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DIY Upcycled T Shirt Bags | Sew and No-Sew Methods

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.

upcycled t-shirt bags youmakeitsimple.com

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!

Upcycled T Shirts – Ideas and Tips

Diy Baby Beanie Hats from Recycled T shirts

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T-Shirt Yarn | Made From Upcycled T-Shirts

Happy upcycling!

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

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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.

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Upcycling Love | Thrift Store & Consignment Shopping Tips

Upcycling and recycling used items is one of my passions and something I do frequently. Thrift stores, consignment shops and garage sales are just a few places where you can find items to repurpose. In this post I am going to give you some awesome tips on what to look for, and some ideas on how to use the items you find.

Upcycling, recycling, repurposed; what does that mean and what’s the difference?

These words are thrown around all the time and in ways mean the same thing, however there are a few distinct differences. Let’s go over them.

RECYCLING

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This process usually involves breaking the product down and making something else with it.

Some examples include: changing glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, tires, textiles, batteries, and electronics into something else.

UPCYCLING

Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality and environmental value. The keyword here is TRANSFORMING.

I love transforming things! There is something so fun about taking an item that is normally used for one thing and using it for another purpose.

Some examples include:

Taking a wool sweater, felting it down and making mittens from them. The sweater was originally used as clothing to keep you warm, and the new product is still clothing, but now it is used to keep your hands warm. Another example would be to take a piece of furniture and changing the paint color or even altering its size or shape.

REPURPOSING

Repurposing is simply using a product to serve another purpose. Some examples include:

Tin bucket as a plant pot
An old tin mug normally used for drinking and using it to put paint brushes or pencils in.
Using a metal garden rake to hang jewelry on.
A wire bike basket to store and display magazines.

What are the benefits of recycling, upcycling and repurposing?

Keeps the Earth beautiful
Conserves natural resources
Saves money and energy
Reduces harmful greenhouse gases

Although there are small differences between each of these processes, they all share a common goal of being environmentally-friendly. Upcyling and recycling will not only save you money and save the planet; you can add some cute authentic style to your wardrobe and your home.

Here are a few ideas and tips on how I go about upcycling and recycling.

BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO FOR SOME GREAT UPCYCLING IDEAS!

UPCYCLING CLOTHING

It’s pretty obvious that you can take a used piece of clothing and instead of throwing it away; you can either give it away or sell it for someone else to use. On the flip side, instead of buying new clothing, you can purchase used clothing at a lower rate and save it from being put in the landfill.

Thrift stores, consignment shops and yard sales are all great places to shop for used clothing.

TIPS:

Look for stains, holes and strong smells, and avoid these items.
Check the fabric content. I personally avoid clothing that you have to dry clean.
If you need a pair of shorts, you can always cut off a pair of pants and hem them. (It really is quite easy to do) I have an old tutorial that shows you how. I will be recording a new tutorial soon, so watch out for that.
Look for unique style and colors of clothing. (The knit shirt in the photo above, has the cutest grommet snaps)
Thoroughly clean items before wearing.

USING CLOTHING FOR FABRIC

What? Yes, I do this all the time. You can simply take an item of clothing and cut it up and make something else with the fabric. Some examples:

Take a t-shirt and make a pair of baby leggings or a knit skirt out of it.
Shrink down a wool sweater and make slippers, mittens or even a poncho.
Deconstruct a pair of jeans to make a patchwork quilt.
So many things you can do with upcycled clothing.
Check out my upcycled t-shirt video HERE .

TIPS:

The bigger the item of clothing, the better. Depending on what you are making, you are going to get more yardage of fabric if you buy the XL or XXL (if you’re lucky).
Check fabric content. If you are making a felted wool project, you’ll want to at least have 70% wool. Get more tips on that here.
Large dresses and skirts have a lot of fabric yardage.
Check clearance racks at stores for new clothing as well as used clothing. I buy a lot of nice new clothing that are on the clearance rack to make other things with. It can be cheaper than buying new fabric.
I recommend getting a large bin to put clothing you will be using for fabric and label the container so you don’t get them confused with out of season clothing.
Thoroughly clean items before disassembling for sewing projects.
Here are some more ideas for upcycled jeans.

HOW TO GET RID OF THRIFT STORE SMELL

Vinegar

Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to your normal wash cycle, either hot or cold water. It will freshen and deodorize all of your clothing in your normal wash. If the clothes still smell, repeat. It may take a few wash loads to clear some smells, but it does work. (No worries, your clothes will not smell like vinegar once they are dried).

BAKING SODA

Baking soda is a great way to get rid of smells everywhere. (This is obviously okay for cotton and polyester, but you may want to do a patch test with other fabrics, such as rayon or cashmere sweaters.).

Lay the clothes on a towel or sheet, then sprinkling baking soda all over the clothing.
Add the piece of clothing to a large zip top plastic bag. Add baking soda to the bag, seal and shake to coat the clothes.
Leave the baking soda on at least an hour. Wash the clothes afterwards.

BUYING CLOTHING FOR ACCESSORIES

You can find some cool accessories on clothing to reuse. I’ve been known to buy pieces of clothing for the buttons, zippers, or even the trim. It doesn’t make sense to do this unless the item is on sale or free.

Before I throw a piece of clothing out, I always check to see if it has any cool accessories that I can take off and save.

TIPS:

Look for zippers that are unique. Zippers can easily be removed from items of clothing. Using a stylish zipper can really add a lot of charm to your homemade clothing and accessories.

Store disassembled hardware in a box where you can easily find them.

Keep button is a big jar. Not only will you have some fun buttons for sewing, but you can use them to embellish a lot of craft projects.
You can use the hardware from used purses and bags.

UPCYCLING JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES

You can find a lot of cute jewelry at consignment shops and even thrift stores.

This is a good place to find used belts and hats.

TIPS:

Look for items that are unique and good quality.
Don’t be discouraged by tarnished silver items because they can easily be buffed with a special cloth or liquid.
Thoroughly clean items before wearing or using.

UPCYCLING FURNITURE

I must admit that most of my household furniture is either upcycled or purchased on clearance or from the “scratch and dent” section. We always buy new mattresses, and couches, but almost everything else was a DIY or an upcyling project. I guess that’s what you get when you come from a family of ‘DO IT YOURSELFERS”.

My husband and I have transformed some pretty cool furniture over the years. I’m lucky to have a husband who is so handy.

TIPS:

Look for good quality both in materials and how it was made.
A lot of new chests of drawers are built so poorly and with cheap materials. That is one item that I like to buy used and refinish.
Look for furniture that has “good bones”. By this I mean, has good form and style. It may not be the right color, but that is something that is can easily be changed.
If you don’t like the hardware on a piece of furniture, you can purchase new and change it out. Putting a new set of drawer pulls can really change the look of a chest.
My husband took this huge television cabinet and cut it down so it wasn’t so deep and made a cute cabinet for our bathroom. We put new handles on it and cut out a section in the doors, gave it a new color of paint, and look how cute it turned out. (The orange cabinet in the photo above).

KITCHEN GADGETS AND BOTTLES

There are a lot of fun ways to use old kitchen gadgets and bottles.

I used this old tin to put my paintbrushes in.
I have a thing for tall skinny bottles. They make really cute vases and can also be used to store small sewing supplies and office supplies.
Canning jars can be used for all kinds of things. In my kitchen, I use the pint size for drinking glasses. They also work well to store nuts, seeds and other pantry items. A pint size jar works well to store pencils and pens in. I have one on each of my desks.

TIPS:

You can easily remove the glue from jar labels with a little lemon essential oil. Works like a charm!
I love these canning jar lids.

UPCYCLING SHOES

I’m not one to buy a lot of used shoes. I know everyone has their own thoughts about this one. I will purchase used shoes that have been VERY lightly worn. You can find a lot of good, lightly worn shoes at a much lower price.

Where is a good place to shop for used items?

Some of the places to look for used items are: consignment shops, thrift stores, yard and garage sales.

Here is my receipt for my purchases at the consignment shop. (Watch the video below to see what good finds I found this day at the consignment shop).

3 pairs of nice shoes
2 adorable shirts
pair of aqua color jeans that I’m going to cut off and hem for shorts
2 pair of earrings

Not bad!

What is the difference between a consignment shop and thrift store?

THRIFT STORES

The majority of thrift stores are donation based and center on a charity or non-profit organization. Although donating truly ruined items is discouraged, damaged, heavily worn, and flawed items are relatively common. Items are sorted and priced by volunteers, then sent to the sales floor where they are bought by shoppers.

CONSIGNMENT SHOPS

Consignment stores are where members bring in gently used items for evaluation, and the buyers look them over to determine if they are likely to sell well from that particular shop. If the items are deemed a good risk, the shop will sell them and the shop owner takes a percentage of the sale. Some shops will pay up front.

If you’ve never been in a consignment or thrift store, I encourage you to open your mind and take a step inside. Upcycle, recycle and repurpose, you’ll be glad you did.

I hope this was helpful and that you have some new ideas for upcycling.

Please feel free to share some of your upcycled ideas on my Instagram. Tag it #fibersandtwigs

HAPPY UPCYCLING!

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

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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.

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Get Your Money’s Worth: How to Get Every Last Drop Out of the Container

A lot of the products we use are packaged in a way that make it difficult to use every last drop, like toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, dish soap, etc. Here are a few tips on how to get to, and use the UN-accessible to get your money’s worth.

Pump Body Wash or Hand Soap- Every Last Drop

When you find no more soap coming out of your soap pump containers, don’t throw it away quite yet.

Add a little water to the container and swish it around. You’ll get several more applications of soap.

Toothpaste

The scenario: It’s time to brush your teeth and there is no toothpaste. You squeeze, squeegee, and twist that tube but nothing is coming out. You know there is something left in there, but can’t get to it. If you have spent a lot of money on organic or natural toothpaste, you want to use EVERY DROP! I have tried many NATURAL and organic toothpastes that don’t have fluoride and all the other toxins, and there is one particular one that I love. Send me a note if you would like to know what it is.

Here is an easy way to get every drop.

Using a pair of utility scissors, cut the toothpaste tube in half.

Look how much toothpaste is still in there! Simply dab your toothbrush in there.

Dish Soap

The same thing goes with dish soap. No matter how much you squeeze that bottle, you are not going to get it all out. When you buy GOOD dish soap, you’ll want to make it stretch.

When you are running the hot water for your dish cleaning, just add a little water, swish and squirt.

You may only get one or two more sink loads, but at least you know you have used every drop!

By the way, don’t throw those dish soap containers away. I will be showing you in an upcoming post how to make your own non-toxic cleaners and these jars will come in real handy!

Essential Oil Bottles

Do any of you have a sweet smelling drawer full of empty essential oil bottles? As you know, essential oils can be expensive. Some of oils are LIQUID GOLD! Expensive or not you’ll want to use EVERY DROP. I love using essential oils and when a bottle of essential oil is empty, I have a hard time throwing the bottle away. I just put it my drawer hoping I will find a use for it.

Well, I have found one use for these sweet-smelling babies…. make a little spritzer bottle. Research shows that cold-air diffusing or spritzing certain oils may reduce bacteria, fungus, mold, and unpleasant odors, relax the mind and body, relieve tension, clear the mind, improve concentration and mental clarity and dispel odors. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ESSENTIAL OILS!

There is a spritzer attachment that will fit a 5, 10, 15 or 30 ml glass bottle. You can purchase them HERE for only $1.33 a piece.

So to make a little spritzer bottle here is what you do:

Measure how long the suction tube needs to be. Most likely you’ll have to cut off a portion because it will be too long. Cut it so it will reach the bottom of the bottle.

By the way, there is still quite a bit of oil left in a bottle, even when you think it is empty.

These little bottles are perfect to throw in your purse or travel kit. I use lavender oil to help me relax. Just a few spritzes on my face, or my pillow. Awwwwww. Lemon, Tea Tree (meleuca), Cinnamon, and clove are great for surface cleaning. (Good to have on hand don’t ya think? Oh, one more thing, peppermint oil spritzed on the face is a great pick me up. Try it!

So, there you have it. A few tips on how to use every drop and to get your money’s worth.

If you have any other great ideas, please chime in. I would love to hear your comments.

Keep smiling!

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

Connect:

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.

Upcycled T-Shirt Items & Materials Needed

T-Shirt Bag Instructions

NO-SEW METHOD

T-Shirt Bag Sewing Method

Jan Howell

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Upcycling, recycling, repurposed; what does that mean and what’s the difference?

RECYCLING

UPCYCLING

Some examples include:

REPURPOSING

What are the benefits of recycling, upcycling and repurposing?

Here are a few ideas and tips on how I go about upcycling and recycling.

UPCYCLING CLOTHING

USING CLOTHING FOR FABRIC

HOW TO GET RID OF THRIFT STORE SMELL

BUYING CLOTHING FOR ACCESSORIES

UPCYCLING JEWELRY & ACCESSORIES

UPCYCLING FURNITURE

KITCHEN GADGETS AND BOTTLES

UPCYCLING SHOES

Where is a good place to shop for used items?

What is the difference between a consignment shop and thrift store?

Jan Howell

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Pump Body Wash or Hand Soap- Every Last Drop

Toothpaste

Dish Soap

Essential Oil Bottles

Jan Howell

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