UPCYCLE: T-SHIRTS

By now, it must be obvious that upcycling is a good and positive thing. Different from recycling, we can all upcycle and take it into our own hands to make trash into treasure. The focus of this post is on upcycling old t-shirts, something that nearly all of us have more of than we could ever possibly need. Whether they’re old shirts we have gotten tired of or promotional t-shirts from a school event or fair, it’s possible to give them new life by embarking on an easy DIY project! This post will feature 2 ways to upcycle your old t-shirts into a new, fun item that will spark joy! Best part is that they are both no-sew, so everyone can give it a try.

1. Tote Bag

For this project, all you’ll need is an old t-shirt and scissors. Start by cutting off the sleeves of the shirt, and then cut out an opening at the neck of the shirt, as big as you want the opening for your bag to be. Lastly, cut fringe at the bottom of the bag and tie them to shut the bottom of the bag to secure it. If you don’t like fringe, you can also just knot the bottom.

2. Pillow Case

For this next project, you’ll also need a t-shirt and scissors. Depending on what you want to do for the stuffing, either cotton or an actual pillow, you will need those as well. First step is to lay the shirt flat and cut out the desired shape (square or rectangle work best) for your pillow, making sure you cut evenly on both sides of the shirt. Then, cut fringe strips around the perimeter of the shirt and tie off 3 of the 4 sides. Then, either insert your pillow or stuff it with cotton and then tie off the remaining side!

Happy upcycling!