Wait, Don’t Toss Your Old T-Shirts—9 Creative Ways to Repurpose Them at Home

If your closet is one of the many that has a drawer stashed with an abundance of old T-shirts, welcome to the club. These shirts might be sentimental and remind you of events, concerts, races, or special moments. However, once a dozen or so have accumulated, you might feel the need to declutter.

Before you toss anything, here are nine ways you can reuse old T-shirts at home.

Make Cloth Napkins

Nothing dresses up a table like cloth napkins—they’re colorful, easy to wash, and cut down on the number of single-use napkins you use. You can either select T-shirts in the same color or mix and match patterns to create cloth napkins. Once you have a set, you can practice all kinds of ways to fold cloth napkins for the prettiest tablescapes.

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Turn Them Into Cleaning Rags

One of the easiest ways to reuse old T-shirts is by cutting them up and turning them into cleaning rags. They’re ideal for the cleaning tasks that involve bleach or heavy-duty chemicals, as you won’t be worried if they stain or lighten that fabric. This is a great hack for keeping those pretty kitchen towels in good condition.

Create a Reusable Bag

Reusable totes are a great way to cut down on plastic, and you can use them as shopping bags or as a unique addition to your wardrobe that matches your style. Rather than purchasing a new one, you can turn old T-shirts into shoppers.

There are no-sew versions that exist, which require cutting the sleeves and neckline, then tying knots at the bottom of the shirt to create a tote. There are also projects if you like to sew and want a more custom shape.

Upcycle Them Into Gift Bags

There are a lot of DIY gift bag ideas out there. Aside from tote bags, old T-shirts can be cut and fashioned into gift bags as well. These are less wasteful and more meaningful when you’re giving presents to friends and family, as they’re something you made and can be reused again and again.

You can embroider designs or glue on embellishments for extra flair or add a draw-string top if you’re feeling fancy.

Sew Throw Pillows

A fun way to make the most of T-shirts with designs you love is turning them into throw pillows or throw pillow covers. Seek out a pattern you love the look of and follow the steps for a creative, personal twist on home decor. Once you have one, add them as unique additions to bonus, play, and media rooms.

Make an Apron

Whether you love to bake, enjoy gardening, or partake in art projects, an apron is a staple to keep your clothes clean. If you don’t already have one on hand, you can make one with old T-shirts; it’s a perfect way to keep the life cycle of your old clothes going without worrying about dirtying a shiny new apron.

Construct Bowl and Mug Cozies

Pulling hot mugs, plates, and bowls from the microwave is painful (and dangerous). However, oven mitts are sometimes too bulky to reach in. That’s where cozies come in. These wrap around your container and protect your hands.

Old T-shirts offer plenty of material for DIYing your own—just make sure the material composition is suitable for being heated up and there aren’t any components that would melt or spark.

Make a Sentimental Quilt

When you have a collection of important T-shirts, whether they’re band tees or shirts you racked up from running marathons, it often feels hard to get rid of them. However, if they’re taking up too much space, you can turn them into a quilt. This honors your passion in a unique way while also freeing up storage space.

Create Games and Decorations

With a little brainstorming, you can shapeshift any old T-shirt into bean bags, buntings, streamers, and other decorations and homemade games. This is perfect if you have upcoming birthday celebrations or events and want to craft your own party essentials.