How to Make a T-Shirt Collage

T-shirts are more than functional pieces of clothing. Because they often are printed to promote events, they can serve as reminders of concerts you attended, or races or contests in which you participated. Many people also have T-shirts advertising favorite products or have collections of T-shirts with funny sayings. When your T-shirts no longer fit--or are no longer fit to wear--you can keep the pictures, logos and sayings from your favorite T-shirts front and center by turning them into a collage.

Things You'll Need

• Medium-weight background fabric
• Tape measure
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Old T-shirts
• Straight pins
• Cafe curtain rod and hardware

Instructions

1. Decide how big you want your collage to be. This will vary greatly depending on how many T-shirts you have. Cut a piece of fabric to the desired size, adding 2 inches to the width and 3 1/2 inches to the length.

2. Make a hem on each side of the background fabric by folding over 1/2 inch twice. Stitch 3/8 inch in from the edges. Repeat on the bottom. For the top edge, fold over 1/2 inch and then 2 inches. Stitch close to the bottom of the 2-inch fold. (This creates a casing through which you will slip a cafe curtain rod for hanging your collage.)

3. Cut out sections of T-shirts that include pictures, logos and words. Vary the size and shape of the cut-outs. Make some square, circular, oblong and triangular. Cut around the pockets of the T-shirts, if they have them.

4. Design the layout of your collage. Lay the largest T-shirt sections on the background fabric first. (Do not sew the pieces yet.) Overlap and vary the angle of the sections. Place smaller pictures and logos over portions of the large sections. Place words on last. When you are satisfied with the look of your collage, begin disassembling the collage, noting the placement of pieces.

5. Pin the first layer of large sections onto the background fabric. Sew around the edges of the T-shirt sections, using matching or contrasting thread. For added interest, use assorted stitches, such as straight stitches, various widths of zigzag stitches or other decorative stitches, if your sewing machine has them. Continue placing and stitching second, and subsequent layers.

6. Slip the curtain rod through the top casing of the background fabric. Install the curtain rod hardware where you want to display your collage. Hang the curtain rod on the hardware.