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How to Make T-Shirt Yarn

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Ready to make T-shirt yarn? Making T-Shirt yarn is easier than it sounds, and can be super economical, too! Let me teach you how!

How to Make T-Shirt Yarn

In order to make t-shirt yarn you need t-shirt material. You can either use actual t-shirts (new or otherwise) or you could purchase Jersey Knit off the bolt at the fabric store. I personally like to use the Gildan brand of T-shirts found at craft stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or Joann. Try to find t-shirts that do not have side seams, they make a prettier yarn than having seams every so often.

Here are my patterns featuring t-shirt yarn:

Free Dog Toy Crochet Pattern Using T-Shirt Yarn
Crochet Target Practice for Baseball, Football
Hanging Herb Garden Free Crochet Pattern

Are you using an actual t-shirt or jersey knit off the bolt at the fabric counter? I’ve got instructions for both!

How to Make T-Shirt Yarn

In a recent live video on the Heart Hook Home Facebook page, we discussed the value of making your own vs purchasing pre-made t-shirt yarn. So, I decided to break it down to see just how much we’re spending/getting both ways!

Preparing T-shirt yarn

If you’re purchasing new t-shirts, try to get them when they go on sale for $2 or so. This happens at Michaels every once in a while, and also at Joann. T-shirts are always on sale at Hobby Lobby and should be around $2.79 for up to adult XL size. (The larger sizes are priced higher meaning that the relative value drops considerably.)

Each XL adult T-shirt should net about 30 – 33 yards of t-shirt yarn depending on how thickly or thinly it is cut. This means that you would need about five of the XL T-shirts to make 150-ish yards of t-shirt material, slightly more than you get from one skein of my favorite pre-made T-shirt yarn: Fox Yarn Co.

If you price compare, you’ll see that you’re really not saving all that much by making your own. The advantages of making your own are that you have more control over the colors, you can ensure that the size of the yarn remains as consistent as possible, and you don’t have to wait for shipping.

Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons and the value, let’s make some t-shirt yarn!

Using a rotary cutter and straight edge to make t-shirt yarn

I’ve found my t-shirt yarn to be most consistent when I use my rotary cutter, cutting mat, and cutting ruler.

With an actual T-shirt…

How to make t-shirt yarn

1. Lay out your t-shirt and remove the bottom hem.

2. Working from the bottom edge up, cut the t-shirt into 1″ strips, leaving about 1″ uncut on one side like so.

T-shirt yarn tutorial

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T-shirt yarn demonstration

3. When you run out of fabric, and starting at the bottom of the t-shirt, cut the uncut 1″ diagonally as pictured, all the way to the top of the torso.

Tutorial for making t-shirt yarn

Making a t-shirt into t-shirt yarn

T-shirt yarn tutorial

4. Stretch the fabric so that the sides roll in.

easy tutorial for yarn

making yarn

5. Roll into a ball.

How to Make T-Shirt Yarn

Done!

Off the bolt fabric…

1. Using your serger or sewing machine set to a sturdy stitch, sew up the raw edge of the material.

2. Lay out the fabric with the seamed edge away from you. The rest of the process is the same as using a t-shirt as above.

That’s it! I must admit that I was always afraid of making my own t-shirt yarn, but it is just TOO easy not to! Will you be making your own, or purchasing it pre-made? I think I’ll continue to do both!

 

More ways to do it yourself:

12 Awesome Things to Make with Fat Quarters
How to Add a Zipper to Crochet Cardigans
12 Best Free Crochet Apps
How to Keep Straight Edges in Crochet
How to Add a Border in Crochet

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9 Comments

  1. I just tried to make Tshirt yarn for the first time and even though I successfully had one long strip, it split open at the tshirt seam what did I do wrong?
  2. Pingback: Easy Summer Top Upcycle From A Men's T-Shirt
  3. Look at the Tee shirt used in the demo. You are cutting strips from a tube. You do not cut open the sides of the Tee shirt. When you use fabric from a bolt you have to form it into a tube before cutting strips. then the small diagonal cuts will result in continuous yarn.
  4. Great article! I really like the idea of making yarn from t-shirt. This can also be a best way to use old t-shirts. I like this article so much. Thanks for sharing.
  5. (1)Knit fabric by the yard is usually 60 inches wide, and can sometimes be found on sale for very low prices. (2)Charity and thrift shops often have new or nearly new tee shirts for sale at prices, and all sizes tend to cost the same. Indeed a thrifted tee shirt dress would yield lots of yarn! Sometimes things are priced down because of a tiny stain or pattern misprint that won't be a problem for your yarn. And don't forget the dollar store!(3)The rest of the shirt can also be used if you don't mind sewing or knitting the shorter segments together.
  6. Ashlea, Why would you bother to sew up the raw edge of the T-Shirt fabric "Off the Bolt" if you are just going to cut it up? What is the point in sewing the raw edge? I'm not a "sewer" so I guess I'm having trouble grasping the point of this.