THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED
A lifetime ago, our darling friend PeteA was wearing a t-shirt that my Pete adored. Generous soul that he is, PeteA literally gave Pete the shirt off his back. My Pete then went on to wear that tee for over twenty-five years – first for going out, then as a work shirt, and finally as pyjamas.
This morning, I turned it into a bag.
It probably has ten or more years of life left in it. And I thought to myself – if a simple t-shirt can survive three decades and two owners and still be a usable resource, then what does that say about fast fashion and single wear clothing?
And on the topic of t-shirt bags…we’ve now been using these for over a year, and in that time, they’ve become our go-to reusable bags.
Environmentally and practically, they tick every box:
- they don’t require any new resources as there’s always worn out tees in our house √
- they take just a few minutes of dodgy sewing to make √
- they go into the washing machine and dryer as needed √
- they’re perfect for takeaway/takeout because they’re so easy to launder √
- they’re super strong and carry large, oddly shaped loads √
- the wide straps don’t cut into your shoulder √
If you haven’t made any of these, I’d urge you to have a go! You really only need to sew the one seam at the bottom as the handles can just be cut and left unfinished, although I prefer to hem them. There are also lots of tutorials on how to make them without sewing (I haven’t tried it, but this one looks good).
Here are the wee instructions I wrote last year…hope you find it useful! ♥
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Ce, is that you??? You are rail thin if so! Wow, what is your secret?
No such luck darling, it’s Small Man! 😘
In any case, you are adorable! It is Thanksgiving in the States…I will always be thankful for you, no matter how often we connect. You will always be my inspiration.
Love you! 😘
I have finally taken the time to read your instructions on how to make the tshirt bag. Couldn’t be simpler. It would also be worthwhile going to a charity shop and buying some really cheap tshirts to make some. Do you use yours at the supermarket? Thanks so much for sharing. Pauline
I do! I use them for fruit and veg and meat as well, also for storing boots and out of season clothes. They seem to be endlessly useful! If you’re picking up cheap t-shirts, check out the Salvos for their $2 items and also at Reverse Garbage. The thicker the fabric, the better it will last but thinner ones will work as well. Have fun making them!
Magnificently making use of something that many people would just discard. You’ve really got me thinking – when did it become acceptable to be so wasteful? These bags are great, and I like that you always carry a spare to pass on 😁 (which is a great idea and I will do that in future). I hope Pete knew you were cutting his t-shirt up 😂
Yes, he knew! He did a big clean out and gave me five tshirts that he needed to retire – I’ve made three bags so far! They’re great fun because of the designs actually – it makes each one quite unique! :)
Dodgy sewing, I’m in! :)
I always enjoy my visits with you… reminder to recycle.. good on you
I’m sure there’s an old and well loved T-shirt around here somewhere!
What a great thing to do! On my list!
Then save the bottom you cut off, cut into strips and make a rug from many of those!
We save the sleeves and the bottoms as polishing and dusting rags!
I love this! What a great way to use up old t-shirts. Now I am wishing that I hadn’t just taken four of my husbands old work shirt to the charity shop…..
Great initiative, Celia. Our old t-shirts are always used as cleaning cloths (they’re so soft and especially great for polishing furniture or the car).
What a great idea!
So many tee shirts! So meaningful — they are all memories of something.
We can never bring ourselves to get rid of them. This is such a great idea except that re-usable shopping bags have also proliferated beyond belief in our bag box in the trunk of the car and in other places in the house. They are such convenient give-aways and such great gifts for our friends to give us that we have more than we can ever use.
The world is so complicated.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae, we’ve found the tshirt bags perfect for storing out of season clothes and linen – they’re easy to stuff and then tie closed. And as I said, they’re perfect for takeaway as they’re easy to wash. We have lots of reusable shopping bags too, but they’re all plastic based so they break down over time. We use them mostly now for gifts and use the tshirt bags for fruit, veg and groceries!
I havent visited your site for a while Celia, but when I do, I feel refreshed and full of new ideas.I love wearing my T-Shirts to death so this is another way revive them.