T-shirts are not indestructible. Cotton wears thin and just as they become your favorite and most comfortable shirt, they develop a hole, or three. As popular as t-shirts are and as easy as they are to wear, chances are you probably have a few in your closet that are ready for the trash. But before you throw away those old, worn, and holey t-shirts, you might be happy to know that your old t-shirt can have a second life.
Have Fun with Pillows
You don’t have to lose your favorite t-shirt. You can make a pillow out of it. This is the ideal solution for t-shirts with a favorite saying or image on it. Simply cut a rectangle or square out of the shirt. You’ll need two pieces of material so don’t forget to measure correctly. Turn the material inside out and sew three sides together. Don’t worry if you don’t own a sewing machine. You can hand sew a pillow easily enough.
Once you have all three sides sewn together, decide how you want to stuff it. You can stuff with loose filling or a solid piece of filling. If you’re stuffing your t-shirt pillow with loose filling, you can sew the fourth side of the pillow about half way. Turn your pillow right side out, stuff, and finish sewing it together. It’s a wonderful way to recycle and reuse old materials. In fact, if you have an old pillow that’s ready for the trash, why not use that filling for your new pillow?
You might also make many small pillows, fill them with beans, and make bean bags. It’s a great toy for a child and a fun green alternative.
Reusable Grocery Bags
With more communities and stores supporting the green shopping bag movement, you may find that you’re in need of a few more reusable grocery bags. In fact, in many stores you can get a credit for bringing your own bags. Instead of buying another bag, you can make them with your old t-shirts. It’s actually pretty easy.
Turn your t-shirt inside out and sew the bottom of the shirt together. This will be the bottom of your bag. If it’s a long sleeved t-shirt you’ll want to cut the sleeves off. The shoulders of the shirt will become your handles. Make sure to leave enough so that your bag is easy to carry.
You’ll also want to widen the neck hole so you can fit your groceries inside the bag without too much effort. You can grab a mixing bowl and place it on the t-shirt to use as a guide. Or, if you’re skilled at cutting semi-circles simply cut the hole to the appropriate size.
Green design doesn’t have to be complicated. Old t-shirts can also be used to make skirts, necklaces and bracelets, aprons, and even laptop or smart phone covers. It just takes a little imagination and a little bit of your time.