Stuck with a pile of clothes that’s taking up space in your small apartment and serving no purpose? There are plenty of ways to repurpose clothes to decorate and use around your apartment. DIY arts and crafts are becoming more popular. Here are five creative ways to upcycle old shirts while without going to the store.
1. DIY doormat or rug
Make a small rug or doormat with five to 10 shirts. Grab an old or plain mat or rug to use as a base, scissors, and a hot glue gun. Starting at the bottom hem of your old shirts, cut two-inch strips horizontally and tie a knot in the center of each strip. Apply a line of glue on the mat and place the knot on the glue. Repeat the process until the mat is fully covered with your upcycled shirts. Whether you use shirts of one or multiple colors, the result is a unique shaggy rug that will give your apartment an eclectic touch.
2. New cleaning rags
Upcycling cotton t-shirts into cleaning rags can help you cut down on paper towel use.To make rags out of your old shirts, fold a cotton shirt in half vertically with the sleeves placed in the middle of the shirt. Start at the middle of the collar and cut the shirt. After making the two halves of the shirt, fold them in half again and place both halves on top of each other. Turn the two halves sideways and cut once again. One shirt can now be used as four separate rags.
3. T-Shirt canvas art
A great way to make closet space is to turn a printed shirt into wall art. This easy DIY project can be done with a shirt, scissors, thumbtacks, and canvas or cardboard. First, center your shirt on the canvas or cardboard. Then, trim the shirt to leave a few inches to wrap around the edges, flip the canvas or cardboard over, and secure everything in place with thumbtacks. To hang your new art without thumbtacks, you can upcycle soda can tabs by stapling them to the back of your canvas and attaching a wire.
4. Grocery tote bag
Transform an old shirt into a tote bag with just rulers and scissors. Grab your desired shirt, cut the sleeves on the shoulder seams, and turn the shirt inside out. With the bottom hem facing you, cut two inches into the shirt. Make sure each cut is an inch apart and looks like a short fringe. Next, make a vertical two-inch cut along each side seam. Lastly, tie the top and bottom cuts together. Turn your shirt right side out, and you have a new tote!
5. Rolled jean coaster
Make a coaster out of jeans with just fabric glue and scissors. On the side of the jeans, use scissors to cut a double stitch hem. Right outside the hem, cut off the excess. Apply a bead of fabric glue in the middle of the seam and tightly roll the hem onto itself. Slowly continue to apply glue and roll the hem until the end of the seam. Place a pin at the end of the seam and let your new coaster dry overnight.
Before you get rid of your clothes, do one of these easy DIY crafts to upcycle clothes into things you may need around your apartment. Share any other DIY craft ideas you have in the comments!
