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EARTH DAY Upcycled T-Shirt Tote Bag

By Leslie Risley, Macaroni Kid Thornton-Northglenn & Longmont-Frederick Publisher April 19, 2022

Want to get a little more life out of those most-loved yet way-too-small shirts? Make 'em into reusable tote bags! Trust me when I tell you this is E.A.S.Y. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I have not used my sewing machine for over 6 years, when I made curtains for my first baby's room. So if I can do this, so can you. :o)

 

You will need:

  • T-shirt
  • scissors
  • sewing machine (you *could* sew by hand...)

 

What you do:

  1. Cut off the arms from the shirt. Be sure to cut outside of where they are sewn onto the shirt. The arm holes will be your handles, so you want them strong.
  2. Cut a larger opening at the neck. This will be the opening of your bag.
  3. Turn the shirt inside out. Sew along the bottom of the shirt. Go over this a couple times so the seam is nice and strong.
  4. Sew diagonally at each end of the seam you just made. This will give your bag some "width."
  5. Turn inside out. Admire your stylin' new bag!