T-Shirt Hula Hoop Weaving

For my first post I decided to tackle something that I thought might seem a little difficult. Weaving is actually very easy, you just need to be patient. You can make a rug, or a cushion, as I have chosen to make - only because I didn't have enough t-shirts at the time in the color pattern I wanted. There is even NO sewing required so this project is even great for kids!

The amount of time invested in this project from start to finish was about five hours. If you are new to weaving it may take you a bit longer. A rug will most likely take six to seven hours total to finish. I chose to complete my cushion all at once, but you can always set yours aside and work on it day by day.

Supplies Needed

• T-Shirt

• Hula Hoop 

• Scissors

Getting Started

First begin by cutting the hemmed bottoms off of all your t-shirts, set them aside. 

*You will want at least 10-14 shirts to create a rug and 7-9 shirts for a cushion. 

Grab one of your shirts and cut it into 8 strips. 

Take those strips and stretch them around your hula hoop in pairs. The hoop is now your loom.

Cut the rest of your remaining t-shirts into one inch horizontal strips. To make a long fabric strip, cut one end of the loop, set them aside.

 *I found it easier, and faster, to arrange them in a line of piles in a desired color pattern. I also kept back half, if not more, of one color for the outer rim. 

Now it's time to start weaving!

 If you are new to weaving, here is a video that might help with the technique. 

Start by wrapping one fabric strip through the weft strips on the hula hoop. Alternate going over and under, over and under, over and under...I sound like Dori, "just keep swimming."  

As you continue to alternate colors, tuck the ends of your fabric strips into the back side your weave. Don't worry about how messy it looks, the end result is amazing! 

When your weave reaches approximately 8 inches, separate the weft strip pairs along the hula hoop. You will now have 16 individual weft strips. Continue to weave though them alternating over and under. 

The next step is to separate your weft strip again and weave the fabric strips between the loops. Use up the rest of your design pattern colors and move on to the colors you have chosen for the rim. For a rug wait until you have reached about 6 inches from the edge of the hula hoop and about 10-12 inches for a cushion.

You're almost finished!

Cut the weft strips off the hula hoop when you have reached your desired length across. Tie them in double knots to secure the weave. Tuck the remaining ends of the weft strips into the back side. 

Turn over your master piece and you are finished!

Let me know what you think. I would love to see how yours have turned out! Once garage sale season starts I load up on shirts and create a larger version.

Photos by: Brista Robinson