Save Old T-Shirts To Create A Stylish Rug That Works In Any Space

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You followed TikTok's three-second rule to add a little excitement to your home organization and are now left with a bunch of old clothes you don't wear anymore. So, what do you do with them? While you can always donate them to the Salvation Army or Goodwill, save a few pieces for yourself, since there are plenty of clever ways to upcycle old clothes into unique home decor. For instance, your dated t-shirts can turn into a stylish shag rug with a simple DIY. You just need to cut them into strips to achieve the desired look. Not only will this DIY save you some serious money, but it will also help you craft a rug that works in any space. 

You can match it to your room's aesthetic by hand-picking the colors you want to see. Moreover, you can make it as big or small as you'd like. To illustrate, the end result can resemble a small accent rug if you want one near doors, under furniture, or beside sinks. Or, it can function as a runner rug or an oversized piece for your spacious living room or bedroom.

Have a few of your old t-shirts handy, preferably ones with round or V-necks. The number will depend on how big or diverse you want your shag rug to be. Additionally, get a rug pad gripper, such as the one from Gorilla Grip, to serve as your base. Ensure it's large enough to fulfill your requirements. You'll also need a sharp pair of scissors (or a rotary cutter to slightly speed things up) and a cutting mat, like anezus' 12 by 18 inch Self Healing Sewing Mat.

Though optional, it's best to start by washing your old t-shirts, particularly if they smell funny or have gathered a fine layer of dust sitting at the back of your wardrobe. Then, throw them in the dryer or line dry them. Afterward, chop off the double-stitched neck, arm, and bottom hem. You also want to remove the collars and button portions if your t-shirts have them. Moreover, cut their sides, too, so you have two pieces of fabric from a single t-shirt. Now, roll out your rug pad gripper and finalize the size of your shag rug. This is important to approximate the number of strips you'll need. You can do this later if you don't want to unnecessarily trim your t-shirts based on a rough estimate.

Now, for the fun part: Put your t-shirts on a thick mat and divide each into three sections that measure about 6 inches horizontally. You can adjust the size based on how long or short you want the "shag" part of your rug. Next, place each portion vertically and further cut it into 1- to 1.5-inch-thick strips. This can be tedious if you trim each strip with a scissor. So, use a rotary cutter to cut through several strips at once. Alternatively, get a guillotine-style paper cutter, like the Worklion model, to make it all go faster. Finally, begin looping each strip through the blank squares in your rug pad gripper and tie them together. A single knot is fine, but go with double knots if you have mischievous pets who'd pull them out within a few days. Continue this process until all the squares are covered.

Knotting tiny strips into each square hole of your rug pad gripper can be tiring and time-consuming, especially if you attempt this DIY alone. To avoid this, loop the strips into every other hole instead of covering them all. Admittedly, this will lead to a less dense shag rug, but the bald spots won't be visible if you use 5- or 6-inch long strips. This hack will be specifically handy if you plan on DIYing a medium- or large-sized rug for your home. And, in case the holes in the rug pad gripper are too small and it's taking you ages to pull each strip through, use a bent-nose plier or tweezer to simplify this task.

As for personalization, you can experiment with patterns and varied colors by only using specific portions of a t-shirt in your rug. For instance, if one of them has cool lettering you like the font or color of, just tear out that portion and cut it into strips. Then, add it to your rug's center so it becomes the focal point. Another idea is to only use strips with bold lettering on them for this craft. This will look especially good in a room with rustic or maximalist decor. If your base isn't as long or wide as you want it to be, feel free to use more than one pad gripper and join the separate pieces together with tightly knotted t-shirt strips.