How to Create T-Shirt Yarn from Old Shirts: Step-by-Step Guide for Crafting Enthusiasts

T-shirt Yarn

Make T-shirt yarn:

Cut off Shirt Bottom.

Pattern illustration

Pattern illustration

Flatten Shirt Bottom and, with scissors or rolling cutter, cut strips from Fold - Side B to within 1" - 2" of Fold - Side A. Be careful not to cut through the Fold -Side A.

Pattern illustration

Put your non-dominant arm through shirt bottom at Fold - Side A. Slide Shirt Bottom forward so the Fold - Side A is completely exposed, maybe a couple of inches off your arm. With scissors cut diagonally through one strip as follows:

Pattern illustration

Starting at 1 make a diagonal cut to 2 and let the strip fall down. Repeat cutting from 3 to 4, 5 to 6, etc. until all the strips are cut and you have one continuous long strip of T-shirt yarn. Do NoT worry that it is inconsistent in width or that there is a funny shape at the locations of what was the Fold -Side A.

T-shirt Yarn

If you don't want to waste, and you are not in a hurry, you can use the Shirt Top as follows: Cut off the neck band, the sleeves, and the top shoulder seams.

Pattern illustration

You will have two pieces that look like this:

Pattern illustration

Pattern illustration

With scissors (or rolling cutter if you are VERY good) cut a strip of similar width to that of your just made yarn round and round from the outside, following the contours of the piece. The sticky-outy corners don't matter, but if they bother you use the scissors to round them off as you go by. Cut until you have used up the entire Shirt Top. You have now made a very uneven length of T-shirt yarn. The bumpy parts disappear when you crochet the yarn, so don't worry about how it looks.

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