How to Recycle Men's Shirts Into Children's Clothes

Recycle men's dress shirts into a child's skirt or craft smock.

Men's dress shirts tend to wear out around the collar and cuffs before the rest of the shirt. Recycle shirts into a child's size 5 or smaller elastic-waist skirt or craft smock. According to the Goethe Institute, in the article, "From Old to New - Recycling Fashion", people have recycled clothing for centuries. Shirts of different fabrics and colors can be combined for unique skirts. Make a craft smock with no sewing and a skirt with moderate sewing machine skills.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Dress shirt
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Elastic - ¾-inches width
• 2 safety pins
• Seam ripper

Instructions

Recycle a Dress Shirt into a Child's Skirt (Size 5 or Smaller)

1. Measure the child's waist. Measure the child's hips. The skirt's length is determined by the height of the child and the size and length of the shirt. An extra-large man's shirt is about 17 inches from under the arms to the tail.

2. Cut the button and holes strips away from each side following the vertical seam edges.

3. Cut horizontally across the shirt under the arms. Double or triple the child's hip measurement for the skirt's width and cut. For example, the skirt requires a width of 40 inches for a child's hip measurement of 20 inches. An extra-large shirt yields about 54 inches in width after cutting away button and hole strips. Sew multiple shirts together for wider fabric where the button and holes strips were cut before continuing. Use a 1-inch seam allowance and straight stitch.

4. Fold the shirt in half vertically, with the tail as the skirt's hem. Pin sides together. With the wrong sides of the fabric facing you, sew a vertical seam using a 1-inch seam allowance and a straight stitch. Remove pins. The shirt is now an inside-out "loop" of fabric.

5. Fold the top edge ½ inch over against the wrong side of the fabric. Fold over 1 inch again, forming a casing. Pin. Leave a 3-inch wide unpinned section.

6. Sew the casing using a 1-inch seam allowance and a straight stitch. Don't sew the 3-inch wide section closed. Remove pins.

7. Cut elastic to the child's waist measurement plus 1 inch. Connect a safety pin to one elastic end. Connect a safety pin to the other elastic end and to the 3-inch casing opening. Feed elastic through one side of the casing opening until the elastic emerges from the other side of the opening. The fabric will gather over the elastic.

8. Pull the two elastic ends together. Hold together 1 inch from the ends. Sew the ends together. Fold the open casing fabric inside the casing. Pin. Sew closed.

9. Put the skirt onto the child inside out. Fold the hem up against the wrong side of the fabric 1 inch longer than the desired length. Pin above the folded fabric. Fold the edge up ½ inch; fold the edge over another ½ inch to form a ½-inch wide hem. Pin. Sew the hem with a wide zigzag stitch and ½-inch seam allowance. Remove pins. Turn skirt right side out.

Recycle a Dress Shirt Child's Craft Smock

1. Remove the collar with a seam ripper. Pin the edges where the collar was together. Sew closed using a ¼-inch seam allowance and straight stitch.

2. Measure from the child's shoulder to wrist and add 1 inch for the modified arm length. Measure from the shirt's shoulder to the modified arm length.

3. Turn the shirt inside out. Fold the cut sleeve edge over ½ inch against the wrong side of the fabric; fold over ½ inch again. Pin. Repeat for other arm.

4. Sew arm hems using a ½-inch seam allowance and straight stitch. Remove pins.

5. Turn shirt right side out. Put the shirt on with the buttons at the child's back. Button closed. Roll sleeves to desired length.

Tips & Warnings

• According to Reduce Reuse Recycle website, dress shirts make the best painting smocks for children because they are easily unbuttoned. Remove pins.

References

• Goethe Institute: From Old to New - Recycling Fashion
• Reduce Reuse Recycle: Ten Ways to Reuse Old Clothing

Resources

• Oliver and S: Free Downloadable & Printable Lazy Days Skirt