SC, turn, SC across
5. SC, turn, SC across
6. SC, turn, DC, SC, sl st {ch 3, DC, SC, sl st} repeat { } to end
7. Break yarn, join new color
8. Ch 3, turn, DC, sl st into top point of the triangle, {2 DC, sl st in top point of triangle} repeat { } to end
9. Repeat Rows 3-8 until your rug is the size you’d like it to be.

If you’d like, you can do a row of SC around the edges of the rug to make the edges look tidy and finished.

See?  Easy peasy lemon squeezy right?

What do you like to make with your leftover t-shirts?  Feel free to share a link in the comments!  =)