DIY: Trivets from T Shirt Yarn Tutorial

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Does anyone ever have enough hot pads or pot holders or trivets for the kitchen? I know I never do.  I’m always having to fold up kitchen towels to put hot dishes on the table or the counter.

I came across this Pin to make a ball of continuous t shirt yarn and this Pin to make a woven trivet.  I decided I was going to combine both ideas and do it as cheaply as possible. (Look at my vintage Pyrex asparagus dish! It was 50% off, I think I got it for a $1.50 or less. I love vintage Corning ware and Pyrex.  My cupboards are stocked with it.)

In the Pinterest tutorial for the trivet, she used stretcher frame.  I’m not even sure what that is. I decided to go buy an ugly but sturdy wooden picture frame.  I paid about a $1.

I bought a pack of nails at the Dollar Tree, and hammered them in every 3/4 inch or so.  I eyeballed it.

On to the t-shirt yarn. I regularly use t shirts in my crafting, so I have one of those XL Ziplock bags stuffed full of old t shirts from home and 50 cent tshirts from thriftshopping.

I choose two t shirts to use — a brick red one and a dark heather gray.  Our kitchen is  white and black with some red thrown in.  I thought they’d go well together.

First, only use t shirts that have no side seams.  Surprisingly, I had these in my stash without side seams — it’s not something I even considered when I bought them.  To make a good amount of t shirt yarn, get as large of a t shirt as you can find, preferably solid with nothing printed on it.

I folded the t shirt in half lengthwise and then cut a line across the width just under the arms and just above the hem.  I wanted to keep as much of the t shirt as I could.

Once it was cut, I positioned the t shirt so that one side seam was about 2 inches below the other, as seen in the picture below.

Now let’s get to making those trivets.First, find a scrap of cardboard and make yourself a shuttle.  I cut mine to be about 4-5 inches long and cut notches to wind some of the yarn onto it.  I also cut a little slit on one end to hold the end of the yarn.  Wind some of the yarn onto it and cut it from the ball.  I was able to wind enough to do half the trivet.  You don’t want the shuttle too bulky, or it will be difficult to weave.

Now take a ball of t shirt yarn and the frame and tie off the t shirt yarn on the very first nail.  Then, wind your yarn up and down between the nails like below.  Then when you finish on the other side, tie another knot at that nail.

 

That’s it! You’re done!!

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