Charlottesville Crafter: T-shirt Crafts

Welcome Karen, a local blogger who is super crafty! She will be writing a monthly post with ideas for crafts for you to do at home. Her columns will appear the fourth Monday of each month! In between you can check out her personal blogs for inspiration!

T-Shirt Pillows

Using up old T-shirts is a great way to recycle. A bunch of shirts that you have sentimental attachment to can be stitched together to make a blanket. If you don’t have enough shirts to make a quilt, you can still keep your memento by making a pillow! T-shirt pillows are also great for kids. A shirt that your child has outgrown but still loves can become a great decoration and teens can get in on the action with a quick and cheap way to update their rooms.

The most important ingredient is a clean shirt. You will also need something to use for stuffing. Since I’m going to make my pillow square, I’m using a pillow form. Depending on the size and content, a pillow form can be cheap or moderately expensive. Mine was less than $10 at Joann Fabrics at Rio Hill. Other stuffing options include poly-fill (like used in stuffed animals), fabric scraps or even the innards of old pillows you already have.

First, prep your shirt. Turn the shirt inside out so that the design is on the inside. This will make sure the stitches are on the inside when you’re done. You could also do a quick ironing as it may help the fabric stay flat and compliant while you cut.

Decide how you’re going to make your pillow. Do you want it shirt shaped or square? Maybe round? There are lots of possibilities! Cut and pin for the shape you want. If you’re going to keep the shirt shape for your pillow, pin the armholes shut and do the same for the neckline. Pin most of the hem shut.You DO want to leave an unpinned space where later you will turn the shirt back out and insert the stuffing after you sew. If you’re going for a square shape, like me, cut your squares where you need to, pin three full edges shut, and do the same with half the final edge. Allow ¼ inch for a seam. Beware that not all T-shirts are made equally. Some do not have the same dimensions on both the front and back.

Sew it up! You can use a sewing machine or stitch by hand. I’ll be doing the larger seams with my serger, and then will finish up by hand once I insert the pillow form. When you finish sewing, make sure you knot and cut your threads. This is my least favorite part, but if you leave threads dangling, there is the chance the stitches may come out later. You don’t want that! Turn the shirt right side out through the hole you left.

It’s time to stuff! If you have a pillow form, insert it carefully. If you’re using polyfill or something else, start filling! Make sure that you put in enough stuffing to make the pillow as firm as you want.

Once you’re done stuffing you can sew up the hole. Fold down the edges from the unsewn part and pin it together if possible. Use an “invisible stitch” to sew up the hole to match the rest of the seam.

Hey, you’ve got a great pillow now! Time to go relax with it after all your hard work!

Karen is a blogger and crafter who has lived in Charlottesville for 6 years after transplanting from the Shenandoah Valley.  While not working or attending classes at PVCC, she blogs about her life at Precision Indecision and about crafts at CraftyKix.