DIY No-Sew Rug Made Out of Old T-shirts

Make a functional home accessory with this DIY no-sew rug made out of old t-shirts. So easy and you’ll thank yourself for keeping those old clothes for years. Plus my two-cents on this project.

I can’t believe that in five years I accumulated a large garbage bag of old clothes that I don’t use at all. And actually counting more. I want to donate them but it’s embarrassing since most of them are worn out.

Throwing them is not an option either because I believe I can make something out of them that are useful.

FACT: one of the largest contributors in the landfill are textiles.

One way to reuse the old clothes is to make them into rugs. I remember when we were younger mom used our old clothing as a rug. She will just lay the old clothe (folded half) on the floor, and voila! we got our instant rug.

To be honest, it was sore in the eyes. I secretly wished that she buys a ready-made rug instead. But my meager mom will do anything to save money. And that’s just one of her penny-pinching ideas.

When our older sister learned to sew. They made rugs out of scrap fabric that is sewn in a sack. At least it looked decent. And that actually gave us an idea of one way of reusing our piles of old t-shirts. The only problem is that we do not know how to operate a sewing machine.

Researching online we found several ways of making a no-sew rug. And found this latch hook technique.

DIY No-Sew Rug Made Out of Old T-shirts

You’ll need:

• • Old Shirts (preferably cotton shirts)
  • Fabric Scissor or rotary cutter (latter is better, it’s a lifesaver)
  • Rug canvas (you can purchase it at Amazon)
  • Latch Hook

1. Cut Shirt into strips. Half inch wide or thinner.
2. Stretch the strip of cut fabric length twice. Then cut it 5 inches long.
3. Tie the strip of fabric into the mesh using the latch hook. It’s pretty hard at first but once you get the technique then it’s easy peasy. Watch the video below on how to tie using the latch hook.
   
   Tip: Skip one column and 1 row of the mesh so that it won’t be too hard to tie the fabric and it won’t be too thick. Jean had it tie closely and the washing machine seems like having a big batch of clothes rumbled inside that it moves from its original position. Same with the drying machine.

My Thoughts on this DIY

Although this DIY makes you clothing a new purpose here are some of my thoughts. You’ll find cons and ask me why I even bother writing this post. Well, just my two-cents and I want you to know exactly if this DIY is worth your time.

Pros:

1. You recycled your clothes and I’m pretty sure Mother Earth will thank you.
2. If you are keen on the aesthetic design you can create a wonderful piece out of your old shirts. I saw DIYs like this on Pinterest using the same color and the result is stunning.
3. It is washable and you can dry it on your machine.
4. Very durable.

Cons:

1. Making this DIY requires patient. And it takes time.
2. Will cause eye strain; from looking the lines.
3. Is it practical? Money wise I’d say no. Yes, you recycled your old shirt but because with this technique, you need to buy a rug canvas. Plus with your time being used, buying a ready-made rug is more practical than making this DIY.

Durability vs. cost: I’d recommend making this DIY; that is if you are into crafting or DIY.