T-Shirt Necklace

Here we go again. It's time to go through the clothing we have and get rid of things with stains or holes, stuff we don't wear, and clothing we absolutely hate. You might throw some in the trash, and donate some to charity, but be sure to save all those t-shirts. You won't believe how beautiful a t-shirt necklace is and, after you make one, you'll make even more.

There are so many different ways to make t-shirt necklaces that you'll never get tired of creating yet another. Cut bands of t-shirts and combine them to make the design you want. Just lay the shirt out flat on a table and cut off the hem. With one side of the shirt facing you, cut straight across, so that you cut off a band of fabric. Cut another, as many as you need to make the necklace you want. If you cut low on the shirt, you'll have a band that's slightly longer than if you cut just below the underarm area.

Cut bands of all the same color, or of different colors, and gather some of them to make the particular design you desire. Then, decide on the accents you want for the scarf. For example, you can tie the bands together in one area - using a small-diameter cord - then glue on a silk flower. Or, tie a ribbon around them and make a bow. Another option is to use a hair barrette and snap it to hold the bands together.

When you tie the shirt pieces together - just in one place - there are lots of things you can glue or attach to the tie. Sew or glue on a silk leaf, a wooden shape, a pin, feathers, a lace piece, or even rhinestones. Make a different design by tying the bands together in two or more places, then gluing or sewing on embellishments to conceal the ties.

There is no end to the different designs you can make for the t-shirt necklaces. Cut some bands narrow and some wide. Make a necklace of one color, or make a multi-color number. Cut bands of all the same length, or cut bands from assorted sizes of shirts, to make a scarf necklace with various lengths of bands. Wear just two or three wide bands, or wear many skinny bands. You can even use bands cut from tops other than t-shirts, like sweaters, or Henleys.

The scarf necklace just slides over the head to wear. It's exciting to make different ones but don't get too carried away. If you do, you'll end up cutting up all your good t-shirts! Take some of your old t-shirts, though, and get started. You'll have a huge collection of fashion pieces yet you'll invest very little time or money.