How to Make Ultimate Ruffled Recycled T-shirts
If you have a T-shirt that is too boring, or maybe it has a small stain or hole in it, you don't have to toss it away. Upcycle it instead by using other T-shirts to embellish it with ruffles. You can make a recycled ruffle T-shirt with only basic sewing skills. The best part is you don't have to do a lot of hemming because the jersey knit fabric from the T-shirts will not fray.
Things You'll Need
- T-shirts
- Scissors
- Sewing machine or hand-sewing needle
- Thread
- Straight pins
Instructions
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1
Cut up an old T-shirt (or several) into strips that are 3 inches wide and as long as the T-shirt fabric will allow you to make them.
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2
Sew a basting stitch down the center of each ruffle; you can do this by setting your sewing machine to the longest straight stitch possible or use a hand-sewing needle and thread to sew long, running stitches down the center of each ruffle.
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3
Pull on the threads from the basting stitches to gather the fabric of the strips and make it ruffle. Tie a knot in the end of the threads to keep the ruffle in place.
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4
Lay the T-shirt you want to embellish on a table top. Arrange the ruffles on the front of the shirt; make them in vertical rows down the center of the shirt, place them horizontally across the shirt or simply spiral them in a random pattern.
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5
Pin the ruffles in place on the shirt front when you are satisfied with their placement.
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6
Sew the ruffles onto the T-shirt. Use a sewing machine zigzag stitch or sew by hand with back stitching. Keep your stitching small and go over the center of the ruffles so the stitching will be less noticeable.
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Tips & Warnings
Use ruffles in the same color as the old T-shirt or in contrasting colors for a bolder look.
References
- Photo Credit John Rowley/Photodisc/Getty Images
