I have some tank tops and t-shirts that I can no longer wear but I like the designs on them and would like to keep them. I have thought of turning them into purses, but don't know how. Any ideas? Thanks.
I have made purses out of tank tops before, and it is really easy. For a tank top all you have to do is turn the tank top inside out and sew the bottom edges together and then the straps can be the handles. As for t-shirts, you would want to do the same but also sew up the arm holes. You would want to fashion a strap of some sort out of ribbon or something.
there is a GREAT website that can show you numerous things to do with those t-shirts, and tons of other crafts. www.craftster.org under the clothing section, there's a forum for purses and wallets, a section for "reconstructed" clothing, etc.
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Request: Making a Purse from T-shirts
Archived on 06/27/2007
I am looking for directions for making a purse from recycled t-shirts.
Pat from Dallas, TX
Answers:
RE: Making a Purse from T-shirts
I don't have directions for you. But I have done a lot with t-shirts in the past and one the things I have found is they stretch a lot when working with them.
I highly recommend using a heated adhesive sheet to attach the t-shirt to before beginning to work with it. I like to make quilts, so I will sew all the squares together and then iron them to a large scrap fabric or sheet before adding the backing and quilting it.
I imagine this will help a lot in purse making, especially if you are not planning to line the purse.
This makes the fabric so much easier to deal with. Becareful though... make sure you use a stronger needle when sewing thicker materials (especially with the adhesive in there.)
