Repurpose or Upcycle Old Shirts into Decorative Pillows

Create a unique decorative pillow from the outdated shirts in your closet. It is recommended every year that you go through your closet and remove the items you have not worn. This includes favorite shirts or blouses. If you are like me, you hate to get rid of those favorite things. But, repurposing or upcycling these items give them a new life and you with lasting memories.

Things You’ll Need:

Old shirts or blouses
Scissors or rotary cutter and rotary cutting mat
Ruler or tape measure
Straight pins
Sewing machine
Thread
Iron
Ironing board
Fiberfill
Needle

Instructions:

Step 1 – Cut the buttons from the old shirt or blouse and save them in a button box. You never know when you might need a miscellaneous button.

Step 2 – Measure and cut the old shirt or blouse into 4-inch squares.

Step 3 – Sew five squares together to form a strip. Use a ½-inch. Repeat the process nine times. This will create a pillow that is 16-inches square.

Step 4 – Sew five strips together using a ½-inch seam. Set aside. Repeat the process one more time. Two panels of 20 squares are created. The panels are used for the front and the back of the pillow.

Step 5 – Iron the seams open.

Step 6 – Place one panel on a flat work surface so the seams are on the back. Flip the second panel over so the seams are on the top. Match the edges and pin together.

Step 7 – Sew the two panels together leaving a 4-inch opening. Begin the seam to the right center of one side. The opening is used to turn the pillow and to insert the fiberfill.

Step 8 – Insert your hand in the opening. Grab the opposite side of the pillow. Pull the pillow through the hole so the seams disappear to the inside.

Step 9 – Stuff the pillow with fiberfill until the desired firmness is achieved.

Step 10 – Fold the fabric on each side of the opening down ½-inch toward the inside of the pillow. Pin the opening together.

Step 11 – Hand sew the opening closed.

Create a quilt in the same fashion if you have an excessive amount of clothes to recycle. The same process works well with blue jeans, dress pants, dresses, pajamas, towels and old blankets. Simplify the cutting process by using strip quilting techniques.


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