Eight Way To Reuse Old T-Shirts

Eight ways to reuse old T-shirts

By Becky Striepe

Posted Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:30am PST

Related topics: Fashion, How-To, Crafts, Reusing stuff

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(Laptop case. Creative Commons photo by vox.)
We all have them in our dressers: A couple of T-shirts that are past their prime, but we just can't get rid of them.
Whether it's from an awesome concert or a really special family reunion, you can give an old T-shirt a new life with some crafty skills.

1. Laptop Cozy

The folks at Make share a quickie tutorial for turning a T-shirt into a laptop case by simply folding the shirt in half with the wrong sides in, stitching up the sides, then flipping it back.


(Pillow. Creative Commons photo by zen.)

2. Pillow

Cut a straight line from shoulder to shoulder and from sleeves to the bottom hem. Trim as much off of the bottom of the shirt as you like, then stitch it up inside out, leaving a bit of room to flip and stuff.
Once you've flipped and stuffed your pillow, close the seam with a whip stitch or a sneaky ladder stitch, and you're ready to go.


(Quilt. Creative Commons photo by melissadion.)

3. Quilt

Is that collection of shirts a little bit out of hand? You can turn a bunch of old T-shirts into a super-comfy memory quilt.
Just cut your shirts into squares, piece them together, and sew it up! If you're new to quilting, About has some great, quick tips for quilters to help you out. Keep it eco-friendly with organic or recycled batting.


(Skirt. Creative Commons photo by Aine D.)

4. Skirt

Ready for the quickest refashion yet? Cute Circuit shows you how to turn an old shirt into a skirt in 30 seconds flat!


(Necklace. Creative Commons photo by Lazy T Crochet.)

5. Necklace

Dollar Store Crafts shows you how to make a simple, elegant T-shirt necklace. I like how she added decorative beads to spice things up.


(Grocery totes. Creative Commons photo via 350.org.)

6. Grocery Bag

A grocery bag is another super-quick T-shirt craft. The ever-fabulous Martha Stewart walks you through how to turn an old shirt into a reusable grocery bag.


(Applique. Creative Commons photo by frangrit.)

7. Applique

Is a little spot, tear, or stain keeping your favorite shirt from being wearable? That's easy as pie to fix up!
Just cover that pesky spot with your very own applique. You can use something store-bought, or cut shapes you like out of fabric or felt and stitch it right on. If you're using a machine to stitch, you'll want to put interfacing inside the shirt behind where you'll be stitching, or the fabric could pucker around the stitches.


(Undies. Creative Commons photo by lleite.)

8. Undies

Over at SuperNaturale, Logan shows you how to transform an old tee into a comfy pair of undies.
Have you guys done any creative T-shirt surgery? I'd love to hear your project ideas in the comments!
Becky Striepe is a green blogger and independent crafter with a passion for vintage fabrics. She runs a crafty business, Glue and Glitter, where her mission is to use existing materials in products that help folks reduce their impact without sacrificing style. She specializes in aprons and custom lunch bags. Like this article? You can follow Becky on Twitter or find her on Facebook.