Just because your t-shirt is stained or your flannel sheets are ripped, that doesn’t mean you have to throw them out. Instead, reclaim the fabric and the memories associated with them to make useful, soft cloths for household tasks and personal care. Repurposing shirts is a great eco-friendly way to do your part to reduce, reuse recycle (and save lots of money at the same time). Let’s look at options for reusing your old shirts in crafty ways!
BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: Old t-shirts can stack up around the house, especially if you get free shirts from sporting or charity events. It will save natural resources like cotton and the fuel for transportation if you reuse old shirts rather than buy new rags, shirts, bags, or other items.
Cost: Low. Even if you don’t have any old shirts of your own, if you like some of the projects listed below, you can find old t-shirts for very good prices at thrift stores or maybe for free from friends, family, or neighbors looking to save themselves a trip to Goodwill ☺
Time and effort: Varies, low to medium, depending on the chosen project.
Easy Projects (no sewing required!)
1. Around-the-House Rags
Using old shirts and sheets as dusting cloths and cleaning rags is a bit of a no-brainer: the soft fabric is great for picking up dust and is gentle on any surface. Plus, who wants to spend money on rags?!
2. Headbands
If you want to create something a bit more advanced, you can cut strips out of old shirts and make headbands. Just cut strips to your desired width and tie it around your head. To add a bit of style to your headband, consider adding a fabric flower. To make fabric flowers take three strips of fabric, braid them, and then wrap the braid around itself using a hot glue gun.1
Medium Projects (minimal sewing)
1. Skirt
Have you ever been given a shirt that you love, but that you drown in because it is too big? Make over-sized shirts into skirts! Just open up the neck hole until you can comfortably fit it around your waist. Next, to add some convenient pockets, stitch the short sleeve openings together and turn them inside the shirt. Viola! Now you are ready to sashay in your new skirt.
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2. Grocery Bag / Handbag
The easiest way to make a reusable bag is to sew together the bottom of a tank top. Use the shoulder straps as handles and load-up your new bag. If you want to use an old shirt that is not a tank-top as your bag, then simply cut the sleeves off.3
3. Laptop Case
I’ve always wondered why there are so many shirts made with those silly front breast pockets. Am I really supposed to load my pens in there? But when I came across this project I immediately realized that those blasted pockets really do have a purpose… they can hold your laptop charger! To make this kind of laptop case, simply find a big shirt with a front pocket, fold the shirt up as shown, and sew along the edges. With just two seams you have a new case with three nifty pockets for holding computer-related accessories.
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4. T-Shirt Necklace
Find a jersey t-shirt, lay the t-shirt flat, cut across the body of the shirt in 1” strips, and stretch the strips. Once complete, you will have a bunch of fabric tubes that you can sew or tie together and hang from your neck.5
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You can customize your necklace in any way you like by varying colors or adding beads, buttons, studs, or other embellishments.
Difficult Projects (time required)
1. Rag Rug
Fun high-pile rugs can bring warmth and cheer to any living space, but they also often come with a large price-tag. One way to infuse some style into your living space without forking over a lot of money is to make your own rag rug! You can find a full set of instructions for this project here: Make Your Own Rugs .
2. Memory Quilt
It always saddens me when my favorite shirts become too threadbare or pit-stained to wear anymore. Recently I came across a meaningful way to preserve all of my favorite shirts by making them into a quilt. The simplest quilt pattern involves cutting old shirts into blocks, and then stitching them together with strips of unifying fabric in between. To make a four by five quilt grid you will need twenty shirts, some fabric to back the quilt, a sewing machine, and a few hours to fashion your new creation.7 There are also stores (mainly online) that will make quilts out of t-shirts you provide. This is a more expensive option but also produces a great result!
