- 1). Wind the cotton loosely around the towel or swath of cloth and place it in the washing machine. Winding it around the towel will ensure that all of the thread gets soaked in the water. To prevent the thread from loosening and falling off of the towel during the wash cycle, tie the two ends of the cotton thread together in a tiny knot. You will have to snip the knot with scissors after the wash cycle, so only use a small amount of thread to create the knot.
- 2). Using the hottest water available, wash the thread and the towel on a regular setting, using gentle laundry detergent. The hot water will cause the cotton fibers in the threads to swell, which will cause the thread to shrink in length.
- 3). Immediately following the wash, take the towel out of the washing machine and snip the knot to release the thread. Then, unwind the cotton thread and place it in the dryer. Do not place the towel in the dryer as it can get tangled with the thread.
- 4). Dry the thread on the hottest setting available for about an hour. The faster and hotter you dry the thread, the more permanent the shrinking will be.
- 5). Repeat the process once or twice more to shrink the cotton thread as much as possible.
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