Tuesday, June 22, 2010

10 Ways To Reuse It: Old T-Shirts

I don't know how it happens but the kids are constantly getting tiny little holes in their t-shirts, right in the belly button area. As they come through the wash I snag them and they get thrown in a goodwill pile. But no more! Here are some ideas to reuse those old t-shirts that you won't let anyone wear anymore.

  1. Cleaning Rags. The cotton in a T is so soft that you can use it to clean anything without worrying that you'll scratch it.
  2. Grocery Bags. Here's some directions to make your own unique grocery sacks. I love this idea and they are really sturdy and simple to make.
  3. Swiffer Refills. Cut into the rectangle the same size as the store bought refill. Woohoo! FREE!
  4. Baby Wipes. Nothings softer than old worn t-shirt cotton. If you make homemade babywipe solution than these gentle wipes would be the icing on the cake.
  5. Art Smocks. We save Daddy's big old shirts for paint smocks. It keeps the kids clothes clean while they are doing messy art projects.
  6. The Softest Quilt Ever! Cut squares from your old t-shirts and make a cozy soft quilt full of memories. It would be fun to do one each year with the shirts your child has grown out of or maybe even some family t-shirts. Then back with flannel and you have a family movie night quilt to cuddle under together.
  7. Pillowcases. Here's a simple tutorial on making a pillowcase out of a soft old T.
  8. Make Underwear. Seriously I laughed when I first heard this idea but now that I've seen them and read the directions I really REALLY like these. Of course if my butt looked as little as this ladies, they'd probably look just as good on me too.
  9. Make Diapers. This is another creative idea. Don't let your baby's bottom feel left out. Make homemade baby diapers with your old t-shirts. Directions HERE.
  10. Make Art. Have a T that has your favorite band or a design that you love? Frame it and hang it on your wall. Here's how.
For more WFMW ideas go here.

11 comments:

Rachel said...

I've made t shirts before, but these are some great ideas! Thanks!!

Just me said...

Please don't donate clothes with little holes to Goodwill. My family shops for many of our clothes there and even though we look carefully for hoes, we still miss and end up purchasing holey items.

Roxie700 said...

When we got a special t-shirt for one of the kids on a vacation trip I took the shirt (when it was out grown and well loved) and sewed the bottom closed, the sleeves closed and stuffed it full of fiberfill through the neck and then sewed it closed. It made a darling pillow for their bed. Now in college my God daughter still has the Disney princess t-shirt pillow from her trip when she was just 3 years old.

Candi said...

I'm loving the "reusable bag" with the T Shirt!!! I'm going to look through my husband's old shirts and see what he's got!

Contact: said...

Love these ideas! Especially the t0shirt quilt one. Imagine an old concert T quilt!

Contact: said...

Love these ideas! A quilt would be so cozy and sometimes you don't want to throw out old shirts because they may have lots of memories attached. Imagine an old concert T quilt!

crittermom said...

Great ideas, yet again! I find at least one of these ideas each week that gets me oh-so-excited to be a little bit more frugal.

FYI - the kids are *probably* getting the holes from their belts (if they wear them). That's my problem. Either I catch my shirt in my belt or the belt rubs the shirt against the counter/table when I'm working on something and it just grinds the shirt to death.

Liberty said...

I'm saving my boys' old baseball/soccer jerseys for quilts fo them! and I LOVE the t-shirt to undie idea...
*Blessings*
LIB http://bit.ly/8YHUjF

Kelly Land said...

Thanks for all the great idea's Gayle!! This idea is one of my favorits because it is so darn easy!! I made these in 15 minutes for my little guy before church service!! You can make baby or toddler pants SO QUICK out of a old t-shirt!! Go here:
http://www.rookiemoms.com/make-some-easy-kids-pants/

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all the great idea's Gayle!! This idea is one of my favorits because it is so darn easy!! I made these in 15 minutes for my little guy before church service!! You can make baby or toddler pants SO QUICK out of a old t-shirt!! Go here:
http://www.rookiemoms.com/make-some-easy-kids-pants/

Anonymous said...

Great idea. Let's try our best to keep our landfills empty.

I love the idea of using T-shirts to use as cleaning rags. A 'Bag of Rags' costs about 8 bucks, while a T-shirt cost about 1 buck at goodwill.

Interestingly, I use T-shirts I purchase at my local Goodwill to apply stains on my wood projects.

Recently, I spoke about the subject.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiL2HaIu9Fc