{"id":20530,"date":"2012-03-15T09:00:43","date_gmt":"2012-03-15T13:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/?p=20530"},"modified":"2020-04-24T13:28:40","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T17:28:40","slug":"upcycled-t-shirt-rug-tutorial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/upcycled-t-shirt-rug-tutorial\/","title":{"rendered":"Upcycled T-shirt Rug Tutorial"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>The following is a post from <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/At6r4u\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jackie<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/upcycled-t-shirt-rug.jpg\">0<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20772 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/upcycled-t-shirt-rug.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Have you seen those totally cool rugs that are made from old T-shirts? \u00a0A few months ago I decided I was going to make one. \u00a0I purchased the latch hook material to go with the latch hook tool I got from my grandma. \u00a0Before I started cutting up T-shirts, I decided to read those tutorials a little closer only to find out that they took a <em>really<\/em> long time to make.<\/p>\n<p>I decided to put the project on the back burner. \u00a0However, one night I had a dream about T-shirt rugs. \u00a0<em>(Yeah, I dream about craft projects.)<\/em>\u00a0 In my dream I was using a hand towel and my sewing machine to make a rug. \u00a0Guess what I did when I woke up?<\/p>\n<p>Well, I ate breakfast, took care of the kids, and did a few other things. \u00a0But, after that, I got to work on my &#8220;new&#8221; T-shirt rug.<\/p>\n<p>Would you like to make one, too? \u00a0First, you will need to gather some supplies.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20716 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-1.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Supplies Needed<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>T-shirts<\/li>\n<li>Hand Towel<\/li>\n<li>Ruler<\/li>\n<li>Tailor&#8217;s Chalk or Water Soluble Marker<\/li>\n<li><a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s\/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;field-keywords=rotary%20cutter&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;tag=thehaphou-20&amp;url=search-alias%3Daps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rotary Cutter<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s\/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;field-keywords=rotary%20cutter&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;tag=thehaphou-20&amp;url=search-alias%3Daps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cutting Mat<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Sewing Machine<\/li>\n<li>Thread<\/li>\n<li>Scissors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>Don&#8217;t feel limited to just using T-shirts. \u00a0For this project I decided to let go of a few pairs of my old stretch pants that passed their prime a few decades ago in addition to a T-shirt. You could even use an old jersey knit sheet as a source of fabric.<\/div>\n<h4>Instructions<\/h4>\n<p><strong>1.\u00a0\u00a0Using the chalk, water soluble marker, or even a pencil make marks along the towel in 1&#8243; increments.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-3.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20718 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-3.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-3-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>The lines need to be made vertically from long side to long side of the towel.<\/strong> \u00a0Make sure you can see the lines you made because they are critical to making the rug.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-4.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20719 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-4.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-4-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I did want to note that <strong>the hand towel was 16 inches by 26 inches<\/strong>. \u00a0I suggest using a hand towel that is similar in color to your T-shirt strips. \u00a0I did not do this, but definitely will next time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.\u00a0 Lay out your T-shirts on a cutting mat.<\/strong> \u00a0<strong>Use a ruler and a rotary cutter to cut strips of T-shirt fabric that are 1 inch by 4 inches. \u00a0<\/strong>I recommend cutting all of the strips you will need before you start sewing. \u00a0<em>(Do not use the parts of the T-shirt that have designs on them.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-5.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20720 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-5.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-5-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To make the rug pictured at the top of this post I used\u00a0approximately 900 T-shirt strips. The amount you need will vary depending on the size of your hand towel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-6.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20721 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-6.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-6-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>3.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Lay out one row&#8217;s worth of strips next to your sewing machine. \u00a0<\/strong>By laying out the strips first, each row can be sewn faster.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-7.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20722 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-7.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-7-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I made a pattern out of my strips, but you can use strips that are all the same color or just be totally random. \u00a0Each of my rows had an average of 36 strips in them. \u00a0<strong>I recommend each row have between 36 and 40 T-shirt strips<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. \u00a0Set your sewing machine to the triple stitch\u00a0<\/strong><em>(#5 on my machine). \u00a0<\/em>This will ensure that the strips are securely sewn to the towel.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-8.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20723 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-8.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-8-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>5.<strong> \u00a0Take 2 or 3 T-shirt strips at a time and center them on the line. \u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>Scrunch the strips a little bit so that your rug will be nice and full. \u00a0Sew right down the line adding more strips as you go.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-9.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20724 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-9.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-9-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is what the row should look like when you have sewn on the T-shirt strips. \u00a0Each row took me about 5 minutes to lay out and sew on.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-10.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20725 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-10.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-10.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/02\/t-shirt-rug-10-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Fold the previous row of T-shirt strips out of the way before starting a new row. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-12.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20769 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-12.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-12-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>7. \u00a0Repeat step 5. \u00a0Continue in this manner until you have sewn T-shirt strips on all of the lines you marked.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This is what your rug should look like now. \u00a0I ended up with 25 rows of T-shirt strips. \u00a0The total time it took me to cut the T-shirt strips was probably about 1 hour. \u00a0The actual sewing time was probably close to 2 hours, but I broke that time up into several smaller sessions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-13.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20770 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-13.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-13-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here is a peek at the back of the rug. \u00a0Notice how my rows aren&#8217;t perfectly straight? Thankfully, this is a very forgiving sewing project.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-11.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20768 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-11.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-11-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After I finished sewing my rug, I washed it and tossed it in the dryer. \u00a0Here is what happened to the strips.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-15.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20771 aligncenter\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-15.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-15.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-15-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>They curled up and made the rug look totally different. \u00a0I think that it was easier to sew the strips on before they were washed than it might have been if I had washed them after cutting them. \u00a0However, if you want a more clear idea of how your rug will look while you are sewing it, wash all of the strips after you cut them.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-16.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-20821\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-16.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-16.jpg 520w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/files\/2012\/03\/t-shirt-rug-16-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I am really happy with how my rug turned out. \u00a0I think it will make a great bath mat and a fun addition to my bathroom. \u00a0Plus, it was totally free!<\/p>\n<p>Sometime I would like to try making a monochromatic T-shirt rug. \u00a0Dying white T-shirts would be a great way to ensure all of the strips are the same color.<\/p>\n<p>Do you have any T-shirts lying around that \u00a0you don&#8217;t wear anymore? \u00a0How about making a T-shirt rug?<\/p>\n<p><b>More fun DIY projects:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/personalized-doormat\/\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Make a Personalized Doormat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/how-to-make-a-rug\/\">How to Make a Rug<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/upcycled-t-shirt-napkins\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Upcycled T-Shirt Napkins<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/how-to-make-a-cardboard-chalkboard\/\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Make a Cardboard Chalkboard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/make-your-own-citronella-oil-candles\/\">Make Your Own Citronella Oil Candles<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The following is a post from Jackie. 0 Have you seen those totally cool rugs that are made from old T-shirts? \u00a0A few months ago I decided I was going to make one. \u00a0I purchased the latch hook material to go with the latch hook tool I got from my grandma. \u00a0Before I started cutting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[2548],"class_list":{"0":"post-20530","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diy","8":"tag-diy-sewing","9":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20530"}],"version-history":[{"count":45,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33069,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20530\/revisions\/33069"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/home-management\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}