18 Brilliant Uses for Old T-shirts: Reuse & Repurposing Ideas (With Pictures)
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Melissa Gunter
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Whether you’re trying to stretch a dollar or just want to reduce your carbon footprint, finding ways to reuse and upcycle everyday objects is a great idea.
But you don’t want to settle for reusing something merely for the sake of it. You want something that’s either extremely useful or that you love in a brand-new way.
With any of these 18 ideas, you can repurpose old T-shirts into something unique that you’ll love using. In fact, you might find that you need more T-shirts just so you can use them for more fun projects!
The 18 Uses for Old T-shirts
1. Turn Them Into a Quilt- wikihow
| Materials: | 16 old T-shirts, fusible interfacing, and thread |
| Tools: | Iron, scissors, pins, and a sewing needle |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
There’s nothing more classic than turning a bunch of old T-shirts into a quilt. If you have decent sewing skills, it’s a relatively easy project to complete.
However, it does require a bit of patience, because with a few wrong cuts, the quilt won’t be a perfect square when you put in the final stitch.
Fortunately, this guide walks you through everything that you need to know to make the perfect quilt from your old T-shirts.
2. Make a Tote Bag- instructables
| Materials: | T-shirt |
| Tools: | Straight pins, pencil, dinner plate, scissors, and a sewing machine |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If you’re looking to reuse your old T-shirts, why not get another win by reducing the number of plastic bags that you use? With this T-shirt-to-tote bag guide, you can do just that. Even better, it’s easy to make and only requires minimal sewing, perfect for a quick project to reuse old T-shirts.
3. Make a Rug- 1 dog woof
| Materials: | T-shirts |
| Tools: | Scissors and crochet set |
| Difficulty Level: | Challenging |
Not every project on this list is extremely easy to complete, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything that you need to know to turn your old T-shirts into yarn and then to spin that yarn into beautiful rugs.
It will take a bit more work, time, and skill, but there’s no denying the stunning results once you get everything done.
4. T-shirt Hats- at second street
| Materials: | T-shirt |
| Tools: | Scissors, pins, and a sewing kit |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
T-shirts keep you covered during the summer months, and with this T-shirt-to-hat conversion, you can also use them to keep your head warm during the winter months! It’s not the easiest project to complete, but it’s not the hardest either.
If you have a bit of patience and sewing skills, you shouldn’t have any problems getting the job done.
5. Tie-Dye Headbands- pretty life girls
| Materials: | Tie-dye kit and a T-shirt |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Who doesn’t love a little tie-dye in their life? If you’re looking for the easiest way to repurpose old T-shirts, this might be it. This guide will run you through everything that you need to know to make your own tie-dye headbands from an old T-shirt, but feel free to use just about any tie-dye kit out there.
6. T-shirt Skirts- melly sews
| Materials: | T-shirt, elastic, and a pocket piece |
| Tools: | Scissors, pins, and a sewing kit |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
If you’re looking to repurpose a few old T-shirts, why not move them to a different part of your wardrobe? These T-shirt skirts can help you expand your wardrobe without purchasing new clothes, and if you have fun designs on your T-shirts, they will still look great!
7. Workout Shirt- rabbit food for my bunny teeth
| Materials: | T-shirt |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
There’s no better way to transform your old T-shirts into something new than simply making a few modifications to turn them into a cool tank top for the gym. It’s a quick and easy way to repurpose your old T-shirts, and it’s easier than you might think.
This technique is especially great for T-shirts that look fine in the middle but are fraying around the sleeves.
8. T-shirt Bracelets- crafts by amanda
| Materials: | T-shirt and bracelets |
| Tools: | Craft glue, scissors, and a hot glue gun |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If you don’t have many old T-shirts and just want a cute way to add accessories to your wardrobe, these T-shirt bracelets might be just what you need. They’re easy to make and add a touch of color to your outfit without the need for you to spend anything extra. Even better, you can turn them into a hair tie in a pinch!
9. Make a Wreath- blair and steven
| Materials: | T-shirts and a wreath |
| Tools: | Glue and scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Do you want to add color to your holiday wreath? You could go out and purchase various accessories to get that pop, but if you have old T-shirts on hand, you already have everything that you need to make a beautiful and colorful wreath.
There are many colorful designs for a holiday wreath, and this T-shirt holiday wreath makes a great addition to any doorway.
10. Make a Scarf- kevin and amanda
| Materials: | T-shirt |
| Tools: | Scissors |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Moving old T-shirts to another part of your wardrobe is a great way to spruce up your style without the need to spend extra money. That’s what makes these T-shirt scarfs such a great idea.
Not only are they cute and adorable, but they’re also extremely easy to make and don’t require any sewing expertise!
11. Aprons- e how
| Materials: | T-shirt, fabric for waistband and pockets, and thread |
| Tools: | Seam ripper, iron and ironing board measuring tape, marking pen, scissors, pins, sewing needle, and a sewing machine |
| Difficulty Level: | Challenging |
When you’re in the kitchen, you need an apron to protect your clothes. What better way to do that than by using old clothes that you don’t need anymore? That’s exactly what you get with this T-shirt apron. It uses old clothes to save new ones, and it looks great too!
12. Baby Hats- alice and lois
| Materials: | T-shirts and patterned fabric |
| Tools: | Sewing machine, scissors, double-stick fusible webbing, and a baby hat |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Kids are expensive, and it seems like anything that you get them only fits for a few weeks before they outgrow it. That’s part of what makes these T-shirt baby hats so great. You’re not spending much money on them, and they’re a part of your old clothes that you get to pass down to your kid. With the right T-shirt, they can be quite cute too!
13. Make a Stuffed Animal- instructables
| Materials: | T-shirt, Polyfil, black thread, and two buttons |
| Tools: | Scissors, pen, rotary cutter, needle, industrial serger, sewing machine, stick, seam ripper, cutting mat, and a brush |
| Difficulty Level: | Challenging |
Who doesn’t have enough fluffy and cuddly stuffed animals? If you have an old T-shirt hanging around, you can make a few with this T-shirt stuffed animal guide.
They’re not the easiest to make, but with a bit of practice and dedication, you’ll get the hang of it and have a great T-shirt stuffed animal for you or a loved one.
14. T-shirt Pom Poms- craft a holics anonymous
| Materials: | T-shirts |
| Tools: | Scissors and cardboard |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Another easy way to reuse your old T-shirts is to turn them into T-shirt pom-poms. It doesn’t take that much work, and you get a great piece that you can use to spruce up different rooms. Even better, it’s completely free, so if you don’t like the end result, you can scrap it and move on to something else.
15. Shoelaces- tidy mom
| Materials: | T-shirt and heat shrink |
| Tools: | Scissors, shoes, heat gun, and a stick pen |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Everybody needs shoelaces, and if you’re finding that yours are running thin, these T-shirt shoelaces are a great way to replace them. They can also add a pop of color to your shoes to match the rest of your outfit if you’re trying to get even more creative!
16. Necklaces- stars for street lights
| Materials: | T-shirt |
| Tools: | Sewing kit |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
What’s amazing about these T-shirt necklaces is the way that they can elevate an entire outfit. Not only do they look great, but they’re also comfortable to wear. There’s much to love with these T-shirt necklaces, and we’re sure that you will fall in love with them too.
17. Baby/Kid Pants- this mama makes stuff
| Materials: | T-shirt and an elastic band |
| Tools: | Safety pin, sewing kit, and a template |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Are you tired of constantly buying new kids’ clothes? If so, you’re not alone. But with these awesome T-shirt kid pants, you can make great new clothes for your kid without spending any extra money or even taking an extra trip to the store.
While they’re down for a nap or off at daycare, you can provide them with a whole new wardrobe without blowing through your clothing budget.
18. Knit Produce Bag- delia creates
| Materials: | T-shirt |
| Tools: | Scissors, a sewing machine, and a sewing kit |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Reusable bags are great, and reusing something that you already got a great deal of use out of is even better. With these T-shirt knit product bags, the next time that you’re at the store, you can save a little plastic and still get all the convenience of having your produce in a bag.
It’s also extremely easy to make and you don’t need to do much sewing.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know all these great ways to reuse old T-shirts, it’s up to you to pick your favorites and build something great from them.
Dust off those sewing kits, save money, and reduce the amount of waste that you produce. That’s a real win-win!
See also:
- 10 Brilliant Uses for Old Socks (Reuse & Repurposing Ideas)
- 10 Brilliant Uses for Old Jeans – Reuse & Repurposing Ideas (with Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: Worananphoto, Shutterstock
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