Project for an Old T-Shirt for a Toddler

Don't let your toddler's old T-shirts go to waste.

As your child transitions from the baby to toddler stage, she leaves behind a wardrobe of infant-sized clothing that no longer fits. Before passing down or giving away these old clothes, salvage some T-shirts to use in creative craft projects. By reusing the shirts, you will engage your toddler in an artistic activity while teaching her about reducing waste by recycling goods.

Doll Clothes

During the toddler stage, children develop a sense of dramatic play and begin role-playing with puppets and dolls. As a creative project, allow toddlers to decorate old T-shirts and use them for dressing up dolls. Give your toddler some nontoxic paint and let her use fingers, brushes, stamps and rollers to create designs on old T-shirts. She can put the shirts on her larger dolls or use them as dresses for smaller ones.

Aprons

Having aprons on hand will help you keep up with the messy nature of toddlers. Convert old T-shirts into aprons and paint smocks for an inexpensive way to maintain a tidy toddler. Remove the sleeves from an old shirt, cut out the middle portion of the shirt's back and divide that piece of fabric into two strips. The two strips will attach to the sides of the shirt, forming apron ties. After constructing the apron, embellish it with colorful patches or let your toddler decorate it with paints and markers.

Memory Quilt

Making a memory quilt will allow you to reuse many old T-shirts and make a keepsake for you and your toddler to enjoy. Collect 12 or more old T-shirts and cut the same size square from the middle of each shirt. Connect the squares to form a cozy quilt for your toddler. Find shirts with designs on them that will bring back memories of your toddler's first year of life. You can also embroider his name on the quilt or use a fabric marker to record special information onto the quilt patches.

Fabric Scraps

Turn old T-shirts into works of art by creating a fabric collage with your toddler. Find old shirts with colorful patterns and cut them into scraps of various shapes and sizes. Your toddler can glue the scraps onto a poster board, creating unique designs. She can also collage fabric onto a small canvas to make artwork for her room. Place the extra scraps of fabric into a sensory bin with hidden objects for your toddler to explore.

References

• Davis Art: Scraps of Fabric Landscape Collage
• Reduce Reuse Recycle: Ten Ways to Reuse Old Clothing