No-Sew T-Shirt Tote Bags
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Do you have a closet full of old t-shirts like I do? How about making some no-sew tote bags? They’re a fun way to use t-shirts you’re not wearing anymore. Plus, they’re handy to have around for running errands, going to the farmers market, and for last-minute shopping trips into Aldi!
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I don’t know about you, but I seem to have a huge collection of t-shirts that don’t get worn anymore. They either have stains, holes, or are too big (yay!!) for me! I could totally cut them up for cleaning rags, but I already have a big bag filled with Jason’s old icky white undershirts.
As I was looking through my stash recently, I remembered how my sister-in-law makes fun tote bags from t-shirts to put gifts in. I decided I wanted to make some from all my old ones and knew I had to find a no-sew method, since I don’t have any sewing skills…
The best part of this project is that you probably already have everything on-hand that you need to do it. I did, however, treat myself to a pair of Fiskars sewing scissors because I wanted clean cuts…and I’ve always wanted some. I must tell you, if you have never had a pair of sewing scissors or shears, you might just want to invest in some. They are absolutely amazing—they cut through the t-shirts like butter!!
Directions:
Step 1:
If you want the design on the t-shirt to show when you’re done, start with the t-shirt turned inside out. Lay it out flat with the neck pointed toward you.
Step 2:
Lay the bowl down over the neckline as low or high as you want the opening of the bag to be. Run the marker along the perimeter of the bowl to make cutting easy. Cut on the line you drew along the neckline.
Step 3:
For the straps of the bag, cut down from the top of the shoulders of the t-shirt down toward the bottom of the armpit of the shirt, moving closer to the arm as you go.
Step 4:
Cut a strip of fabric off the bottom of the t-shirt. Gather the bottom of the shirt and tie a portion of the fabric you cut off it (like ribbon), knotting it several times (alternating sides), and trimming the ends of the fabric “ribbon” when you’re done.
Step 5:
Turn the bag right side out.
You should have a fun and sustainable tote bag now!
I have made a few of these market shopping tote bags since the one I created for this post and once you get the rhythm of it, they’re so easy to create! If you love to thrift shop, it would be fun to look for neat t-shirt designs to make bags of. Like I mentioned before, they make cool gift wrap and would be fun to personalize for the person you’re giving them to.
I always seem to forget to put my market bags into the car when I run errands or go to get groceries. I could easily keep a few of these in my car just in case. They take up no room whatsoever, which is even better!
If you decide to try this project for yourself, I’d love for you to share it in your stories on Instagram and tag me! You can find me HERE.
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