Make Recycled T-shirt Dishcloths
by heather
Craftster user robotdinosaur snagged one of the Craftster Best of 2009 with this cool repurposing project. She shredded some of her unwanted t-shirts into yarn and then knitted them into these cool dishcloths. This is such a pretty thing to do with your old tees, and it makes the best-looking knitted dishcloths I've seen. [click here for the t-shirt dishcloth project]
She didn't post a knitting pattern for them, but I'm pretty sure it's a very basic knit square. If you need a pattern, you can google "knit dishcloth pattern" or check this page for a bunch of free patterns. You can also crochet these, but if you're a crocheter, you already know that! If you don't knit or crochet, how about sewing two or three layers of t-shirt together in squares to make dishcloths? That could be really cool!
T-shirt yarn: Apparently some evil company is harassing all the crafters who post tutorials about making t-shirt yarn (usually when they post tutes about making t-shirt yarn necklaces), and consequently every time I link to how-to instructions, they get removed. Well, first of all I want to say that whoever that evil company is, it's a simple process and although you may have filed a patent on it, I really don't think you should be able to patent the process of cutting jersey into strips and stretching it until it coils into a tube. Oops, did I just give away your trade secret?
Project Estimate:
- Old t-shirt or two, on hand
- Knitting needles or crochet hook, on hand
Total: FREE + bonus points for recycling!
p.s. Bonus project for your t-shirt yarn: How about knitting one of these fab scarves? I love the two-color stripes! Project found at Design Vagabond.
Those are excellent ideas. I don’t know which I want to try first, the disch cloth, or the scarf.
T-shirt knitting! Brilliant. And bound to be faster than all the other ignored and lonely knitting projects I have in my project box. Thanks for the tip!
What a practical idea and cotton is too good a substance to waste on a landfill.
love it! I also ended up on a craftster link to a tshirt star rug that was croched. Brilliant.
I am picturing all of our college t-shirts sitting in a box in our bedroom and in a trunk at my parents. I think I would use this “yarn” with my Knifty Knitters. I can see scarves, hats, and lap blankets.
I would love to know more about the evil company.
Would this be anything like the loops we used to make potholders out of? I’m definitely going to try crocheting a few dishcloths! Thanks so much for sharing such a great idea!
One of my favorite throw rugs was made with old t shirts. I cut them into strips about 6 inches by 1/2 inch and latch hooked a rug. I found that men’s colorful shirts worked best because the sleeves were the perfect size for strips when I cut the seam out. I did not use a design just blobs of the same color. It washes great and the color stay bright. What a great site this is.
Martha
[...] Recycled T-shirt dishcloth @ Dollar Store Craft [...]
Recycled T-shirts. One more. I had enough leftover ginham check for a skirt so I gathered it around the top, just to fit the bottom of a nice t-shirt and sewed it on. I like to have pockets so I put them in the side seams and added some fabric flowers to match the skirt around the neck. Lots of compliments on this cute summer dresss.
[...] you donate all your unwanted old t-shirts to Goodwill, you may want to make a few of these awesome dishcloths {here’s another neat pattern for a scrubby that I want to try.} Or maybe a produce bag or [...]
[...] Recycled T-Shirt Dishcloths – Dollar Store Crafts [...]
This is brilliant!!! I am off to rip up some of my husbands tshirts. Thrift stores beware!!
I’m sad they keep taking down your tutorial. Buggers! But thanks for the repurposing idea.
So I don’t know how when one piece of yarn ends, to begin again with a new one… Does that make sense? Someone please email me.and tell me! [email protected]
[...] Recycled T-Shirt Dishcloths – Dollar Store Crafts [...]
[...] T-shirts transformed into… crocheted/knitted dishcloths, a braided belt or perpetually blooming [...]
Ooohh i have some old t shirts i love and have been procrastinating the getting-rid-of-them moment… I’ll use them to give life to some of this upcycling projects! Thank you! And for giving away the secret! (Y) Like! Haha!
[...] http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2010/01/recycled-t-shirt-dishcloths/ [...]
Great projects and great way to reveal a “trade secret”! LOL
How can they patent a technique that’s been around since forever? Rag rugs have been made with jersey rags since the early 1900s?
Thanks for sharing.
Yes! I was surprised to see “tshirt yarn” at the store the other day. Haven’t we been doing that for years and years? :)
Hadn’t thought to make dishcloths though, with it! We always crocheted rag rugs with the strips. Thanks for the idea!
Anne Dovel
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