5 Best Ideas for old T-Shirts

by Shelby Larsen May 31, 2019

Everyone has old T-shirts lying around: old T-shirts from high school art club, old T-shirts from college intramurals, or old T-shirts that fit you five years ago but just don't cut it anymore.

You're not going to wear them, but you don't want to part with them either. To solve this problem, we've provided 5 easy ideas for recycling old T-shirts.

Idea #1

pink and white rag rug made out of t-shirts

Turn your T-shirts into a Rag Rug from EverydayArt.com! Find similar colored T-shirts or colors that go together, cut them into strips, and turn them into a colorful rug! You'll need a lot of T-shirts, a non-skid rug mat, and a fair amount of time to complete the project.

Idea #2

tote made out of t-shirt

Turn a T-shirt into a bag! This project requires zero sewing and can be done in a few easy steps from mommypotamus.com! T-shirt bags are great for carrying groceries and are also great for kids! The thicker the shirt, the sturdier the bag, and the cuter the shirt, the cuter the bag!

Idea #3

dog with chew toy made out of t-shirts

Turn your T-shirts into a dog toy! This one sounds a little ridiculous, but hear us out. Your dog loves things that smell like you and probably already sits on your favorite jacket or rolls around in your laundry. Instead of tossing two old T-shirts, create a colorful rope toy for your dog from BarkPost.com!

Idea #4

t-shirts made into t-shirt pillows

Turn your T-shirt into a throw pillow from diynetwork.com! This project is a simple sewing project that anyone with a little sewing knowledge could do. Find yourself a pillow insert or something to stuff the pillow with, cut your shirt(s) to the right size, and that's left is to sew!

Idea #5

pile of old t-shirts

Turn your T-shirts into a T-shirt quilt! While it's a bigger project than the rest of our ideas, you can still do it in four easy steps. It's a great way to keep all of your favorite T-shirts (and memories) together in one place. If the project seems a little too daunting, MemoryStitch would be happy to create your special T-shirt quilt for you!