Don’t throw away old t-shirts, turn them into beautiful crochet rugs to use all over the house!
MATERIALS
- 4 – 6 old t-shirts or pyjama tops in as many or as little colours you like, cut into 2.5 cm / 1 inch strips
EQUIPMENT
- fat crochet hook (I used 9 mm one)
- needle and a little bit of thread to secure the last chain on the rug
METHOD
Please note that names of the stitches vary, this is UK pattern, click through for UK to US crochet stitches conversion chart.
stitches used: chain (ch), double crochet (dc), slip stich (ss)
FOUNDATION CHAIN
Start with 7 ch, connect ends of the chain with ss to create a circle.
ROUND 1-3
Work 1 dc 1 ch 1 dc 1 ch etc for the first 3 rounds.
ROUND 4+
Continue working dc but reduce amount of added extra chain stitches in between. You will see if they are needed.
Your rug supposed to be completely flat, if it is turning into hat it means there should be more extra chains added, if it is all wavy it means there should be less chains added if any. Possibly continue only with dc and only add extra ch now and then when some area of the rug bends up.
LAST ROUND
Once you are happy with the size, finish the round with sl stitch and then use needle and tread to secure the ending… and voilà, your rug is ready to use.
CONNECTING THE STRIPS
To connect strips of t-shirt together make cuts at the end of each of them and then tie them together as pictured below.
NOTES
Recycled rug like this can be also done from other fabrics such as bed linens or even stockings.
Use thinner strips and smaller crochet gauge to create place mats.
In the first row instead closing the circle make the chain longer and then start going around it to create oval shaped rug.
More upcycling / recycling ideas: DIY Play Stove (from old newspapers, bottle tops & fiber board), Coasters (from old newspapers), Piggy Bank (from old plastic bottle), Crochet Covers for Old Mammut Stools (Ikea Hack), Girl’s Room Workspace (made from upcycled cot bed), Miniature Garden in a Fish Bowl (unused fish bowl turned into miniature moss garden), Reading Corner (made from spare bedside table – Ikea Hack), Upcycled Magazine Decoupage (cardboard boxes decorated with old magazines).
This Is truly the best idea.
It is even wonderful for summer.
I have 3 girls who love little bits and peices and this is most defiantly the all year rounder project I’ll probably ever come across
Keep up the great projects
Have all hubby’s old ratty t shirts and starting this project this evening. It’s for the dog houses. Wish me luck. Ty for the idea.
For the first round after chain 7, do you sc into the circle? If so, how many times?
In reply to Julie whose rug did not turn out flat:
Thank you for contacting me and sorry to hear that. I don’t think there is anything you can do now, adding less or more stitches as you go along would probably solve the problem to keep it flat. But there is still chance it will stretch and straighten when you will start using it.
That looks amazing! You are really handy! I’ll give it a try, but I’m not good at all at this kind of projects.
Great weekend project! I have few tons of my husband’s old tees and need to get rid of them. Recycling is a nice opportunity and a new rug to sit on will work great for my girl who loves playing on the floor. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, I’m glad my rug tutorial is still being popular. That reminds me I need to start collecting old t-shirts again to make a new rug for the bathroom ;)
Thanks Margot. I spent the whole weekend cutting up sheets ready for my rug project. I just finished a pouffe following US instructions and glad i dont have to translate these! You’re a gem, keep going! I’ll try and dhow picture of finished rug for you when done!
Can’t wait to see it Jane!! I’m glad that you found this article helpful :)
My cousin used to make a similar item which her family used on the kitchen chairs for comfort and decoration. Thanks for the memory and the great instructions.
Hi Margot, I am fairly new t crocheting but am going to give this rug try as I absolutely love this type of rug and it seem easy q enough to do. Just wondering it looks like you are using a different type of material than a t-shirt. Is it a mixed material. Can you use mixed material like sheets and a t-shirt or I it better to use only identical material? Thank you.