Repurpose Old T-Shirts
Written on October 15, 2009 at 1:32 pm, by B.Creative (Michele Beschen)
WARNING : You’ll never discard another t-shirt ever again after this.
T-shirts are always a great place to start when it comes to repurposing the ol’ wardrobe. The material is easy to work with, it doesn’t fray, and it’s got that lived-in feeling of comfort going for it. T-shirts also have a built-in way of making a statement that can be creatively taken advantage of in a plethora of interesting ways.
One of my favorites as of late is the t-shirt pillow. The shirts can be mixed and matched to create a number of looks and sizes. You can use pillow forms, repurpose old pillows as your forms, or “stuff to suit” with new or repurposed filling.
I topstitched everything “wrong-sides” together, leaving seams and edges exposed on the exterior. They just looked better that way, every time. You can even do a no-sew version by cutting strips and tying it together. Have fun with the themes, the color combinations, and the style of pillow. To add to the novelty, use campaign style pins as your buttons. FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
The scarf is another beauty that is easy to create and makes for a stylish gift idea. Friends have made them for me, I’ve made several for family and friends, and they’ll never go out of style. There are so many unique looks and themes you can compile, and they’re always original! A fun way to celebrate school activities, sporting events, concerts, and more.
Our instructions are all about using the 12×12 panel because this allows for the commonly sized front and back panel graphics to remain intact and makes for a fuller scarf. (Click here for a short how-to video!) Don’t be afraid to trim things down to suit your tastes. A 12×12 scarf version can be sliced right down the middle to create (his and her/best friend) skinny scarves.
It’s an excellent way to repurpose your kids favorite T’s because they love to get in on the scarf-wearing action, too! For kid-size scarves, cut your panels 7×9 (or adjust to create your own size, style and look!) My daughter made one out of her old pink T-shirts that were too small. And boy scarves are really cute using superhero T-shirts. If you have a serger, serge your exposed edges for a more polished finish.
As an added touch, use your leftover bits to create a coordinating bag for your scarf. Fun to make, fun to wear!
Cheers to the T-shirt and its many creative uses!
