Recycling and upcycling is one of my passions, and making these t-shirt bags is another way to reduce waste and find another use for unwanted clothing. I love these bags! They make great grocery bags, activity bags, and you can even use them as a purse if you want. You will be surprised how durable they are!!
Making and using these DIY T-Shirt bags is great way to reduce waste and recycle unwanted clothing. They make great grocery bags, activity bags, and you can even use them as a purse if you want. You will be surprised how durable they are!!
These bags are super easy and quick to make (10 minutes), and it will help to reduce the pollution of shopping bags. Did you know that one hundred billion grocery bags are used in the United States each year? This means that the average American family gets 1,500 bags from shopping trips. That’s NOT OK!
That’s a lot of bags. Even if they make it into the garbage, 100 billion bags take up space. Whether they’re stuck in a tree, floating in the breeze or sitting in a trash pile, these bags don’t decompose. Because they’re made from petroleum, toxic chemicals can seep into soil and water.
Pollution on land is a problem, but what about these bags when they get in the ocean? It’s dangerous to animals. Sea turtles, marine mammals and fish confuse the bags with prey, such as jellyfish, and eat the plastic imposters. Ingestion of these bags can lead to malnutrition, and eventually, starvation. Bags can also become caught on waterfowl or coral and wrap around the animals, causing injury or death.
Ok, I think you get the picture. Making and using these upcycled t-shirt bags will help reduce plastic bag pollution. I love that, and I love upcycling t-shirts as most of you know.
I am going to show you two different methods. A no-sew method (in case you don’t have access to a sewing machine) and a simple sewing method. I prefer the sewing method myself because it is a lot faster!
Let’s jump right into the tutorial.
Upcycled T-Shirt Items & Materials Needed
- T-shirt
- Scissors
- Masking tape (optional no-sew method)
- Sewing machine/serger (sewing method)
- Fabric clips/pins (sewing method)
T-Shirt Bag Instructions
NO-SEW METHOD
- Turn the t-shirt wrong side out.
- Cut off the sleeve just inside the arm seam.
- Fold the shirt in half lengthwise.
- Cut out the bag opening by cutting a deeper neck line. (About the depth of the armholes).
- Decide how deep you want the bag to be +3 inches/7.5 cm. Cut the bottom off if you want it shorter. You’ll really only need to shorten if you are using a very larger t-shirt.
- Measure 3 inches/7.5 cm from the bottom of the shirt, take a piece of masking tape or painter’s tape and apply it to the shirt to mark this point.
- Cut little slits along the bottom of the shirt up to the tape line, ½ -3/4 inches/1 cm apart.
- Starting from one side, tie one strip from the front to the adjacent strip on the back in a double knot. Continue tying knots until the bottom is all tied.
There will be little holes between the knots. To close those up, take one tie from the first knot and tie it to one of the ties of the second knot in a diagonal manner. Do this to all the knots.
Reinforce the end knots by tying them again.
Flip right side out and there you have it.
T-Shirt Bag Sewing Method
- Follow the steps for the no-sew method, but instead of cutting the strips, simply sew the bottom closed.
- Set your sewing machine to a LIGHTNING BOLT STITCH or SMALL ZIGZAG STITCH. (SHORT & NARROW).
You can use a serger if you have one.
- Place a ball tip, or jersey knit needle into your machine. This will keep the needle from putting holes in the knit fabric. (For more information on what type of sewing machine needles to use, see my tutorial HERE).
Using a small zigzag stitch will allow the seam to stretch and not pop and break when the fabric is pulled.
- Make a tuck/pleat in the bottom of the bag by folding the sides of the shirt over about 4 inches/10 cm. Clip or pin in place.
- Use about a ½ inch seam allowance. Sew across the bottom, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam.
- Turn right side out and ta-dah you’re all finished. Such an easy project.
Get in your closet and find some t-shirts you no longer want or need and MAKE T-shirt BAGS!
Other posts you may be interested in.
Upcycled T Shirts – Ideas and Tips
Diy Baby Beanie Hats from Recycled T shirts
Repurposed T Shirts – Cutting Out Tips
T-Shirt Yarn | Made From Upcycled T-Shirts
Happy upcycling!
Jan Howell
Share:
Connect:
Social Media
The Latest
Happy Feet // Why Going Barefoot Is So Good for You
2 Easy Ways To Bind a Quilt Using the Backing Fabric
Jan Howell
Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.
No comment yet, add your voice below!