T-shirts to rag rug

Not long ago, I was given a car load of fabric.  Okay, maybe not a "car load", but more so a "back seat" load of fabric.  Either way, there were many big black trash bags filled with goodies.  Among those gems were about 30 t-shirts in varying sizes but identical in color; forest green with white print. The white print was on both the front and back of the shirts making it difficult to decide how to re-purpose them.  However, I am always up for a challenge!

I began the creative process by removing the neckbands and sleeves from each shirt.

I then cut each shirt in strips, from top to bottom and sewed each strip together.  The end result of this process was one extremely long chain of knit "yarn", so to speak.

It was time to bring out my monster sized crochet hook and get busy.  Thankfully, my son loves the color green!  Both his bathroom and bedroom are decorated with various shades of green, so I knew I could put a new rug or two to good use.  

There are several nice things about working with t-shirt "yarn". Projects go together quickly and the materials are easily transported.  I was able to produce this rug in a few hours because I kept the crochet stitches simple and took it with me each time my son had an activity away from home.  We may be a homeschooling family but we spend a lot of time away from home either for extracurricular activities or classes. 

Having completed the project, I realized I learned several things.  First, I realized that a crocheted rug will look better if I work on a flat surface.  Secondly, I realized that I needed to expand the rug as I went along so I simply added an extra stitch or two at each end of the oval to allow the rug to lie flat. Finally, a t-shirt rug is quite a bit heavier than a cotton or fleece rug.  The added weight, combined with the bits of screen printing, provide a more stable surface for a bathroom rug.  This rug does not go sliding across the floor like a fleece rug.  A sliding rug can be a recipe for disaster, especially so when placed near a bathtub.

When all was said and done, this rug used approximately 10 shirts that would have otherwise ended up in the local landfill.  It is Eco friendly, cute and functional.  What more could a girl ask for?  ;)