Simply "Cycle" Saturday

Every week we are seeing more and more how easy it is to reuse or re"cycle" items that we have in our homes that aren't being used anymore. Reusing items will help us to save money and help the environment by making less waste. Last week the item that we saw how to reuse was Old Newspaper.

This week we are going to see great uses for Old T-Shirts! T-shirts are easy to get and it seems that they come out of no where. If you volunteer for organizations, give blood, work for a company, etc., you probably got a FREE or discounted t-shirt. You wear it for a while and then it just lays in your dresser drawer. I have tons of t-shirts that I just don't wear anymore.

I decided to sit down one day and try to see what else I could use my t-shirts for. They have some meaning to me so I couldn't bear to just throw them out. Here are some of the things that I came up with:

1. You could make pillow cases out of them: You just cut off the sleeves, turn it inside out and sew the arm & neck holes. This makes fun pillowcases that have a very retro look.
2. You could use them as bedding for your animal's cages or kennels. There is nothing better to your pet then your smell. Something you have worn, has your scent. They will be comforted when you are gone. I gave my dog an old pillow and I put one of my t-shirts over it for a pillow case. She couldn't be happier.
3. You could use them as rags. If they don't hold any meaning and you just want to put them to good use, this is perfect. Cotton is great for soaking up liquid. They are perfect for cleaning with!
4. You could make a patchwork blanket with them. You would cut the t-shirt into squares and sew the squares together. Since cotton stretches, you will have to sew them to another type of material that doesn't stretch. Cut up the rest of the t-shirt that you didn't use for the patchwork to use as the batting. You will then use the non-stretch material for the backing. You now have a one of a kind blanket that has all your memories sown together.
5. You could also donate them. If you don't wear them then why not give them to someone who will. It fits the old saying, "One man's junk is another man's treasure!".

If you have another great use for old t-shirts, please post it here and share it with all of us.