Recycled T-Shirt Knotted Bracelet Tutorial

HEY!!!!! I'm backkkkk!!!!! Much apologies for being MIA for so long! A quick update: I finished my first year of teaching and I didn't die (yippee!) and I'm home in Canada for the summer, then heading back for another year in Macau :)

I've gotten a lot of requests for a how-to on the recycled t-shirt knotted bracelet I made a while back....SOOOOO I ended up making a video tutorial for you all :) I decided to jazz up the bracelet by painting on a leopard print and adding a few gold chains! These steps are optional but I think it looks pretty radical yeah?

OK hope you enjoy the tutorial and lemme know if you have any questions or comments. I'm thinking of giving one of these leopardy wrist snugglies away so check back soon! Have a lovely day! Smile :)

recycled t shirt project inspiration

Whoa it's me! So I thought I'd test out the whole video making thing. haha. May I remind you I have zero skills in movie editing/public speaking/speaking to no one in front of my computer (lol) so I might be slightly awkward. or a lot! eeeee! I wanted to show you this neat top I found that I might try to recreate on my own t shirts...lemme know your thoughts! Ok, have a good one, bye!

recycled t shirt embroidery

Housewarming present for Brayden! My first time embroidering....please ignore the wobbly wheels! haha. Follow this tutorial by My Vintage Secret for instructions on how to make your own!

DIY recycled t shirt braided neckpiece tutorial

This tutorial will teach you how to make your very own homemade recycled t shirt braided neckpiece!

For this project, I used XL t-shirts I got from a local thrift store but you can also use store bought jersey fabric as well. Let's get started!!

MATERIALS NEEDED:

- Cotton fabric OR two XL used seamless t-shirts (no need to buy new)
- Fabric scissors

That's it! WOW!

ABOUT THE FABRIC:

Go to your local thrift store to find mens or ladies XL cotton t-shirts. I say XL because the width of the t-shirt will determine how long your neckpiece will be and the length will determine the thickness. As inspired by pixie market's braided neckpiece I chose black and white as my color palette but you can choose any color combination you crafty heart desires! Also, avoid using t-shirts with seams sewn on the sides as they will look unsightly when braided. No no no to seams.

INSTRUCTIONS:

If you are using a t-shirt first you need to WASH it....who knows where it's been or who's been doing jumping jacks in it. Yucky. Next you want to lay it flat and cut out the body of the shirt by cutting off the hem on the bottom as well as the top portion of the shirt by cutting right under the armpit.

Ok here we go! weeeee!

Cut 1/2 - 1 inch strips along the width of the fabric creating loops. I cut out the strips freehand...you do not need to be exact, but try to make sure that the strips are about the same size. If the edges are jagged it's ok...they will be rolled up anyways.

You will end up with something like this:

Once all the strips have been cut out, gently tug along the length of the strips to curl the edges under. Make sure to stretch each loop out evenly, otherwise you can end up with some longer than others.

If you used a t-shirt for this project, cut through one end of fabric so you have long strands of cotton instead of circular loops. Leave two or three strands aside, as you will be using it to secure the braid later on.

Next you need to divide your strands into groups of three to prepare for the braiding. Make sure to have both white-white-black and black-black-white to give your neckpiece more dimension.

You will need to find something to anchor one end of the fabric to keep the strands in place while you braid. The only thing I could think of using was one of the table legs from my coffee table! haha. It worked really well! Leave a small amount of fabric at the top to be unbraided as this will be used to tie the two ends of the braid together. I will now leave you to your search of something to anchor your scarf. Good Luck!

Now it's braiding time!!! Yahoo!! I believe that most of you know how to preform a simple braid, but just in case you don't....watch this video here. Braid down the length of the fabric again leaving some of fabric unbraided at the bottom. Make sure you braid a small section at a time as the strands below the braid get tangled fairly quickly. Brush through them every so often to prevent this from happening.

You'll end up with something like this: Here's what black-black-white and white-white-black looks like when braided, looking good eh?

Once the braid is complete, gently remove it from whatever you used to anchor it and tie the two ends of the braid together with a double knot.

One down!! Keep up the great work!!

Repeat the above steps for the remainder of the stands. NOTE: As seen in the final neckpiece the length of the braids are varied, some shorter than others. To achieve this, simply leave more of the fabric unbraided at the top and bottom. You'll have to eyeball the braids to make sure you have an even distribution of lengths.

1 braid, 2 braids, 3 braids.........about 12 braids later your neckpiece is finally started to take shape! Aw, hi friend, you're looking swell :)

Trim off the excess fabric around the knots so you're left with enough to make sure your knots don't come apart. This step could be optional if you like the look of some strands hanging loose.

Almost there! You can do it! Now gather all your braids together at the knots. Spread the knots out a bit so it won't be too thick to cover up. Using the strands you set aside in the beginning, wrap them around the all the braids near the knots once and secure with a double knot. With the remaining fabric, gently wrap it around the knots until they are completely covered up....again secure with a knot and tuck in the ends.

Yipee! You're finished! Enjoy your new homemade recycled t shirt braided neckpiece!

Aw, I like.

Comment below if you have any questions, thanks for reading :)

Double T Shirt Dress

What do you do with two old t shirts on their way to the donation center? Make a dress of course! From the creators over at takeoffyourclothes, this breezy dress is made from two t shirts sewn together at the neckline, the sleeves are turned in and sewn shut to make pockets! So c-c-c-lever!! The dress can be worn several different ways and the comfort level is a-ok. I bet this would make a fun DIY project...scour your dad's closet for some vintage tees and away you go! la la la. IMAGINE all the different color combinations you could come up with .... mint green + grey, sunny yellow + navy, any color + black ... wowee, just in time for spring!

I also love this little number I like to call: "I'm a t shirt....just kidding...I'm a dress!!" also by takeoffyourclothes. Like what you see? Visit their etsy shop for some of their other t shirt creations. Dum dee dum, have a lovely week.

Pssssssssssssst black and white braided scarf tutorial coming right up!

Upcoming Tutorial

Hi Friend. As you know, last month I came across pixie market's black and white braided scarf and was immediately inspired to create my own DIY recycled t shirt version. After scouring the streets of Macau in search of a thrift store to purchase some old tees unsuccessfully, I sadly accepted the fact that my love affair with second hand shopping will have to be put on hold for the time being. Sigh. I reluctantly purchased some new shirts and began crafting away! I haven't completed the scarf yet but so far I looovvvee how it's turning out. Yahoo! I've been taking photos every step of the way to put together a tutorial for all you craft lovers out there...oooh how perfect for a lazy sunday afternoon and a delicious cup of tea. Here's a sneak peak of what I have completed so far, what do you think?? Check back soon for the finished product and instructions on how to make your very own. I hope you like it :)

Featured: Milwaukee Art Museum!

Oh wow oh wow! Last month Kristin Nelson, the Lead Instructor for a program called the DIY Studio at the Milwaukee Art Museum contacted me about featuring my recycled t shirt knotted bracelet as one of their MAM after dark projects. Every after dark event has a theme and guests have a chance to learn how to make DIY projects that coincide with the accompanying exhibition or theme of the evening. Last month the event had a green theme with a recycled art fashion show, so the focus was, as Kristin says, repurposing materials! Here are a few pictures of the bracelet making in action:

Haha, look at those boys crafting away :) For more information on the Milwaukee Art Museum and the DIY studio, visit their website here, and for a more images from the event including the recycled art fashion show, visit their flickr page here. oh AND here's the original recycled t shirt knotted bracelet post if you so wish to mosey on over. Yipee! thanks, SUPER thanks to MAM and Kirstin for featuring my project as part of the after dark series, I feel nice inside to have been chosen. Aw. Real nice.

Recycled T Shirt Knotted Bracelet

Aw, these bracelets are so snuggly and soft you don't even know you're wearing it! What a great way to use up the scraps left over from whatever t shirt project your working on. This knot is just TOO lovely, I think I'm going to try this one next. hmmm looks tricky.

Update!! Video Tutorial HEERREEEE:

Recycled T Shirt Knotted Headband

Yahoo! I've been really loving all the knotted rope accessories that have been popping up all around and thought I could try recreating the look with t shirts! It took me forever to find a how-to on tying this knot...but here it is, in case you want to do some knotting of your own! I present to you the Josephine knot! haha. HI Josephine, you look nice today. Sorry the colors are kind of drab...I blame the drab weather we've been having. No sunshine and rainbows here. boooo. Lemme know what you think. Knotted bracelets still to come :)

Recycled T Shirt Scarf

Woo wee what do we have here? Half circle scarf, half multistrand goodness. Lemme tell ya, this little guy is super versatile! I've found so many ways of wearing it...a shrug, a belt, a knotted neck piece, and the list goes on. I'll post a few pics of what I've come up with a little later on. Stayed tuned folks, more recycled t shirt goodness to come!

Recycled T Shirt Braided Belt

Continuing with the braided theme...I made some belts as well! Look familiar? Totally inspired by the American Apparel fine jersey braided belt (as seen below) but for a fraction of the cost!



All you need is an old t-shirt, some scissors...the rest is easy as pie....mmmm.

Quick mini tutorial:

- Find an old large sized seamless t-shirt. The wider it is, the longer your belt will be.
- Cut the hem off the bottom of the shirt.
- Cut three 3/4 inch strips along the width of the t shirt. ie. from armpit to armpit.
- Gently tug on the strips to stretch them out, they will naturally curl.
- Cut the strips so that you have three long pieces instead of loops.
- Tie a knot at one end of the strips and anchor it with something heavy.
- Braid down the length of the fabric and secure the ends with another knot.
- TA DA! Enjoy your new recycled t shirt braided belt!

Recycled T Shirt Braided Headband

Dum dee dum, sorry for the lack of posts lately. It's raining, it's pouring and I've been crafting awaaaaaaaaaay. The next market collective is fast approaching and I've been trying to create some new items for my table AND I'm hoping to add a few new goodies to my etsy shop as well. I made these braided headbands while watching 13 Going on 30 on TV....hahaha what a delight! Oh Mark Ruffalo. Anyhoo, these are SUPER easy to make, perhaps I shall do a tutorial?
I hope you enjoy!

P.S. How did I get those colors you ask? Bleach is my new best friend, HI friend.

DIY recycled t shirt braided scarf tutorial

This tutorial will teach you how to make your very own homemade recycled t shirt braided scarf.

There are several different ways to go about making these scarves, but all are extremely simple. For this project, I used XL t-shirts I got from a local thrift store but you can also use store bought jersey fabric as well. Let's get started!!

MATERIALS NEEDED:

- Fabric OR XL used seamless t-shirt (no need to buy new)
- Fabric scissors

That's it! WOW!

ABOUT THE FABRIC:

You will need approximately 1 - 2 meters of fabric depending on the desired length. I chose a cotton jersey because it was so soft and very stretchy, however, any type of cotton will do. Go to your local thrift store to find mens or ladies XL cotton t-shirts. I say XL because the width of the t-shirt will determine how long your scarf is and the length will determine the thickness. Also, avoid using t-shirts with seams sewn on the sides as they will look unsightly when braided. No no no to seams.

INSTRUCTIONS:

If you are using a t-shirt first you need to WASH it....who knows where it's been or who's been doing jumping jacks in it. Yucky. Next you want to lay it flat and cut out the body of the shirt by cutting off the hem on the bottom as well as the top portion of the shirt by cutting right under the armpit.

Feel free to splatter fabric paint or tie dye your material at this point, I have kept this scarf plain.

Cut 1/2 - 1 inch strips along the width of the fabric creating loops. I cut out the strips freehand...you do not need to be exact, but try to make sure that the strips are about the same size. If the edges are jagged it's ok...they will be rolled up anyways.

You will end up with something like this:

Once all the strips have been cut out, gently tug along the length of the strips to curl the edges under. Make sure to stretch each loop out evenly, otherwise you can end up with some longer than others.

If you used a t-shirt for this project, cut through one end of fabric so you have long strands of cotton instead of circular loops. Leave one strand aside, as you will be using it to secure the braid later on.

You will need to find something to anchor one end of the fabric to keep the strands in place while you braid. The only thing I could think of using was one of the table legs from my coffee table! haha. It worked really well! Leave a good amount of fabric to be unbraided as this will form the free flowing strands that you see in the photo. I left approximately a foot of fabric. I will now leave you to your search of something to anchor your scarf. Good Luck!

Next you will need to divide your strands into three equal sections. Here I had exactly four strands in each section, BUT the number of strands does not need to be exact....just roughly the same.

Now it's braiding time!!! Yahoo!! I believe that most of you know how to preform a simple braid, but just in case you don't....watch this video here. Braid down the length of the fabric again leaving about a foot of fabric unbraided at the bottom. Make sure you braid a small section at a time as the strands below the braid get tangled fairly quickly. Brush through them every so often to prevent this from happening.

Once the braid is complete, gently remove it from whatever you used to anchor it and tie the two ends of the braid together with the strand you saved earlier. Wrap it around the ends several times and double knot it to secure. Weeee you're almost done!!!

Feather out the strands and cut random pieces shorter to created a layered effect.

Easy Peasy! Now you're all done! Enjoy your new homemade recycled t-shirt braided scarf, how lovely.

Comment below if you have any questions! Thanks for reading!!