I have been wearing my own designs since grade school, when I started making purses out of my old blue jeans and scrunchies (yes, those horrible fabric covered hair elastics that exploded in the 90’s) out of any fabric I could find. Thankfully, I’ve graduated to more complicated designs since then, but I still love the idea of transforming my antiquated apparel into something fresh and new. Who doesn’t want to be eco-friendly these days, anyway?
This leads me into the first little How-To tutorial, on what to do with your old t-shirts! Everyone has an abundance of t-shirts, but if for some reason you don’t, head over to Goodwill or Salvation Army for some sweet vintage looking tees. One of the easiest things to do with these t-shirts, is to make reusable tote bags! Let’s face it, plastic grocery bags are not ideal, and most of the shopping bags the stores sell upwards of $1 are lackluster to say the least. Follow these simple steps to create your own stylish recycled tote bag, and you’ll be itching to get grocery shopping!
EASY TOTE
what you'll need: old mens t-shirt, scissors, needle & thread (or sewing machine)
- Using a clean t-shirt of your choice, turn the shirt inside out. I opt for men’s tees- you’ll get a much larger tote bag!
- Right sides together, pin the front and back of the shirt together along the bottom hem and stitch closed, from side to side. You can also use a needle and thread if you don't have access to a sewing machine! This will create the bottom of the tote.
- Cut the sleeves off of the shirt, leaving the seam where the sleeve was previously attached. This will allow the handles to be reinforced.
- Cut the neckline out of the t-shirt. The more you cut from the neckline, the larger the opening of the bag will be. If cutting isn’t your thing, feel free to use a circular object, such as a plate, as a template. Place half of the plate over the opening of the shirt and trace the plate with a marker. Cut along the line for a perfect opening.
- (optional) hem all cut edges of your tote. This step is optional since t-shirts rarely fray, and some people enjoy the distressed look of the cut edges of a tee!
- Turn right side out and enjoy your tote!
RUFFLE TANK
what you'll need: old mens t-shirt, scissors, needle & thread or sewing machine
- Hang your t-shirt on a hanger, or lay flat on the floor (whichever way you feel more comfortable working).
- Cut across the width of the t-shirt 6" up from bottom hem of shirt.
- Cut across the width of the t-shirt 4" up from bottom of shirt (you'll end up with two pieces of fabric that are already sewn at the sides, which we will make our ruffled layers from).
- Cut sleeves off t-shirt, and down the remaining length of the t-shirt (cutting off side seams- you should end up with a rectangular piece of fabric with only a neck hole cut out).
- Put the shirt over your head, and mark your neckline, and where you would like the arm holes.
- Stitch sides of tank closed starting from the bottom of the shirt, and making your way up to the start of the arm hole.
- Place the 4" fabric on top of the 6" piece of fabric that we cut from the bottom of the shirt (this should allow the 6" piece to peek out from the 4" piece two inches.
- Turn your t-shirt inside out, and mark the tee 2" up from the bottom opening all the way around the width of the t-shirt
- Baste the 4" and 6" fabric sections together, without backstitching (or do a long stitch without a knot at either end if you are hand sewing).
- Pull on one of the strings so that the fabric starts to gather, creating a ruffle!
- Once you've pulled the strings enough on the ruffle that it becomes the same width as your tank, stitch the ruffle to the marked area 2" up from the bottom of the shirt all the way around the tank.
- (optional) Hem all cut edges of your tank. This step is optional since t-shirts rarely fray, and some people enjoy the distressed look of the cut edges of a tee!
- Flip tank right side out and enjoy!
ADVANCED TOTE
what you'll need: old mens t-shirt, scissors, sewing machine or needle & thread
- Lay your t-shirt flat on the ground
- Figure out what part of the t-shirt you would like to use for the tote. Mark the area with a piece of chalk that you would like to use (the one shown here is approximately 15" x 24"). I like to make the tote the width of the original tee, so that the side seams are already sewn for you!
- Cut through the front and back of t-shirt, across the width of the tee. You will end up with a rectangular shaped front and back of your tote, which is still stitched on the sides if you used the full width of the shirt.
- Turn rectangular piece inside out, and stitch bottom closed. Flip right side out
- Use remaining pieces of t-shirt (from bottom area of t-shirt) to create handles. Cut two 4" strips from the bottom portion of the old t-shirt.
- cut one of the side seams off of the strip. This will make longer pieces to make the handles.
- stitch handles to front and back of tote.
- (optional) hem all cut edges of the t-shirt for a more polished look. This step is optional since t-shirts rarely fray, and some people enjoy the distressed look of the cut edges of a tee!
- Go shopping and enjoy your tote!
RACERBACK TANK
what you'll need: old mens t-shirt, elastic, scissors, thread, sewing machine
- Hang your t-shirt on a hanger, or lay flat on the floor (whichever way you feel more comfortable working).
- Start cutting. If you like to go for it, start by cutting off the sleeves completely, and continue to cut all the way down the sides of the shirt.. Now, if you open up your t-shirt, you basically have a rectangular piece of fabric with a neck hole cut out of it.
- Put the fabric over your head, and determine armhole size, as well as the type of neckline you desire. If you don't feel comfortable "eyeballing", use some chalk and mark it up on the underside!
- Cut along your chalk lines creating a new neckline, and racerback shape for the back, or get the courage up to start cutting freestyle.
- After determining the armhole size, stitch side seams closed from bottom of t-shirt to armhole opening.
- Put your t-shirt back on, inside out. Using a piece of thin elastic, measure around your natural waistline so that the elastic is cinching in the t-shirt. Cut elastic to this length and mark where your natural waist is on the t-shirt
- Stitch one end of the elastic to the side seam. Wrap elastic around t-shirt, and stitch the other end to the side seam where the two ends meet.
- Holding elastic taught, follow your chalk markings along the t-shirts natural waist line and zig zag stitch the elastic to the t-shirt all the way around.
- (optional) Hem all cut edges of the t-shirt for a more polished look. This step is optional since t-shirts rarely fray, and some people enjoy the distressed look of the cut edges of a tee!
- Turn right side out, and enjoy!
CAP SLEEVE TEE
what you'll need: old mens t-shirt, elastic, scissors, thread, sewing machine
- Hang your t-shirt on a hanger, or lay flat on the floor (whichever way you feel more comfortable working).
- Start cutting. If you like to go for it, start by cutting off the sleeves completely, and continue to cut all the way down the sides of the shirt. I also cut approximately 4" off of the bottom hem of this shirt. Now, if you open up your t-shirt, you basically have a rectangular piece of fabric with a neck hole cut out of it.
- Put the fabric over your head, and determine armhole size, as well as the type of neckline you desire. If you don't feel comfortable "eyeballing", use some chalk and mark it up on the underside!
- After determining your armhole size, stitch t-shirt side seams closed from bottom to the opening of your armhole. If you don't have a sewing machine, using a needle and thread would work just as well!
- Put your t-shirt back on, inside out. Using a piece of thin elastic, measure around your natural waistline so that the elastic is cinching in the t-shirt. Cut elastic to this length and mark where your natural waist is on the t-shirt
- Stitch one end of the elastic to the side seam. Wrap elastic around t-shirt, and stitch the other end to the side seam where the two ends meet.
- Holding elastic taught, follow your chalk markings along the t-shirts natural waist line and zig zag stitch the elastic to the t-shirt all the way around.
- (optional) Hem all cut edges of the t-shirt for a more polished look. This step is optional since t-shirts rarely fray, and some people enjoy the distressed look of the cut edges of a tee!
- Turn right side out, and enjoy!
The key to success with these projects is to have fun with them! You don't have to be a whiz behind the sewing machine to do some of these easy recycled craft projects. None of these projects require that the edges be hemmed, you can absolutely leave the edges free for a more distressed, easy look! Get creative and feel free to adapt these ideas into your own! Now go find a dude's old tees are start cutting!
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