How to Cut T-Shirts into Strips

Quick and Easy Fabric Recycling

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Finding t-shirts that have one more use left in them before they can be cut up for rags is the easy part; I hate to waste anything, and often buy gently used large sized t-shirts at the thrift store to use in crafts.

How to Cut T-Shirts into Strips - easily and quickly...

My most recent hobby is to cut the t-shirts into strips and then knit them into rugs. I'm fascinated by the sheer amount of colors and textures, and this is a great way to add some pizzaz to your home.

The biggest draw back to using t-shirts like this is the cutting part. What a pain!

However, I've discovered (thanks to my Mum seeing this method on TV and sharing it with me) a new and really simple way of cutting them into nice even strips, ready to knit.

Buy the largest size of t-shirts you can find - if they have a bit of printing on them, that's fine, but try to keep it to a minimum. Where can you find them? Look in the thrift store - in the men's clothing or ladies plus size section.

Helpful Hint:

Look for t-shirts that are made out of a tube, rather than those that have side seams. This makes one long strip without the seams, and is a lot smoother to knit.

Sharp scissors are essential for this. Here is a selection from Amazon of the best scissors for this kind of project.

What can you use these strips for?

How about a braided, woven, knitted or crocheted scatter rug? These old time ways of reusing old clothes and keeping them out the landfill is making a come back. Use them for that perfect rustic accent for your country style life.

The dotted lines show where to make your first cuts on the t-shirt. The dashed lines are where you can cut off your work area. Then open it up, and make the final cuts.

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