My lovely friend Aimee inspired me to make one of these bags. They’re really simple and a great way to upcycle old t-shirts. All you need is a sharp pair of scissors, an old t-shirt and about half an hour.
Start by cutting off the sleeves. I just followed the seam.
Next you need to cut the neckline. You could mark it out using a plate or bowl. I did mine freehand by following the neckline and making it a few centimetres deeper. Make sure you cut both layers of t-shirt together.
To make the base of the bag cut the bottom of the t-shirt into fringed strips, making sure that you cut both layers together so that you get an equal number of strips on both sides. It’s up to you how long you make the strips – they need to be knotted so they’ll need to be long enough for you to do that. This t-shirt had side splits so I used that as my guide but if yours doesn’t you might find it helpful to draw a line across as a guide.
The final step is a little bit fiddly – turn the t-shirt inside out and start knotting the strips together. You can do this however you find easiest – my method is to work using the strips in blocks of 4, using 2 strips from the front and 2 strips from the back of the t-shirt. Double knot the first strip together with the one diagonally opposite it and repeat with the other 2 strips in your block of 4. Repeat this all the way along the t-shirt. Try and knot them quite tightly as once you start using the bag the knotting will give slightly.
Turn the t-shirt back the right way round and voila! You have your finished bag. They’re great for shopping trips, trips to the park or beach and fold up nice and small so you can keep one in a handbag.
Eco Family Life 