Cost of taking action: £/$/€ FREE
Reuse an old t-shirt by making it into a tote bag
Today’s action is a good example of how a little creativity can turn something destined for the tip (landfill) into something that reduces the use of plastic, and all for free. That’s a win-win-win!
You can easily turn a favourite old T-shirt into a bag you can use for your shopping, gym kit, or anything else.
- your favourite T-shirt gets a new look and stays in your life
- the discarded fabric doesn’t end up in landfill
- your bag can be reused and reused, saving perhaps hundreds of single use plastic carrier bags
- your bag is completely washable
- reducing the use of plastic is massively important (see this article from National Geographic)
Take action
Here are some simple instructions for re-purposing an unwanted T-shirt as a re-usable tote bag.
The project takes just two quick seams and some simple cutting, and the resulting totes are strong and washable, ideal for groceries, books, gym clothes … or for anything you need to carry!
You will need
- unwanted cotton T-shirt (any size works, adult medium is about the same as a carrier bag)
- straight pins
- pencil
- dinner plate
- scissors
- sewing machine and thread
Instructions
Take your T-shirt and smooth it flat on a table.- Use scissors to remove the sleeves, leaving the seams in place.
- Place your dinner plate about halfway over the neck opening of the shirt and trace the curve with your pencil.
- This is the cutting line for the opening for your tote bag; cut along the traced line with the scissors (see pic)
- Turn the T-shirt inside out and pin the bottom of it closed, i.e. along the hem
- Use the sewing machine to sew the bottom of the T-shirt hem closed.
- Reinforce the bottom of your bag by sewing over this seam a second time!
- Turn the shirt-bag rightside out.
- Job done!
- Make another one for a friend of family member and tell them about Rotary World Savers as you give it to them
Take your T-shirt and smooth it flat on a table.