Tutorial time! I got a gig teaching a recycled t-shirt project at the library a few months ago, with a request for a recycled tee bag – the only bags I’d made from tees in the past had required sturdy sewing, and I didn’t want hand-sewing to be the only thing holding the bottom closed in a class version of the bags, so I started brainstorming about some kind of hand-sewing-friendly or no-sew bag idea…. and here’s what I came up with!
The simplest version of these bags is great for smaller tees, or the more light-weight kind of girl-tees – just turn the bottom of the shirt into a drawstring and tie it closed! As you can see, even with a not huge tee, this will still leave a significant hole in the bottom of your bag, but for purposes like grocery shopping, this size hole shouldn’t really matter…
But to make smaller holes, just make more than one of them! Here’s a bag bottom with 2 holes:
And now for the actual tutorial – for this one, with the step-by-step, I will be making the bottom with 3 holes. So, start with a t-shirt that you don’t wear anymore, or a fun one you found at a thrift store. Besides a tee, you’ll also need scissors and a safety pin. That’s it!
Cut the sleeves off, but try to make a somewhat straight line, and go in a bit from the seam – these lines will be the sides of your straps:
Cut some strips from those sleeve pieces – about half an inch wide, the length of one time around a sleeve is good, and as many strips as the number of holes you’ll be making in your bag bottom. (I’ve made bags with 1, 2, and 3 holes, but I haven’t tried more than that.) Pull the ends of the strips to stretch them out and make them curl in:
Cut the neck out to become your bag’s opening – the way you cut this can depend on your tee’s picture (if there is a picture), and also the shape you want your bag. Just make sure you cut a big enough opening to fit things through, for a functional bag:
You could make it rounded, V-shaped, or squared like this one:
Now the top/straps part is done, time for the bottom. Snip slits in the hem part of the tee bottom – as many slits as you want holes. 3 slits, below, is for 3 holes, for a single hole, like the yellow one at the top, just cut one slit, and for 2 holes, snip 2 slits. The slits should be equally spaced from each other, but the spacing doesn’t need to be exact – I just eyeballed my slit placement, no measuring:
Now stick a safety pin through the end of one of those strips you made, and start running it through the hem, through one of the slits:
Run it through to the next slit (or all the way around and back to the beginning, if you’re making a single hole) and pull the cord so it’s centered-ish:
Tie the hole closed as tightly as you can, and tie a tight knot:
Now repeat those steps for the remaining sections, one slit to the next, tie tightly. This is after the second hole is closed:
For an ultra sturdy bag bottom, tie one cord strand from one hole together with one strand from the hole next to it, tightly, and repeat for each strand (as many of these knots as the number of holes you have; ignore this step if you’re making a single hole), so that the holes are all tied to each other.
Now, you can choose whether you want the t-shirt cord ties hanging down at the bottom, or hidden on the inside. To hide them inside, bring them through the center, then tie bows on the inside so they don’t fall back through. Or, tie bows on the outside if you prefer (or you could just cut the cords short and skip the bows):
My finished Sonic bag!
The 1-hole version of this project takes more like 5 minutes, but the more holes you have, the longer it takes (by a few minutes) – it’s my favorite kind of project: 100% recycled materials (in this case, just the tee and nothing else!), minimal tools, quick+easy, and a super useful finished product!
I made these for everyone in my family as extra bonus xmas gifts – my mom just told me she’s been using hers all the time and they are stronger than she would have expected. I even used my family’s bags to wrap their gifts in, to save on paper wrapping waste and because it looked fun!
I failed to show you this idea before the holidays, but you can always save it away in your memory (or bookmarks) for your next gift-giving occasion. I hope you love this project as much as I do! Now go and make lots of them so you’ll never be without a reusable shopping bag again!
Lee Does Stuff 
Thanks for the great idea. I’m going to use this as a project today for the teens I’m working with at a library. Soo happy to find a no sew, recycling, fun project!! Thanks again for sharing!
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Thanks for sharing such an easy and clever and functional design!
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I have done this many times, some 50 plus–I used old favorite sweaters– and gave for gifts for purse bags..I just sew the bottom seam to seam..No problem then that somethng may fall out.
For the grocery bags I use muscle shirts or/and tank tops, then no neck/sleeves to cut out. No leftover pieces.
Anyway wonderful way to recycle..
Nice cause can wash and reuse many times..
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This is a fantastic idea – and since I am getting ready to clean out closets, it’s a great way to deal with all the old t-shirts that we don’t wear!
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Love it! Bout to make one from an old Korn shirt =) Cant wait to go grocery shopping now haha
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Just finished took about 10 mins if that! =) I love tshirt surgeries especially no sew! Found this on pinterest and I am certainly repinning it.
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Really neat way to recycle shirts.
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tshirt are the best ever in ones wardrobe. I love them and I love the way you expressed your feelings here. Keep up the good work.
tshirt :http://www.adreamstate.com
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Love this idea! Great use for the band t-shirts my husband refuses to get rid of 🙂
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First time on here and I am already in love:)
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I just made this after reading your wonderfull explanation!! It was soo easy and quick. Thank you so much I really love it!! Going to make more:)))
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Just made one! It’s so simple and easy. It’s going to be my new purse. I’m going to make another out of my daughters old onsies! Perfect for little girls who want to be just like mommy!
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wow! what a great idea. so simple.last week I’ve made a bag out of a T-shirt,I could of done this instead…
Here what I did:
http://tinyurl.com/7273nog
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This is awesome. We run a non-profit and often have leftover t’s from events – I just made my first one and might sell them as beach bags for more fundraising ideas! Thank you!
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this is cool but i dont want to cut my shirts 0_0
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so cool
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what a terrific idea well done 🙂
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Wow! Really cool idea!
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This is wonderful and I have wondered what to do with some of my favorite T-shirts…Thanks
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I live on the beach and these would be perfect because you can just throw them in the wash when you get back from the beach or pool.. And these are perfect summer pool party hostess gifts. love love love!
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Amazing!Great job!Will def try this ^^
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Wow nice work and great idea. I’ll try to do like you 😉 Thanks http://www.tobaccoandcigarettes.net/
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I think you are just wonderful!! Can’t wait to make LOTS of these bags!!
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penis
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Love this idea. Thanks for sharing!
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Ima have to try this
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I saw this project on the Roadkill Rescue website and gave it a try. The bag is fantastic…took me less than 5 minutes to make as a first timer. Thanks!
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WOW this is SUCH A GREAT IDEA I’m about to go try it out
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what a great idea. can’t wait to try it. my 501c(3) is looking for fundraisers and this could be the start.
Doris
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i think this was really cool its the coolest thing ive ever saw!!!!!!!!!
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hi its your daghter maddy im nine years old peaples
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this is the BEST thing ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
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After cutting the slits I am a little confused on how to run the strings through and make the hole, any help would be much appreciated:)
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OMG, I love this!! Will spend my weekend trying it out!
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Thank you so much. I just made one from my favorite vacation shirt. It’s already being used. 🙂
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I make bags with old umbrellas. Just remove ll the metal strings
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SEW cool! I have done this many times and teach it my youth classes – they too carry everything!
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please help me i cannot do
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This is really cool. I’vealwys wanted to make a bag, but don’t have any skills in sewing. These bags are easy to make, quickly! Thanks for the tutorial.
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YES!! already excited to start going through old clothes
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It looks beautiful! thank you so much 🙂
http://sewingbreakdown.blogspot.com/
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this is really great, plus you can use the sleeves as really simple headbands, if you trim them a little and/or decorate them!
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this is soooooo cool.
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this is like the best idea i have seen in the longest time! i have at least 2 garbage bags full of t-shirts that don’t fit me anymore that I am going to transform into bags!!!!
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This a wonderful idea – especially for those little t shirts that my niece wore when she was a baby and my sister won’t part with. Thank you!
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Very cool. I so cant wait for this. I bought my boyfriend a nice tshirt he loved for his bday. he wore it that night and it accidentally got ripped at the sleeve. But it cannot be fixed. Only made into a muscle shirt. He does NOT wear those. So this is absolutely perfect. Better than tossing the shirt in the garbage. I also have a Twilight T-shirt that got messed up. I dont wanna toss it out, but I could use this idea. Thanks so much for sharing. Awesome.
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totally going to try this with some of my old school shirts i dont wear anymore
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cute idea!
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Tried it…. nailed it(:
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Love it it’s a great way to keep some of those tee shirts that you just don’t want to get rid of because you liked them so much but at the same time you don’t wear it I plan on making these soon. Thanks
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Haha i just made one, and I wanna make more but all i get are hand me downs…TO THE THRIFT SHOPPE!!
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I saw this and just had to try. I think the only mistake is that I used one of my sons shirts, im going to try again with one of mine. LOVE THIS, and I will be defiantly using these as gifts. 😀
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