Pages

Ads

How to Upcycle an Old Shirt into Three Bags👜👜👜

 


That's an ambitious and eco-friendly goal! Turning a single old shirt into three distinct bags is a fantastic way to maximize your upcycling efforts and create a cohesive set. The type of shirt you use (a large adult T-shirt is ideal) will influence the size and style of bags you can make.

We'll focus on transforming one large adult T-shirt into:

  1. A Medium-Sized Tote Bag: Your primary carry-all.

  2. A Small Drawstring Pouch: Great for organizing small items inside the tote, or for a separate small carry.

  3. A Tiny Card/Coin Pouch (from a pocket or scrap): Perfect for loose change or a few cards.

This approach uses different parts of the shirt strategically to create unique, but coordinating, pieces.

How to Upcycle an Old Shirt into Three Bags

This detailed guide assumes you're using a large adult T-shirt for the best yield. If your shirt is smaller, you might get two bags, or smaller versions of these three. We'll use a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance for all sewing steps unless otherwise specified.

I. Planning Your Multi-Bag Project

Think about the shirt's design and how to best utilize its features for each bag.

  • Shirt Choice: A large (L, XL, XXL) 100% cotton T-shirt is highly recommended. The knit fabric is forgiving, easy to sew, and doesn't fray excessively. A shirt with a cool graphic can be the focal point of your tote!

  • Design Placement: Decide which part of the shirt (front graphic, back print, plain fabric) will be the main body of your tote bag. The sleeves will be perfect for tote handles and possibly the drawstring pouch. The neckband or lower hem scraps can become the tiny pouch.

  • Fabric Conservation: When cutting, try to be efficient and save as many usable scraps as possible.

II. Gather Your Materials

You'll need a few basic sewing supplies, in addition to your old shirt.

  1. Old Shirt: 1 large, clean, and ironed T-shirt.

  2. Matching Thread: All-purpose polyester thread.

  3. Drawstring Cord/Ribbon: About 25-30 inches (63-76 cm) for the small pouch.

  4. Basic Sewing Supplies:

    • Sewing Machine (with a universal or ballpoint needle for knits)

    • Sharp Fabric Scissors or Rotary Cutter and Mat

    • Quilting Ruler or Measuring Tape

    • Fabric Chalk or Mark-B-Gone Pen

    • Pins or Fabric Clips

    • Iron and Ironing Board

    • Seam Ripper (always handy!)

    • Safety Pin (for threading drawstring)

    • Optional: Small zipper (4-6 inches) for the card pouch, or a few snaps/Velcro dots.


III. Prepare Your Shirt and Cut Pieces for ALL Three Bags

This is the most crucial step for maximizing your fabric. Lay your shirt flat and smooth it out perfectly before cutting.

A. Cut for the Tote Bag (Main Body & Handles):

  1. Main Tote Body:

    • Lay the shirt flat, front and back aligned.

    • Cut straight across the shirt, just below the armpits, removing the sleeves and the top portion of the shirt (including the neckband). Ensure your cut is even from side to side.

    • You'll be left with a large rectangle (or slightly tapered shape) that includes the original bottom hem. This original hemmed edge will be the top opening of your tote bag.

    • Resulting Size: An XL shirt might give you a tote body roughly 20-22 inches wide x 18-20 inches high (including the original bottom hem).

  2. Tote Handles:

    • Take the sleeves you just cut off. From these, cut two rectangular strips for your tote handles. Aim for strips that are roughly 2.5 to 3 inches (6.3-7.6 cm) wide and as long as possible – ideally 18-20 inches (45.7-50.8 cm) long. If a single sleeve isn't long enough, you can piece two shorter strips together.

B. Cut for the Small Drawstring Pouch:

  1. From the remaining lower portion of the shirt (above the tote body cut, or from the upper chest/back area), cut two rectangles for your pouch body. Aim for roughly 8 inches wide x 9 inches high (20.3 cm x 22.8 cm). Try to get these from a plain, less graphic area if possible.

  2. Alternative: If your shirt is very large, you might be able to get these from the lower part of the sleeves if they're wide enough after cutting the handle strips.

C. Cut for the Tiny Card/Coin Pouch:

  1. Look for the smallest usable scraps from your shirt – perhaps from the upper chest, the side seams you trim off, or even the original neckband if you flatten it.

  2. Cut two small rectangles, roughly 5 inches wide x 4 inches high (12.7 cm x 10.2 cm). These don't need to be perfectly rectangular at this stage, but aim for consistency.

IV. Sewing the Three Bags - Step-by-Step

Since T-shirt fabric is a knit, it doesn't fray like woven fabric, meaning you can often skip elaborate seam finishes, which helps with speed! Always backstitch at the beginning and end of every seam for security.

Bag 1: The Medium Tote Bag

1. Sew the Main Tote Body: * Take your large tote body rectangle. Fold it in half, right sides together, aligning the raw side edges perfectly. * Pin along both side edges and the bottom raw edge. The top (original hemmed edge) remains open. * Using your 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance, stitch down one side, pivot sharply at the bottom corner, stitch straight across the bottom, pivot again, and stitch up the other side to the top. * Press your seams open to help the bag lie flatter and reduce bulk.

2. Box the Tote Corners (Optional but Recommended for a Flat Bottom): * Lay the tote body flat. At one bottom corner, bring the side seam and the bottom seam together, aligning them perfectly. This forms a triangle. * Decide on your box depth (e.g., 3-4 inches / 7.6-10.2 cm). Measure from the triangle's tip inward along the seam line a distance equal to half of your desired box depth (e.g., 2 inches for a 4-inch deep box). * Draw a straight line perpendicular to the seam at this mark. Pin firmly. * Stitch precisely along the drawn line, backstitching securely. * Trim the excess fabric from the corner, leaving about a 1/2-inch seam allowance. * Repeat for the other bottom corner. Keep the bag wrong side out.

3. Prepare and Attach Tote Handles: * Take one handle fabric strip. Fold it in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press firmly. Open it up. * Fold each long raw edge in towards the center crease, and press again. * Fold the strip in half again along the original center crease. You'll have a flat handle about 3/4 to 1 inch wide with no raw edges visible. Press firmly. * Topstitch down both long sides of the handle, about 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) from the edge. Repeat for the second handle. * Turn your tote bag body right side out. Lay it flat. * Measure in from each side seam along the top (original hemmed) edge by about 4-5 inches (10-12.7 cm). Mark these points. * Place the raw ends of one prepared handle on the top edge of the bag at your marks. Ensure the handle isn't twisted. Pin securely. * Stitch the handle ends in place. Sew a strong square with an "X" inside it (an X-box stitch) for maximum reinforcement, just above the original shirt's hemline. * Repeat for the other side of the bag with the second handle.

4. Optional: Topstitch the Top Edge: * For a more polished finish, topstitch all the way around the top opening of the tote, about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) from the edge.


Bag 2: The Small Drawstring Pouch

1. Prepare Pouch Panels: * Take your two 8x9 inch pouch rectangles. * On both pieces, at one of the 8-inch sides (this will be the top opening), fold the raw edge down by 1/4 inch and press, then fold down another 1 inch and press again. Stitch this hem down to create a casing. Leave the short ends of the casing open.

2. Sew Pouch Body: * Place the two pouch panels right sides together, aligning all raw edges. * Pin along the two side edges and the bottom edge. * Stitch down both sides and across the bottom using a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance. * Optional: You can box the corners of this pouch if you like, using the same method as the tote, but measuring for a smaller depth (e.g., 1 inch / 2.5 cm from the tip for a 2-inch deep pouch). * Press seams open.

3. Thread Drawstring: * Turn the pouch right side out. * Attach a safety pin to one end of your drawstring cord. * Thread it through the casing opening on one side, all the way around the casing, and out the other opening on the same side. * Tie the two ends of the drawstring together in a knot. Pull to cinch the bag closed.

Bag 3: The Tiny Card/Coin Pouch

This can be a very quick sew or a no-sew depending on your preference.

Method A: Simple Sewn Pouch

1. Cut & Prepare: * Take your two 5x4 inch tiny pouch rectangles. Trim them if necessary so they are neat. * If using a small zipper (4-6 inches): * Place the zipper right side down along the top 5-inch edge of one fabric piece, aligning raw edges. Pin. * Place the other fabric piece right side down on top of the zipper, aligning its top 5-inch edge with the zipper, sandwiching the zipper between the two fabric pieces. Pin. * Stitch along the zipper using a zipper foot. * Press fabric pieces away from the zipper. * Repeat with the other side of the zipper and the other two fabric pieces. * If not using a zipper: Skip zipper steps.

2. Sew Pouch Body: * Place the two pouch pieces right sides together. If you used a zipper, open the zipper halfway before sewing! * Pin along the remaining three raw edges. * Stitch around these three sides, using a 1/2-inch (1.27 cm) seam allowance. * Trim corners. Turn right side out (through the zipper opening, if applicable, or through a small opening you leave on one side, which you then hand-stitch closed).

Method B: No-Sew "Pocket" Pouch (if you have a shirt pocket)

1. Harvest Pocket: * Carefully cut out an existing breast pocket from the shirt, leaving a generous margin of fabric around its sides and bottom (about 1/2 to 1 inch). 2. Seal Sides: * Fold the raw fabric margins on the sides and bottom of the pocket to the back. Use a strong fabric glue (like Fabri-Tac) or iron-on hemming tape to secure these edges down to the back of the pocket, creating a small closed pouch. Let dry completely. 3. Finish: * This is now a simple, open-top pocket pouch. You can use it as-is or add a small snap or Velcro dot for closure.

V. Enjoy Your Upcycled Bag Set!

You've just created three functional and stylish bags from one old shirt! This set is perfect for organizing your essentials, carrying a book, or giving as a unique, handmade gift. The beauty of upcycling is that each bag will have its own story and character.

Video Tutorial



By on

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Ads

Popular Posts