10 Great Ways to Recycle Your Old T-Shirts

Do you have a bunch of old t-shirts lying around your house that are too old and junky to wear but too awesome to consign to the junk pile or donate to a thrift store? Try some fun and funky ways to recycle your old tees into new things.

Throw Pillows

Preserve that favorite band t-shirt by making it into a cuddly pillow that you can display on your bed or couch for everyone to see. All you need to do is use a pair of sharp scissors to cut off the bottom, top, and sides of the t-shirt. Do this by laying the shirt flat and cut a square (a circle or any other shape will do) from the center of the shirt that goes through both the front and back sides. You should have two squares of fabric the exact same size, one with the logo cut from the front of the shirt, and one from the back of the shirt. Save the shirt scraps for later.

Turn the two pieces of fabric so that they face each other and sew around the edge leaving a small hole large enough to fit your hand inside at the bottom. Turn the pillow right-side-out and push the corners out. Use the leftover t-shirt scraps and pillow batting to stuff your pillow. If you do not want to use new pillow stuffing, you can use the stuffing from old pillows and blankets. Carefully stitch the hole in your pillow closed.

Reusable Cloth Grocery Bags

You can easily make your own grocery bags from old t-shirts. For instructions, see my article on creating reusable grocery sacks here: How to Make Reusable Cloth Shopping Bags From Recycled T-Shirts.

Trendy Purse

Using the same instructions for making the pillows above, you can make your tees into trendy purses. Instead of leaving a hole at the bottom, leave a hole at the top for you to put things into your purse. Sew a zipper across the top and add straps for a neat handbag that also makes a great gift.

Shirt Patch Transfer

You can make that old t-shirt new again by transferring the image on the front to a new shirt. Cut out the logo on the front of the shirt leaving a little room - about ½ inch - around the edges. Lay the design on the front of another shirt and secure it around the edges with pins. Carefully sew the image onto the new shirt using a plain straight stitch. The result looks quite intentional and will last for a long time.

Facial Wipes

Because t-shirt material does not fray, you can cut them into pieces without having to worry that they will fray or come apart in the wash. This is great because it means that you can cut up your old t-shirts and recycle them into new things without having to do much or even any sewing at all.

If you use cloths on your face either to cleanse or to remove make-up, you can make your own cleansing cloths from your old shirts. All you need to do is cut the pieces of cloth in the size and shape that you desire. To remove make-up, simply dab a little extra virgin olive oil onto a plain dry cloth and wipe your skin.

If you would like to make your own astringent cloths for cleansing and controlling acne, place your cloths inside of an airtight plastic container such as a diaper wipe box or a clean margarine tub and soak the cloths with 100% witch hazel extract. Witch hazel extract is a great all-natural astringent and antiseptic that can be found very cheaply in most drug stores and grocery stores. Check the first aid section next to the rubbing alcohol.

These cleansing cloths can be tossed in the laundry hamper and washed with the rest of your clothes. Be sure to wash any cloths that have make-up on them with your dark-colored laundry to prevent staining your clothes.

Cloth Diapers, Wipes, and Doublers

If you have a baby, you can save money on diapering supplies by making your own cloth diapers, wipes, and doublers. Wipes can be made the same way as t-shirt handkerchiefs. For a doubler, cut two rectangles from a thick t-shirt (three or four from a thin t-shirt) about 4 inches wide and 8-10 inches long. Stack them and sew them together around the edge.

To make a Diaper, Cut the front and back from a t-shirt and discard the top, bottom, sides, and sleeves. Take a strip of t-shirt material about 4 inches wide and as long as the diaper you have just cut and place it between the front and back pieces of the diaper. Sew around the edges of the diaper and then down both sides of the center strip to hold it in place in the center of the diaper.

You can also make other baby items from old t-shirts such as burp cloths. You can find more detailed instructions on how to make easy cloth diapers from recycled t-shirts by reading my article:

Handkerchiefs

Reusable handkerchiefs are a great way to recycle your old t-shirts and also a wonderful way to help the environment by reducing the number of tissues that go into landfills and also reduce the number of trees cut down to produce the millions of tissues that we use each day.

Like the diaper wipes and facial cloths, you will not need to do any sewing. Simply cut thin material t-shirts into squares to be used as handkerchiefs. Toss them in with the rest of your laundry to wash them. Keep a few in your purse and in your car's glove box for emergencies.

Rugs

If you have a little extra time on your hands, you can make your own "shag" rug from old t-shirts. The best part about this rug is that it is completely machine washable. Cut your t-shirts into thin strips. The length of the strips depends on entirely how deep you want your shag rug to be. Eight to ten inches is a good length.

You will need a piece of latch hook canvas with ¼ inch holes or larger in the size that you would like your rug to be. Tie the strips of t-shirt material that you have cut out onto the latch hook canvas, making sure to cover all of the canvas. You only need to use a simple knot to tie them. The result is a spaghetti-like shag rug

Cleaning Rags

Save money on paper towels and help save the environment by making cleaning rags out of your old t-shirts. No sewing is necessary, simply cut the t-shirts into washcloth-sized squares. Once you have used them, toss them in with the laundry and wash and use them again. These rags are also great to use in your car when checking the oil and doing repairs.

Pet Toys

Pet toys can be made from old t-shirts. One benefit, besides saving the planet is that your shirts already smell like you and your home, so your pet will be more attached to them. One t-shirt will make two or four dog toys, depending on the size of your dog, and several smaller cat toys.

You can use the same pattern for both dog toys and cat toys, just make the cat toys much smaller. For a dog, cut a long large rectangle from the front of your t-shirt. To make them extra tough, the rectangle should be as wide as your shirt. For smaller dogs, you can cut the shirt into quarters. Roll the rectangle widthwise so that it makes a long tube roll. Tie as many knots as you can in the roll. You should have something shaped somewhat like a bone with several knots tied into it.