Of all the different types of clothing, T-shirts are, without a doubt, the most universal. T-shirts are great to wear while hanging out with your friends or family, running errands, attending class, on casual Fridays at work, playing sports, and even sleeping. As you can see, T-shirts can be used for so many different reasons, and they can be worn by people of all ages. T-shirts come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, too.
What To Do With Old T-Shirts?
Given their ubiquitous nature, it’s easy to see why pretty much everyone has a bunch of old T-shirts in their wardrobe. After T-shirts have been worn and washed numerous times, they can start to get worn out. If you have old tees that have faded and aren’t as vibrant as they once were, they’re stretched out and misshapen, or they’re thread-bear and riddled with holes, you’re probably thinking about parting with them.
Rather than tossing those old, worn-out T-shirts in the trash, put your creativity to use and repurpose them. Here’s a look at several creative ideas that allow you to reuse your old tees.
Cleaning Supplies
Turn those old, ratty T-shirts into cleaning supplies. Soft cotton is great for a variety of cleaning projects, from dusting to wiping the interiors and exterior of vehicles. The soft cotton material won’t damage delicate surfaces, like the paint on your car. Unlike paper towels, when you’re finished cleaning, you can also wash and reuse them. To use your old tees for cleaning supplies, simply take a pair of scissors to them and cut them into strips.
Bags
Old T-shirts can also be repurposed into bags. It’s really simple to make an old T-shirt into a casual shoulder bag or a reusable shopping bag. There are tons of easy-to-follow tutorials that you can find online. Just do a quick search for “T-shirt bags” and you should find tons of results to choose from. Some options require a sewing machine, while others require no sewing.
Headbands
Upcycle your old tees into super-cool, one-of-a-kind headbands. Not only do T-shirt headbands look awesome, but because they’re made of T-shirt materials, like cotton, they won’t tug, pull, or damage your hair.
To turn a T-shirt you don’t wear anymore into a headband, start by cutting the shirt into long strips. Gather three pieces (or multiples of threes: 6, 9, 12, etc., depending on how thick you want the headband to be), line them up, tie a knot at the end to secure the pieces together, and then start braiding.
If you’re using more than three strips, gather the strips into groups of threes. For instance, if you’re using six strips, gather two strips together. Or, if you’re using 12 strips, gather four pieces together, and then braid the groups together. Once you’ve finished your braid, tie all of the ends in a not, then connect the two ends together, forming a circle. Voila!
For added interest, you can dye your T-shirts, either before or after you’ve braided them into headbands.
Make a Quilt
If you’re handy with a sewing machine or even a thread and needle, you can craft your old T-shirts into a quilt. For this idea, you’ll need a collection of T-shirts, scissors, thread, a sewing machine, or a needle. Making a quilt out of old T-shirts is a great craft for shirts that feature patterns or logos that you love; school logos, for example. For more detailed instructions, check out this DIY Basic T-Shirt Quilt tutorial.
Retro Shirtz Custom Bulk T-Shirts Printing near Regency inside Westroads Mall in Omaha
At Retro Shirtz we understand the importance of logo design. So we provide free graphic design, including free logo design with all standard custom shirt orders.
Our free graphic design services include:
- suggesting and implementing fonts
- changing the colors and layout of the fonts, and our team’s excellent skills at creating custom image assets.