I cut my poly strips about 1"-1.5". Be sure to angle cut the ends, so the overlapping isn't too bulky. The rotary cutter is perfect for this, but if you like to sit in front of the tv with something mindless to do, this is a good thing for that. You can take apart clothing to use, just more time consuming and you won't get as much out of an article of clothing as you will a cut of fabric, for obvious reasons. I try to have at least 12 colors for a rug, to give it some flow.