Teriffic T-shirt Projects
We all have old T-shirts we don’t wear…and usually they get thrown away. This year, with an upcoming wedding (32 days to go!), and a desire to save money and be less wasteful, I started digging around for cute projects I could do with my old T’s. I found more amazing DIY idea’s than I could have ever hoped for! So, without further ado, I present you with my top 5 DIY T-shirt projects!
1) An amazing Skull cut-out T inspired by a sweatshirt by Pleasure Principle
amazing diy cut out skull t
The black shirt on the left is the original sweatshirt, the one on the right is the DIY version from She’s A Betty.
I personally adore the skull, but you can do fundamentally anything you want like stars, hearts, a spider web, flowers, etc.
What you’ll need:
A long, roomy, T-shirt with a high back
Fabric chalk
An X-acto knife
Scissors
A piece of cardboard to put inside the T so you don’t cut straight through
Directions:
Place the T-shirt over the cardboard then trace out your desired pattern with the fabric chalk. Once you’ve done that, cut away!
2) T-shirt necklaces/scarves
These simple T-shirt accessories are ridiculously cute, easy to make, and comfy too!
What you’ll need:
An old T-shirt(s) **one’s without side seams work best, but either is fine
Scissors
A needle and thread (if you’re going for the partially braided look)
Directions:
Start by cutting the hem off the bottom
Next, cut 1-1 1/2 inch wide strips of the T-shirt (3+ for a braided necklace, as many as desired for scarf or non-braided necklace)
Gently stretch the strips of T-shirt (they will automatically roll up once you do this)
Play around with them! Experiment with braiding the entirety of the strips, bunching them loosely and tying the loose ends at the back, or add charms.
If you like the partially braided look (as shown below with my own necklace):
Cut off the hem
Cut 3 1-1 1/2 inch wide strips
Knot the strips about 1 inch from the top and start braiding
Braid about 12 inches of fabric
Take the needle and thread and sew a few stitches through each strand of the braid then knot it off in the back
Drape the ends of your necklace strands and then trim them so that each strand is about 2 inches shorter than the next
Line up your ends and gather them together
Loosen the knot at the end of the braid and insert the ends then tighten to secure them
My version of the partially braided T-shirt necklace
3) The T-shirt tote
These adorable totes are durable, washable, simple to create, and fun.
What you’ll need:
A heavy weight T-shirt
3-5 straight pins
A pen or pencil
A dinner plate
Scissors
A needle and thread or a sewing machine (the machine is way easier to do this with, but it can be done by hand with some patience and sewing skills)
Directions:
Remove the sleeves, but keep the seam in place
Position a plate roughly halfway over the neck opening of the shirt and trace it
Cut on the traced line
Turn the T-shirt inside out and pin along the bottom hem to close it
Use the sewing machine to sew the bottom of the T closed
Turn it right-side-out and viola! You have your very own T-shirt tote!
4) Spray painted T’s
We’ve all seen them on bad ass rocker chicks like Joan Jett…they’re edgy, fun, and relatively easy to make.
What you’ll need:
A T-shirt
Scissors
An X-acto knife
A stencil (either handmade or store bought…personally I prefer handmade)
Any color(s) of spray paint
Newspaper (to keep your work area clean)
A few piece of cardboard (one for inside the T, and some for stencils if you chose to make your own)
Directions:
Cut out desired pattern into the cardboard (if you’re making your own stencil)
Place the cardboard for the T-shirt inside
Place the stencil in desired position
Hold your spray paint can about 6 inches away from your T-shirt
Spray a light amount of paint onto the T
Let it dry, wash it, and you’ve got your own spray painted T-shirt!
5) Bleach stenciled T-shirts
What you’ll need:
A T-shirt (darker colors work best)
A spray bottle filled with 1 part water, 1 part bleach (you don’t really need a lot of it)
Bleach pens (another nifty option for doing T’s with bleach)
Duct tape (if you want to make stripes)
Scissors
An X-acto knife
A stencil or stencils (again, handmade works here too)
Cardboard for inside the T
Paint brushes for splattering (assuming you want to splatter)
*** Do this in a well ventilated area on a surface that won’t be harmed by the bleach (Tubs and garages work well), and make sure you aren’t wearing anything that you’re terribly attached to just in case!
Directions:
Pick an appropriate and well ventilated spot to set-up in
Find or create a stencil, and/or get your duct tape ready
Place the cardboard inside of your T-shirt to prevent the bleach from leaking all the way through
Position your stencil/duct tape in desired location/pattern
Hold the spray bottle roughly 6 inches away from surface of T-shirt and spray! You can also splatter and drip here as well
Let dry completely, wash, and wear!
Hope you guys enjoyed these as much as I did!
XXOOXX
Ashley
