T-shirt yarn projects are a great way to upcycle all those old t-shirts that you have buried away in the bottom drawer because they are too stretched or out of fashion to wear!
You can buy t-shirt yarn or make your own and breathe new life into an old t-shirt.
I prefer to upcycle as much as I can, so I love making these projects using upcycled shirts.
T-shirt yarn is also called T-yarn, so if you’d rather buy some, look out for that too!
With this versatile yarn, you can make so many things. This roundup includes more than 20 fun crafts. Some are crochet projects, and others require no crafting tools at all!
What Can I Make With T-Shirt Yarn?
There are heaps of projects you can make with this yarn.
Check out the tutorials below for plenty of fun suggestions and ideas that you can follow along with.
Here are a few to get you going for now:
Toys: Teddies, Dog Toys, Kids Toys, Color Sorting Bowls and Balls.
Household Items: Rugs, Baskets, Wall Hangings and Trinket Holders.
Kitchen Items: Dishcloths, Tablemats, Potholders, Coasters and Teapot Cozies.
Bathroom Items: Facecloth, Rug, Sponge and Plant Holders.
Accessories: Bags, Purses, Keychains, Headbands, Earrings, Necklaces and Bracelets.
How Do You Make T-Shirt Yarn?
If you don’t have any old t-shirts hanging around, you can pick them up from the thrift store for next to nothing. This yarn is very simple to make, it’s made from t-shirt material so you can just cut up an old t-shirt into strips.
I have a more in-depth tutorial on how to get the most out of each t-shirt and make your t-shirt yarn here.
Bascially, you’ll need lots of lot strips that you can then wind up and use as yarn. The longer the strip the better, but you can tie fabric together to make the strips longer.
If you want to make thin yarn, you can cut narrow strands, cut wider strands for thicker
Enjoy making your next project!
T-Shirt Yarn Projects
Upcycle an old t-shirt into a cute or fun pencil holder to declutter your desk space!
This is one of my creations as I wanted something to keep my office bits in, but also look pretty at the same time and I think I achieved that!
Not only does it look really sweet, it can be used for a whole host of things – not just a DIY pencil holder!
This collection of rag rugs aren’t strictly just t-shirt yarn projects, but all of them can be made from t-shirt yarn.
You’ll find nine really unique rugs in this great collection of rag rugs! Some are small area rugs, others are large to cover a whole room.
Rugs are never cheap to buy so this is a great way to make a really special yet cheap rug!
This is a great little project not only to store kids toys, but for anything you want to have easy access to.
It’s easy to adjust the size of this basket too, as long as you have a basic understanding of crochet terminology!
I love the neutral colors of this basket, but you could quite as easily use bright colors or colors that match the room you’re making the basket for!
How cute is this little bracelet! These would make really sweet girls party favors, or just a gift for a special lady in your life.
These bracelets are really quick to make, you don’t need any special tools so if you’re put off by t shirt projects that require crocheting, this ones for you!
You will need a few jewelry-making and craft supplies, such as pliers, jewelry clamps, and jump rings to make these cute accessories.
Another piece of jewlerry, I really like this statement piece and would definitely love to make one for myself!
This is a finger-knitting project so you won’t need any tools. It’s so simple to finger weave that even children as young as six or seven could make one.
The tutorial teaches you the basics of weaving with your fingers, so you’ll be able to make other things, such as bracelets, too!
These round tablemats would dress up any table beautifully!
They’re also washable, being made from t-shirt fabric, which is a big plus for me! Not many tablemats seem to be washable!
This tutorial is really detailed with photographs documenting every step of the way so even if your brand new to crocheting, you’ll able to follow along easily and teach yourself a new skill!
If you prefer your placemats to be bright and fun, this rectangular option might work better for you.
This tutorial teaches you the process of creating a loom from cardboard and string, weaving techniques, and finishing touches like knotted fringe.
This project is a great activity for kids and adults alike.
If you just have a small amount of t-shirt yarn that you want to use up, making a pot holder or hot pad is a great way to do that.
You’ll need to know how to crochet to make this t-shirt project, but it’s quite simple to make if you do know the basics!
You can even get your kids involved in cutting the shirt up to make the yarn! Or even have them paint the t-shirt first with fabric paints to get a really colorful finish!
A second potholder, this time, a color-block one.
I really like the chunkiness of this project. You can just cut your t-shirt yarn a little bit wider to make a chunkier thread.
This one also has a little loop on it which makes it really handy to hang somewhere in your kitchen.
This dishcloth is the perfect size for mopping up spills, drying hands, and doing the dishes.
It’s not actually made from t-shirt yarn, but looks very similar to that material, and I think it’d look great in t-shirt yarn!
This tutorial also includes a handy hanging pattern to hang the dish cloth from too.
You’ll need to have a basic understanding of knitting to make this t-shirt yarn bathmat.
The pattern is free on Hortense’s website, but you can also buy a PDF, which makes it nice and easy to follow if you want to print the instructions off.
This bathmat would make a great front door or welcome mat, too! You could choose different colors to compliment your home décor.
Another bathmat! I really like the fluffy and cozy look of this one.
If you’re not a crocheter or a knitter, or you don’t want to braid, this might just be the ideal solution for you – it’s sewn!
The t-shirt fabric is sewn on in long lengths and then looped, and another row of stitching sewn until the whole mat is finished. I think the final mat looks great!
This stylish headband can be made in a whole range of colors, but i really love the simplicity of the neutral colors in the photo.
You don’t need to know how to crochet, braid or knit for this one.
You’ll just make some simple twist and knots and you’ll have a super comfortable and sustainable headband!
This headband is a super simple, no sew project. All you need is t-shirt fabric and some hot glue!
The tutorial talks you through how to turn an old t-shirt into a headband, so this is great if you don’t have any store-bought yarn.
It’s basically made from strips of t-shirt, cleverly looped and knotted to create the stylish look you see here!
While we’re on the topic of headbands, this is one of my tutorials. It is made from macrame cord, but it could quite easily be made from T-shirt yarn.
Using yarn instead of macrame cord would give it a really soft and stretchy feel, which is always nice for headbands.
The tutorial has step-by-step photos and instructions, making it really easy to follow along with.
The design uses fabric yarn and a large crochet hook to create a fun and stylish purse that can be finished in just a few hours.
The pattern includes detailed instructions for making the purse, including a supplies list and abbreviations used in the pattern.
The pattern is shared by craft book author and designer Heidi Gustad, who specializes in yarn crafts.
This plant holder can be made using just one t-shirt! It’s really simple to make and will only take you a few minutes once you’ve got your t-shirt yarn all ready.
This design includes beads, and I think it would look great with some neutral yarn and wooden beads.
If you’re looking for other plant holders, here are some upcycled planter ideas, too.
While this is called an Easter basket, it really can be used throughout the year, and you don’t have to use the Spring colors used in this craft. You could make it in any color scheme you like.
The tutorial shows you how to change colors when crocheting, and actually follows a YouTube video tutorial which is easy to follow!
Make and Takes recommends using XL men’s size t-shirts to make your yarn so that you can make as much as possible.
This is another basket but with quite a unique pattern, unlike any of the other crochet baskets I’ve seen.
This could be used as a fruit bowl, a divider for drawers, for makeup on your dressing table, or a whole host of other things!
The other special thing about this pattern, is that it has a wooden base which is unusual to see in crocheting but give it a really solid finish.
This crochet bowl is quite small and perfect for storing little bits on a coffee table or shelf.
If you know how to crochet this cute and simple project will take less than twenty minutes to make, if you have the yarn all ready to go!
It doesn’t include any step by step pictures though so you’ll need to be profecient in reading basic patterns!
These cute little bunnies are made using different types of knots, and they’re surprisingly simple to make!
Even your children could join in with these ones!
The only materials you need for this one, are two different colored t-shrits!
T-Shirt Yarn Top Tips
- Due to its stretchiness, this yarn is quite forgiving, making it a great yarn to learn how to crochet with.
- If you’re making your own t-shirt yarn, try to make your strips as long as possible with as few joins as possible. This will make it easier to work with and will also look better in your final products.
- Don’t overstretch this yarn as you’re working with it; while it is forgiving; your project will buckle if you’re crocheting your stitches too tightly.
- T-shirt yarn doesn’t tend to go as far as other types of yarn, so make sure you have enough before you begin your project!
- If you don’t want your joins of different fabrics to be that visible, use a sewing machine to sew the ends together rather than just tying a knot.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are so many amazing projects you can make with Tshirt yarn, including baskets, toys, plant holders, dog chews, bags, rugs, dishcloths, slippers, bath mats, pot holders, headbands, jewelry and more!
The options are endless! Basically, if you can crochet or knit it, you could definitely make it from T-shirt yarn.
Tshirt yarn is thick and really soft, so it’s great for making a wide range of things from face cloths to children’s toys!
The best way to work with t-shirt yarn is to crochet it, so as long as you’re familiar with basic crochet, you’ll be able to make anything you like out of this yarn!
To turn a T-shirt into yarn, you’ll need to:
1. Lay your Tshirt flat, and cut a straight line from one armpit to the other.
2. Cut along the seams of the sleeves to remove them too. You’ll now have four pieces (the large bottom piece, two sleeves, and the chest/neck piece.)
3. Cut all the seams (including the neck seam), off the remaining pieces.
4. Unfold the hems (or cut them off if you don’t want to unpick them).
5. Now, it’s time to cut the strips! The best way to do this is to cut one long continuous strip in each section. For the larger bottom piece, fold the t-shirt almost in half and then cut strips that are around 2cm wide, stopping around an inch from the end.
6. When you fold the section out, the strips will still be connected at each end. Alternately cut the edges of the T-shirt so you create one long piece of yarn that zig-zags around the T-shirt.
7. Tie any pieces that you can’t keep as one long piece of yarn together. You can secure them with a double knot.
8. Stretch each section of the t-shirt to create your final yarn and wrap it into a ball!
If you want visuals for all these steps check out my T-Shirt Yarn tutorial here.
Absolutely not! Tshirt yarn is one of the softest types of yarns out there! Imagine your soft cotton t-shirts, all cut up into strips – that’s exactly what t-shirt yarn is – the very opposite of stiff!
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