Apr
Getting Started with T-Shirt Yarn
So basically t-shirt yarn is exactly what it sounds like – you cut up old t-shirts into continuous strips and then crochet with them. I made my first basket back in spring 2022 when I was cleaning out my closet and had like fifteen old shirts I never wore anymore. The fabric creates this chunky, textured look that’s actually pretty decent for home stuff.
You can buy pre-made t-shirt yarn but honestly that defeats the whole purpose? Brands like Hoooked and Bobbiny sell it if you really want to go that route. I tried Hoooked once and it was fine, consistent width and everything, but it felt weird paying for what’s essentially trash I already have at home.
Making Your Own T-Shirt Yarn
The cutting process is gonna take longer than you think. You want shirts that are 100% cotton or at least mostly cotton because synthetic blends don’t curl the same way at the edges. Take your shirt and cut off the hem at the bottom and also cut right below the armpits to remove the top section. You’re left with a tube.
Now here’s where people explain it differently but what worked for me: lay the tube flat and cut strips about 1-2 inches wide going horizontally around the tube. Don’t cut all the way through – leave about 2 inches uncut on one side. When you’re done cutting all your strips, unfold it and you’ll see you have this spiral situation happening. Cut diagonally across those connecting points to create one continuous strand.
The annoying part is that different shirts create different widths of yarn even when you try to cut consistently. A thin Forever 21 shirt from 2015 makes wimpy yarn while a thick old navy tee creates this rope-like situation. You kinda have to commit to using similar weight shirts for one project or it looks messy.
Preparing the Yarn
Once you cut the strips, stretch them out. Like really pull on them. This makes the edges curl inward and creates that rounded yarn look instead of flat fabric strips. Wind it into balls as you go or you’ll end up with a tangled nightmare on your floor. My cat destroyed an entire shirt’s worth of yarn once because I left it sitting out while I answered the door.
What Hook Size to Use
You need big hooks for this. I use a 12mm or 15mm depending on how thick the yarn turned out. Regular aluminum hooks work but wooden ones are easier on your hands for longer projects. The Clover Amour hooks are nice if you wanna spend money but honestly the cheap bamboo ones from the craft store do the same thing.
Your tension is gonna be weird at first because the fabric has stretch to it unlike regular yarn. Don’t pull too tight or your project will pucker and look sad. Looser is usually better with t-shirt yarn.
Actual Patterns and What Works
Baskets are the obvious choice and honestly the most useful thing you can make. I’ve tried other stuff but baskets are where t-shirt yarn really makes sense. You want a sturdy container for random stuff and the thick fabric provides structure without needing wire or interfacing.
Basic Round Basket
Start with a magic ring and do 6 single crochets into it. Every round you increase by 6 stitches – so round 2 is 12 stitches, round 3 is 18, etc. Keep going until your base is as wide as you want it. For a medium basket I usually go to about 54 or 60 stitches around.
Then stop increasing and just work even in single crochet for the sides. This creates the walls of your basket. The fabric naturally wants to stand up so you don’t need to do anything special. Work until it’s as tall as you want. I usually do like 8-10 rounds for the sides.
You can add handles by chaining across and then working back over the chain in the next round. Or skip handles entirely, whatever.
Rectangular Basket
Chain your starting length – maybe 15 chains for a smallish basket. Single crochet back along the chain, then chain 1 and turn. Keep working back and forth in rows until it’s square-ish. Then you work around all four edges, increasing at the corners to create the sides. It’s basically like building up walls around a rectangular base.
This one always looks a bit wonky to me compared to round baskets but it fits better on shelves.
Other Things People Make
Rugs are popular but they take forever and so much fabric. You’d need like twenty large t-shirts for one small rug. I started one during summer 2024 while binge-watching Love Island and gave up after the third episode because my hand was cramping and I was only like 10 inches in.
Placemats work okay. Same concept as a rug but smaller so actually finishable. Do a rectangle or circle in single crochet, make four of them, done.
I’ve seen people make bags but I don’t trust them for carrying anything heavy. The fabric stretches too much under weight. Maybe for beach stuff or like… I don’t know, carrying one towel?
Plant hangers could work if you use a sturdy stitch pattern. You’d need to actually look up a macrame-style pattern and adapt it though because regular crochet bag patterns would stretch weird.
Color Combinations
You’re limited to whatever shirts you have obviously. Solid colors look cleaner than patterns. Striped shirts create this chaotic situation where the stripes go in random directions and it’s just visually confusing.
I like doing baskets with three or four colors in stripes. Work a few rounds in one color, switch to another, etc. You gotta plan ahead though and make sure you have enough of each color to complete your sections. Nothing worse than running out of the gray yarn when you’re halfway through a stripe and having to switch to navy unexpectedly.
Joining new yarn is simple – just start crocheting with the new color and weave in the ends later. The thick fabric hides the ends pretty well.
What Actually Annoyed Me
The thing that drove me crazy was how long the prep takes compared to actual crocheting. You spend like an hour cutting and rolling yarn and then the basket itself takes maybe thirty minutes. It feels backward. Also your hands get tired from cutting if you’re doing multiple shirts in one session. I tried using those rotary cutters for fabric but couldn’t get the hang of it without a proper cutting mat and… yeah it just seemed like more equipment than necessary.
Also the finished projects aren’t as structured as they look in photos online. They’re sorta floppy unless you really pack your stitches tight or use multiple strands held together. That Instagram aesthetic where everything looks crisp and holds its shape perfectly? That’s either really tight tension, thicker shirts than you have, or photo angles.
Washing and Durability
You can throw these in the washing machine since they’re made from t-shirts that were already washable. They might lose shape a bit or get fuzzy but generally they hold up fine. I’ve had the same basket sitting by my door holding dog leashes and whatever for like two years now and it’s still functional.
The edges fray over time where you cut them. That’s just gonna happen. Some people use pinking shears to cut their strips which supposedly helps but I never noticed a difference.
Upcycling Beyond Just T-Shirts
You can use old sheets the same way. Cut them into strips and crochet with them. Sheets create thinner yarn than t-shirts usually so you might want to use a smaller hook or hold two strands together. Jersey knit sheets work better than woven ones.
Leggings work too but they’re harder to cut into even strips because of how stretchy they are. The yarn curls really tight though which is interesting texturally.
I tried using an old cotton dress once and it was fine? Like it worked but the fabric was thinner and had this worn-out quality that looked kinda shabby in the finished basket. Newer fabric definitely looks better.
What Doesn’t Work
Don’t bother with: polyester athletic shirts because they don’t curl nicely, anything with side seams still attached unless you wanna deal with lumpy yarn, shirts with graphics or text because having random letters showing up in your basket looks stupid, really old stretched out shirts because the fabric is too thin and sad.
Stitch Patterns
Single crochet is the standard and honestly the best choice. It’s dense enough to create structure. Half double crochet works if you want slightly more drape but why would you want that in a basket.
I tried doing a basket in double crochet once and it was too loose and floppy. Looked like a sad fabric bowl that couldn’t hold anything.
Moss stitch could be interesting for texture – that’s alternating single crochet and chain stitches. Haven’t tried it myself but I saw someone do it on YouTube and it looked decent.
Avoid anything with a lot of chain spaces because the thick yarn makes the holes huge and weird looking.
How Much Yarn You Need
For a basic medium basket like 8 inches wide and 6 inches tall, you need probably 3-4 large t-shirts worth of yarn. More if your shirts are thin or you crochet loosely.
I always cut up more shirts than I think I need because running out mid-project is annoying. You can’t always find another shirt in the same color to continue with.
A small placemat might only need one shirt. A rug would need like I said twenty or more depending on size which is why I gave up on that idea.
Selling Stuff Made from T-Shirt Yarn
People do sell these on Etsy but I don’t know how profitable it actually is when you factor in time. The cutting and prep adds so much labor. And you gotta price it right because customers don’t always understand why a “recycled” item costs as much as something made from new materials.
If you’re doing it for environmental reasons or just to use up old clothes, great. If you’re thinking it’s gonna be a business thing… maybe reconsider the time investment versus what people will actually pay.
Tips That Actually Help
Cut multiple shirts at once if they’re similar colors and you’re making a big project. Get the boring part over with in one session.
Use stitch markers if you’re bad at counting. The chunky yarn makes it harder to see individual stitches sometimes.
Crochet tighter than you think you need to. The fabric has give to it so what feels tight now will relax later.
Don’t try to make wearable items unless you want something really avant garde. The bulk doesn’t translate well to clothing.
Keep your scraps. Small pieces can be used for joining new yarn or for tiny projects like coasters.
Work in good lighting because the texture of the fabric can make it hard to see your stitches clearly, especially with darker colors.
