How to Make T-Shirt Yarn
T-shirt yarn can be used in a number ways, from knitting throws to adding embellishments to other projects. Learn how to make t-shirt yarn to make your own creative, useful items.
December 2015
By Jenelle Montilone
Take the first steps to help change the world armed with a pair of scissors and a pile of old, unused t-shirts. The Upcycled T-Shirt (Stash Books, 2015) by Jenelle Montilone is full of inspiration for repurposing your t-shirts into reusable household items, repurposed wearables and more. Learn how to make t-shirt yarn with the following excerpt.

Method 1: Easy Way
1. Spread a T-shirt on your cutting mat. Flatten out any creases, as they’ll create a jagged inconsistency in your yarn. |

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2. Fold in half width-wise—put the side edges of your T-shirt together and the sleeves together. |

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3. Place a straight-edged ruler just above the bottom hemline. Cut completely through all 4 layers using a rotary cutter. When you pick up this fabric it is a loop that you can cut to the desired length.
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4. Measure up from the last cut to the desired width of yarn you’d like. I prefer to cut mine 1-1/2–2 inches; this general size, after being pulled taut, is the perfect diameter for draw- strings, packaging details, and headbands.
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TIP: For the best T-shirt yarn, use T-shirts that have no side seams.
Method 2: Continuous
One men’s size Large T-shirt yields about 14 yards of T-shirt yarn in 1-1/2–2 inch strips.
Joining Yarn Strips
I created a single strand of T-shirt yarn using a series of slipknots from short scrappy strips.
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1. After cutting all of the strips to the desired width and length, make a small snip cut on both ends. |
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2. With 2 strips at hand, take a strip (yarn B) and pass it through a slit in the other (yarn A).
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3. Take the beginning end of the yarn B strip and feed it through the slit in the opposite end of the yarn B strip. Pull tight. |
More projects from The Upcycled T-Shirt:
• Unpaper Towels
• DIY Dusting Mitt
• Reusable, T-Shirt Produce Bag
Reprinted with permission from The Upcycled T-Shirt by Jenelle Montilone and published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing Inc., 2015. Cover courtesy Stash Books. Instructional photos by Diane Pedersen. Style photography by Nissa Brehmer.