Woven Rug from Old T-Shirts for Entryways

5 min read

A woven rug from old T-shirts turns worn-out clothes into a sturdy entryway rug that costs nothing but time. T-shirt yarn is soft underfoot, machine washable, and comes in every color you already own. Weaving on a simple frame loom is easier than knitting a rug, and the finished piece lies flat by a door. The project is a good way to use shirts that are too stained or stretched to donate.

Sort your shirts by color before you cut them, since the rug will show the shirt colors clearly. Solid colors give a clean striped look, while printed shirts add flecks of pattern. Avoid shirts with heavy graphics or thick screen prints, which weave stiffly and feel lumpy. A rug about two feet by three feet needs roughly eight to ten adult T-shirts. Collect shirts over a few weeks so you have enough colors to plan a pleasing stripe sequence.

Choosing Shirts That Weave Well

Pick shirts made of soft cotton jersey with a bit of stretch. Jersey stretches as you weave, which helps the rug lie flat. Shirts that are mostly cotton with a little spandex work well. Avoid stiff dress shirts and very thin shirts, which tear when you pull the yarn tight. Check each shirt for holes and stains, and set aside the cleanest parts for the rug.

Wash and dry all the shirts before you cut them, so the yarn does not shrink after the rug is woven.

Group the shirts into color families, such as

blues
earth tones
brights
plan a simple stripe sequence

A rug with three colors in repeating stripes looks tidy. Write the sequence down so you do not have to decide while you weave.

Cutting T-Shirt Yarn

Cut off the sleeves and the hem of each shirt, then cut the body into one-inch-wide strips. Cut the strips in a continuous spiral so you get one long piece of yarn per shirt. Start at the bottom edge and cut upward in a spiral, keeping the width even. Stretch each strip gently after cutting, which makes the edges curl inward and form a smooth yarn.

Wind the yarn into balls by color as you cut, and keep the balls in separate bags so they do not tangle. A single shirt gives about twenty to thirty yards of yarn, depending on the shirt size. If a strip breaks, knot the ends together with a small square knot and trim the tails. The knot will hide inside the weave and will not show on the finished rug. Trim the knot tails short so they do not poke through to the top of the rug.

Setting Up a Simple Loom

Build a frame loom from four pieces of wood screwed into a rectangle, about two feet by three feet. Hammer small nails along the two short ends, spaced about half an inch apart. These nails hold the warp threads. A cardboard loom works for a small rug, but a wooden frame holds tension better for a rug you will walk on.

Warp the loom by looping yarn back and forth between the nails on opposite ends. Keep the warp threads taut and evenly spaced. Use a strong, plain yarn for the warp, since it carries the tension. Tie off the warp at the last nail and check that all threads feel equally tight. A loose warp makes a wavy rug, so re-tension any slack threads before you start weaving.

Weaving Even Rows

Weave the weft yarn over one warp thread and under the next, alternating each row. Push each row down firmly with a fork or a comb so the weave stays tight. Change colors at the edge of the rug by knotting the new yarn to the old one and trimming the tails. Keep the edges straight by not pulling the weft too tight, which makes the rug narrow in the middle.

Work in rows of one color for stripes, or switch colors every few rows for a mixed look. Check the rug every ten rows by looking at it from the end of the loom. If the edges pull inward, loosen your tension on the next rows. Weaving goes faster once you find a rhythm, and a two-by-three-foot rug takes about four to six hours of steady work. Take breaks to stretch your hands, since weaving uses the same small muscles for long stretches.

Finishing Edges

When the rug reaches the desired length, weave the last row twice for strength, then cut the warp threads off the nails. Tie the warp ends in pairs with square knots along each short edge. Trim the knots to an even fringe, about two inches long. The fringe keeps the weave from unraveling and gives the rug a finished look.

Shake the rug out and lay it flat on the floor to check the shape. Block it by misting it lightly and pressing it with a heavy book overnight if the edges curl. Place a non-slip rug pad under it by the door. Shake the rug outside once a week and machine wash it on gentle when it gets dirty. Air dry the rug flat after washing so the edges stay straight. A T-shirt rug is a practical, washable way to keep old shirts in use.

Do not stop here. More Upcycling ideas are waiting below, beginning with 3D Printed Crafts: Transforming Pallet Wood for Creative Hobbies.

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