How to make a T-Shirt Blanket: Find out how it's done.

Turn those old shirts and unwanted gifts into a cozy new blanket. T-shirt blankets are an eco-friendly and cost-effective way to spruce up your space.

Have you ever wondered how to make a t-shirt blanket? If you have lots of old t-shirts lying around your home, it may be time to give them a new lease of life. Turning your old clothes into t-shirt blankets can help you to save money on home décor and reduce your impact on the planet by recycling your unwanted items. T-shirt blankets are a great way to add a pop of color or personality to any room by using material from your unwanted or unused t-shirts. You don't have to be an expert at sewing either. You can send your t-shirts to us, and we will take care of the rest. Find out how to make a t-shirt blanket and other information you might need to know in order to give your old clothes a transformation.

What are they?

Before you learn how to make a t-shirt blanket, you may be wondering what they actually are. In short, a T-shirt blanket is a blanket made of square panels of old t-shirts and sweaters. They make great gifts for yourself or your loved ones and can breathe new life into sentimental t-shirts, and there are many different t-shirt blanket ideas to pick from. If you have lots of t-shirts to choose from, you could consider making a themed blanket or one that matches the color scheme of your room or home. You can choose from a variety of different sizes from 8” to 16”, quilt designs, and styles, including a double-sided blanket, baby blanket, embroidered personal messages, and fleece-backed. There are six different colors of cozy fleece to choose from, and this can make a brilliant Christmas present, graduation gift etc to keep your loved ones nice and warm.

When considering how to make a t-shirt blanket, there are many different designs to consider. You will also need a different number of t-shirts, depending on the desired size of your blanket and whether you want it to be double-sided or not. Generally, one t-shirt provides two panels. For example, for a queen-size classic blanket, the fleece back version will require 49 panels, and the double-sided option will require 98. The layout of the panels will also differ depending on the size. For example, of queen size will be 7 panels across and 7 panels down which we refer to as a 7x7.

For the classic blankets made from shirts, the size of your panels will depend on the size of the graphics on your t-shirts. There is the option for 8”, 12", 14", or 16" square panels. If your graphics are under 11.5" you should choose the 12" option, and any graphics over 11.5" can use the larger panel options. The designs on your t-shirts can help inform your t-shirt blanket ideas. Other materials can be included at an extra cost, so have a good look through your shirt collection and see what you can find!

Equipment

Making t-shirt blankets use a lot of equipment, supplies and processes that are similar to quilting. While learning how to make a t-shirt blanket, you might want to learn the types of equipment that we use to complete your blankets.

• Sewing machines- Mock safety, safety stitch, zigzag and single single needle.
• Swing arm die cutter- this is a hydraulic press used to cut fabric and material.
• Fusible interfacing- this type of interfacing is very common and works with a double sided glue adhering to the fabrics when heat is applied. It is used to add panels that we can’t sew through like panels with rhinestones, metal studs and thick paint etc.  

These are just a few pieces of equipment and supplies that you may come across when looking into how to make a t-shirt blanket. Not everyone has access to these, or knows how to use them, which is why it can be a good idea to send your chosen t-shirts to us so that your final product is of high-quality.

Process

When learning how to make a t-shirt blanket, you need to have the correct material and the right amount of it. For the majority of t-shirt blankets, you will need to separate the back and front of your shirts, and you should only send the sides of the shirt you want to be included in your blanket. There is also the option to design your own, so if you have t-shirt blanket ideas of your own, you can lay out the panels in the order you want them to appear on the blanket. You should take a picture and include this image in your order so that it can be recreated on the final product.

If you're learning how to make a t-shirt blanket, you need to make sure it looks professional and high quality. One way to do this is to make sure the seams on each piece of fabric are straight, neat and hidden, and that your panels are lined up properly. Sewing with a ¼ inch seam is a popular way of doing this, and this is essentially leaving a seam allowance of ¼ inches on all the pieces you are sewing. This is also why you need to make sure your t-shirts are the right size before you send them, as you need to take into account the seam allowances required.

Now that you know more about how to make a t-shirt blanket, you can also make curtains from your old t-shirts. The process is fairly similar, but there is a set number of panels needed to make every pair of curtains, and they fit most standard windows. We also attach loops at the top so that they can be hung from the majority of curtain rods. There is plenty of fun and unique t-shirt blanket ideas that can help you create a blanket that is completely unique and recycled. If you are interested in how to make a t-shirt blanket, why not start gathering your old t-shirts and sweaters and thinking about potential designs and personalized notes you might like to add to make yours truly special.