How to Make a Knitting Loom T-Shirt Rug: The Ultimate Guide to Upcycling Your Old Clothes
If you’ve been looking for a creative, budget-friendly way to repurpose old t-shirts while adding a handmade touch to your home décor, making a knitting loom t-shirt rug might be exactly what you need. This project is one of the most satisfying combinations of upcycling and fiber arts, giving new life to worn-out or outgrown clothes while producing a durable, colorful, and completely unique rug that you made with your own hands.
In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know — from choosing the right loom and preparing your t-shirt yarn to finishing techniques and care instructions. Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who has dabbled in loom knitting before, this tutorial will give you the confidence to start your first t-shirt rug today.
Why Make a T-Shirt Rug on a Knitting Loom?
Before we dive into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why this particular project has captured the attention of so many crafters around the world. There are several compelling reasons to give it a try.
First, it’s an incredibly sustainable project. The average household accumulates dozens of t-shirts over the years that are too worn to donate but too sentimental (or just too useful) to throw away. By cutting them into strips and looping them onto a loom, you transform what would be landfill waste into something beautiful and functional. That feels good in a way that buying a rug from a store simply doesn’t.
Second, loom knitting is far more accessible than traditional needle knitting or weaving. A knitting loom guides your hands through consistent, repeatable motions, which means even people who struggle with traditional knitting needles can produce a finished product that looks professional and polished. The loom does a lot of the structural work for you, keeping your loops even and your tension consistent.
Third, t-shirt fabric — technically called jersey knit — has qualities that make it ideal for rugs. It’s thick, it’s soft underfoot, it doesn’t fray when cut, and it’s extremely durable when worked into a dense woven or knitted structure. Unlike yarn made from delicate fibers, a t-shirt rug can withstand foot traffic, pet paws, spills, and regular machine washing. This isn’t a decorative piece you’ll need to pamper. It’s a working rug that improves with age.
Finally, there’s the joy of color and pattern. When you control the source material, you control the design. You can sort your t-shirts by color family to create an ombre effect, alternate contrasting colors for a graphic striped look, or mix randomly for a casual patchwork aesthetic. Every rug you make will be different, and every one will tell a small story about the clothes that went into it.
What You’ll Need
Gathering your materials is the first step, and the good news is that most of what you need is either free (the t-shirts) or inexpensive (the loom and basic tools).
T-shirts: Plan to collect anywhere from 8 to 20 adult-sized t-shirts depending on the size of the rug you want to make. Heavier cotton shirts produce thicker, more durable strips. Avoid shirts with a lot of spandex or polyester blend, as these tend to be slippery and less grippy when formed into a rug. 100% cotton or mostly cotton blends work best. The color doesn’t matter unless you’re planning a specific pattern.
A knitting loom: For a t-shirt rug, you’ll want a large rectangular or round loom with wide-set pegs, since your “yarn” will be much bulkier than standard fiber yarn. Look for looms marketed for chunky or bulky weight yarn. Brands like Authentic Knitting Board, Loops & Threads, and KB Looms make rectangular options that work beautifully for this project. If you want to make a round rug, a large round loom with at least 36 pegs will give you a nice diameter. You can also find loom kits at craft stores or online marketplaces.
A loom hook or pick: This small tool is usually included with your loom. It helps you lift loops over the pegs without straining your fingers.
Sharp scissors: You’ll need these to cut your t-shirts into strips. Fabric scissors or rotary cutters work best, as dull scissors will fray the edges even on jersey fabric.
A cutting mat and ruler (optional but helpful): These make it much easier to cut uniform strips, which in turn produces a more even final product.
A tapestry needle or crochet hook: For weaving in ends and finishing off your work once the rug is complete.
How to Prepare Your T-Shirt Yarn (Also Called “Tarn”)
The process of cutting t-shirts into continuous strips of yarn is both satisfying and a little meditative once you get the hang of it. The goal is to create one long, looping strand rather than a pile of individual pieces, which means cutting in a spiral pattern rather than straight across.
Start by laying your t-shirt flat on a table or cutting mat. Cut off the hem at the bottom and the seam along the top, removing the sleeves as well. You want to be left with just the tubular body of the shirt. Slide this tube onto your arm or a cutting mat so it’s stretched out slightly.
Now cut the tube at an angle to create a continuous spiral. The easiest method is to make small cuts from the left side of the tube, stopping about an inch from the right edge (or vice versa, depending on which direction feels natural). Once you’ve made parallel cuts all the way up the tube, cut diagonally at the ends to connect each strip into one long spiral. When you pull gently on the resulting strip, the edges will curl inward naturally, which is characteristic of jersey fabric and actually makes for a rounder, more rope-like strand.
The width of your strips determines how thick your final yarn is. For a chunky, textured rug, cut strips about 1.5 to 2 inches wide. For a denser, tighter rug, try strips about 1 inch wide. A medium thickness of about 1.5 inches is a great starting point for most looms designed for bulky yarn.
Once you’ve cut your strip, give it a gentle tug along its length. This encourages the edges to curl inward and creates a tube-like strand that knits up beautifully. Wind your finished tarn into a loose ball so it feeds smoothly as you work.
Repeat this process for all your t-shirts, and if you’re planning color sections, keep each color in its own ball. When you’re ready to transition from one color to the next, simply tie the new strip onto the old one with a secure knot, leaving a tail of a few inches to weave in later.
Setting Up Your Loom
Once you have your tarn ready, it’s time to set up the loom. If you’re using a rectangular loom, you’ll be working back and forth in rows, which produces a flat rectangular rug. If you’re using a round loom, you’ll work in continuous rounds, which naturally produces a circular shape.
For a rectangular rug using a flat loom, start by anchoring your tarn to the first peg with a slip knot. Then wrap the tarn around each peg in sequence, going down one side and up the other, until all the pegs are wrapped with one loop each. This is called the e-wrap or figure-eight cast-on, depending on your loom’s instructions.
With all pegs wrapped, you’re ready to start knitting. Wrap the tarn around all the pegs a second time (so each peg now has two loops on it). Then, using your loom hook, lift the bottom loop on each peg up and over the top loop and off the peg. This is the fundamental motion of loom knitting, and it creates one row of stitches. Keep working back and forth in this way, adding new rows and lifting the bottom loops over, until your rug reaches the length you want.
For a round rug on a circular loom, the process is similar but you work in continuous spirals rather than back-and-forth rows. Wrap all pegs once, then wrap again and begin lifting the bottom loops over. As you work your way around and around the loom, you’ll see a flat disc forming at the center as the rug drops down through the middle of the loom (for looms that allow the work to fall through the center). This method creates a beautiful spiral pattern that echoes the look of traditional braided rugs.
Knitting the Rug
As you work, keep these tips in mind to produce the best possible result.
Maintain consistent tension. It’s tempting to pull your tarn tightly as you wrap, but if the tension is too tight, you’ll find it difficult to lift loops and your rug will be stiff and puckered. A relaxed, even tension produces a flat, supple rug. Think of wrapping the peg the way you’d wrap a gift — firm enough to stay put, loose enough to slip off easily.
Work in good lighting. Jersey tarn is dark and tactile, and it can be easy to miss a loop if you’re working in a dim room. Natural light or a bright lamp makes a noticeable difference.
Take breaks and stretch your hands. This is true of all loom knitting but especially important when working with bulky material like tarn. The extra resistance of thick fabric strips can tire your hands faster than working with fine yarn. A five-minute break every half hour keeps your hands happy and your work consistent.
Don’t be afraid of imperfections. Handmade rugs have texture and character that factory-made rugs will never replicate. A slightly uneven row here and there doesn’t diminish the beauty of the finished piece — in many cases, it enhances it. Embrace the handmade quality rather than chasing machine-like perfection.
Adding Color and Pattern
This is where your rug truly becomes your own. A few ideas for incorporating color and design into your project:
Stripes: Switch to a new color every few rows by tying your new tarn to the end of the old one. Wide stripes made from 4 to 6 rows of one color and narrow stripes of 1 to 2 rows create a classic, graphic look that works in virtually any color combination.
Ombre effect: Gather t-shirts in a single color family — for example, from pale pink through deep burgundy — and transition gradually from one shade to the next. The result is a soft, atmospheric gradient that looks sophisticated and intentional.
Random patchwork: If you’re working with a mix of family t-shirts, sports jerseys, or sentimental pieces, let the colors fall where they may. The resulting rug will be exuberant and full of visual energy, and every patch of color carries a memory.
Gradient blocks: Divide your rug into sections and change colors at planned intervals to create a color-blocked look inspired by modern graphic design.
Finishing Your Rug
When your rug has reached the desired size, it’s time to bind off — the process of removing your work from the loom in a way that secures all the loops and prevents unraveling.
For a basic bind-off, work each loop from the loom onto a tapestry needle threaded with a new length of tarn and pull it through to create a finished edge. Alternatively, many crafters prefer a crochet bind-off: use a crochet hook to slip each loop off the pegs and chain them together, which creates a neat, stretchy edge that lies flat.
Once your loops are secure, weave in all your yarn tails using a tapestry needle or the blunt end of your loom hook. Push each tail through several inches of the finished fabric, pulling it securely so it won’t work loose over time. Trim any remaining tails close to the surface.
Lay your finished rug flat and give it a gentle blocking. For t-shirt fabric, this simply means wetting the rug in cool water, pressing out the excess moisture with a towel, and stretching it gently into its final shape before allowing it to air dry. This evens out any irregularities and helps the rug lie flat.
Caring for Your T-Shirt Rug
One of the greatest advantages of a t-shirt rug is how easy it is to care for. Since the source material is already machine-washable cotton, your finished rug can go straight into the washing machine. Wash it on a gentle cycle in cool water and either tumble dry on low or lay flat to dry. Avoid high heat, which can cause the fabric to shrink slightly and affect the shape of the rug over time.
If your rug tends to slide on hard floors, attach a non-slip rug pad or apply a few lines of fabric puff paint to the underside. Allow the puff paint to dry completely before placing the rug, and it will grip the floor without damaging any surface.
Ideas for Where to Use Your Rug
A handmade t-shirt rug is versatile enough to work in almost any room of the house. Consider placing one beside the bed as a soft landing spot for your feet each morning. A round rug works beautifully in the center of a reading nook or under a small side table. Bathroom rugs made from cotton tarn are especially practical since they’re absorbent, quick to dry, and machine washable. A long, narrow rug works wonderfully as a hallway runner. You can even use small t-shirt rugs as pet beds or play mats for young children, since the material is soft, washable, and completely non-toxic.
Making It a Shared Project
A knitting loom t-shirt rug doesn’t have to be a solo endeavor. This is a project that translates beautifully to group settings — crafting clubs, classroom activities, family weekends, or community events. Assign each participant a section or a set of rows, and let individual contributions combine into a collaborative piece. The variations in each person’s tension and color choices will add character rather than inconsistency, and the rug becomes a record of who made it together.
Some families make a tradition of turning old children’s clothing into rugs that span multiple years of growth — a tangible, functional archive of childhood sewn together in every loop.
Final Thoughts
Making a knitting loom t-shirt rug is one of those projects that rewards you on multiple levels. You clear out a closet, you reduce textile waste, you practice a calming and repetitive craft, and you end up with something genuinely useful and personal that no store could ever sell you. The investment is minimal — a loom, some scissors, and a pile of old shirts — but the result is something you’ll use every day and feel proud of every time you walk across it.
Whether you’re making your first rug or your tenth, each one will teach you something new about color, texture, and the surprising possibilities waiting in a pile of worn-out cotton. So gather up those old shirts, find yourself a loom, and start looping. Your floors are about to get a whole lot more interesting.
