Have an old bedsheet that’s too worn to donate but still has plenty of fabric left to use? Instead of throwing it away, turn it into fabric yarn!
I’m always looking for ways to reduce household waste and give old materials a new purpose. So when it was finally time to retire a set of sheets from our linen closet, I knew I wanted to find a way to reuse them.
These sheets had quite a history! They started out in my husband’s bachelor pad, became our guest sheets, and eventually served as our camping sheets. After years of use, they were well past their donating days, but I just couldn’t bring myself to throw away all that fabric.
And since I always have yarn on my mind, the solution was obvious … turn them into yarn!
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make one continuous strip of fabric yarn from an old flat sheet, without having to tie dozens of strips together. Once you’ve made your yarn, you can use it for crochet projects like fabric crochet coasters or fabric nesting baskets.
How to Make Fabric Yarn
Making your own fabric yarn is a simple way to upcycle old sheets into useful material for crochet and other crafts. The trick is cutting the sheet in a way that creates one long, continuous strip instead of lots of separate pieces.
Materials
- Old flat bedsheet or another large, flat piece of fabric
- Sharp fabric scissors
Before You Begin
- Start with a clean, flat bedsheet.
- Cut your strips approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. You can adjust the width depending on how thick you’d like your finished yarn.
- Try to keep the strips as even as possible.
- The key to creating continuous yarn is alternating the final cuts between the two layers of fabric.
Step-by-Step Fabric Yarn Tutorial
Step 1: Prepare the Bedsheet
Cut off the sewn edges around the sheet (Fig. 1).
Fold the sheet in half from top to bottom and smooth out the fabric so there are no creases or bumps.
Step 2: Cut the Fabric Into Strips
Starting at the folded edge, cut strips approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, stopping about 1 inch (2.5 cm) before reaching the opposite, open edge (Fig. 2).
Do not cut all the way through the sheet yet. Leaving that uncut section is what allows you to connect the strips into one continuous length of yarn.
The illustration below shows what the sheet would look like if you opened it up at this point.
Step 3: Create One Continuous Strip
This next step is a little trickier, but it’s the secret to making one continuous strip of fabric yarn!
With the sheet still folded:
- On the top layer only, finish cutting through to the edge on every other strip.
- On the bottom layer, finish cutting through to the edge on the alternating strips, working opposite the cuts you made on the top layer (Fig. 3).
The illustration below shows how the cuts connect when the sheet is opened. The red dashed lines represent the additional cuts made in this step.
By alternating the cuts, the fabric becomes one long, connected strip rather than a collection of individual pieces.
Step 4: Roll Your Fabric Yarn Into a Ball
Starting at one of the newly cut corners, begin rolling the fabric strip into a ball (Fig. 4).
Continue winding until you’ve rolled up the entire strip.
And that’s it! You’ve turned an old bedsheet into a ball of fabric yarn that’s ready for your next crochet project.
What Can You Make With Fabric Yarn?
Now comes the fun part … deciding what to crochet with your new yarn!
Fabric yarn is a great choice for sturdy, practical projects around the home. Here are three crochet patterns you can try with fabric yarn or T-shirt yarn.
Fabric Nesting Baskets
Fabric Nesting Baskets Crochet Pattern
Put your homemade fabric yarn to use with this set of nesting crochet baskets. They’re a practical way to organize small items while giving old fabric a second life.
Fabric Crochet Coasters
Fabric Crochet Coaster Pattern – Easy Upcycled Coasters
Looking for a smaller project? These chunky crochet coasters work up in just four rounds of single crochet and are perfect for trying out your homemade fabric yarn.
Fabric Rectangle Baskets
Rectangular Crochet Basket Pattern – 2 Nesting Sizes
These sturdy nesting baskets can be made with super bulky yarn or T-shirt yarn. With two sizes and built-in handles, they’re perfect for organizing and storing everyday items.
Looking for more ways to use fabric yarn? Browse my T-Shirt Yarn Projects for more crochet patterns and creative ideas using this chunky, upcycled material.
More Eco-Friendly Crochet Ideas
If you enjoy crocheting with repurposed materials, you might also like my How to Make Plarn (Plastic Yarn) tutorial. It’s another creative way to turn everyday materials into something useful for your crochet projects.
Happy crocheting!
Hey is there a video on cutting a continuous strip? Thanks for the help.
that might work out if you were to use knit sheets because there is little to no fraying. You can also try making thinner and thinner stripes by using the pillow cases. I know that in thrift stores theyre usually in a perfect state to experiment with.
Love the info. One thought: cut the strips on the bias. This may help with the loose threads and will give the resulting yarn some stretch.
So glad I saw this! I do locker hook rugs. This will cut down on the joining of strips.😊 Thank You!