Recycling Projects: T-Shirt Scarf

It’s starting to get chilly here in New York, so today I want to provide you with a way to make a fashionable winter scarf out of an old, unwanted t-shirt. This will make a great project for young girls, and when their friends ask them where they got it they can proudly claim that they made it themselves. 

         Supplies needed:

         Old t-shirt (keep the color in mind. Do you want a bright color? A pattern? Something more plain?)

         Scissors

         Glue gun (optional)

         Buttons, old/broken jewelry, beads etc. (optional)

         Steps:

         1. Cut the shirt from armpit to armpit. The top half, with the neck and sleeves, is not needed. You can discard it or save it for another project (maybe t-shirtbracelets!). You will be using the lower half to make the scarf.

         2. Cut off the hem of the lower half of the shirt. Save the hem.

         3. Cut the t-shirt in one-inch strips widthwise (from side to side). Do not cut all the way through, leave about an inch between your cut and the edge of the shirt.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.theruffledgiraffe.com/2012/02/18/no-sew-t-shirt-scarf/

 

         4. Because you didn’t cut all the way through, there will now be a strip, or a “spine” to your scarf. Lift up the scarf by the spine, and to achieve the curled effect, take each stretch it outward from the spine, hold it there for a moment, and then release.

This is what it will look like after you pull on the strips.

The uncut strip at the top of the picture is what I will refer to as the "spine" in later steps

 Picture courtesy of: http://www.theruffledgiraffe.com/2012/02/18/no-sew-t-shirt-scarf/

         5. Pinch the spine into one clump; this will gather all of the strips into a circle that will go around your neck. Using the hem that you cut off, tie it around the spine to keep it in this clump. If you want, you can use a different colored fabric or a different type of fabric to make the tie.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.mrkate.com/2011/11/17/diy-upcycled-t-shirt-scarf/

         6. Now, if you want, get creative and add on your buttons, beads, jewelry, and other decorative items you can find, using the glue gun.

         7. Allow the glue to dry, and then proudly wear your homemade scarf!

         These scarves could make great, personalized gifts for friends and family. If you don’t have a lot of t-shirts you want to get rid of, ask your friends and family members to give you some of theirs. Don’t cut up shirts for the sake of this project- make sure to only use unwanted shirts that will otherwise be thrown out.