How to Make a No-Sew T-Shirt Bag

Robert Anderson from Curtain Clean Palmerston North

Here at Curtain Clean we are big advocates of sustainability. Clean, re-use, recycle!

Help us reduce waste and have fun doing it with our little tutorial on how to turn a T-shirt into a re-usable bag.

You’ll need:
Old t-shirt – The thicker the fabric, the sturdier the bag
Sharp scissors, preferably fabric scissors
Washable marker (optional)

Step 1: Cut the sleeves off so it resembles a singlet.

Step 2: Cut the neckline area into a circle or oval – these will become our handles. Trace a bowl to get a perfectly round circle.

Step 3: Turn the t-shirt inside out. Determine where you want the bottom of the bag to be and trace a line across. Keep in mind that depending on the fabric used, your tote is likely stretch and become longer when it’s filled with stuff.

Step 4: Cut slits from the bottom of the shirt up to the line marking the bottom of your bag. Keep the slits small to prevent large gaps in the bottom of the bag. You’ll want to cut both the front and back layers together because they need to match up for the next step.

Step 5: Tie the front and back fringe together in knots and turn the shirt right side out. For extra embellishments, tie the straps (handles) in knots, or tie bits of t-shirt scrap to the top.

P.S. We'd love to see your creations!!