10 Ways to Upcycle Old T-shirts

  • Difficulty Rating: Beginner
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Beginner, Craft Tools, Inspirational Articles, Katrina Simeck,

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10 Ways to Upcycle Old Tshirts

Spring cleaning can unearth mountains of tshirts from closets & dressers. From kids' sports tshirts to simple tees that have seen better seasons - I always hate to just throw those stacks of t-shirts away! If you're looking for a way to upcycle or recycle your gently worn threads, read on for 10 ways to keep those tees out of the trash!

Recycle Around the House -

1. Cut up t-shirts to use as cleaning & dusting cloths. Why pay big bucks for cleaning rags? Simply cut old t-shirts along the seams for soft cotton cloths are the are perfect for dusting and window washing.

2. Use old tees as painting smocks for younger children's art projects. Bring on messy art projects! You wonít mind if finger paint gets splattered on old tees!
3. Stitch together sports tees into a quilted throw. See directions here.

4. Follow these instructions to create a fun rag quilt pillow.

5. Create simple totes by sewing the bottom hems together and then cutting off the sleeves.

Upcycle into New Fashions -

6. Create fun fabric flower pins. Use your Fiskars scissors to cut your tshirt into long strips. Twist each strip, and glue down onto a felt circle, creating a rolled “flower.”

7. Create a simple scarf by trimming an XL tshirt with your Fiskars Rotary Trimmer. Simply cut the tshirt straight across under the arm-holes, and just above the hem.

tshirtrotary

Then stretch the shirt as much as you can! You may even want to add some funky tie-dye.

8. Wrap strips around chunky bracelets to create colorful bangles.

9. Follow designer Lisa Storm’s directions to create a new look from two  t-shirts.

10. Use the sleeves of long-sleeved t-shirts to make fun leg warmers for toddlers. You can roll the larger opening of the sleeve to fit around your little one’s cute chubby legs.

Have fun giving your t-shirts new life!