In our last post, we shared some cool do-it-yourself tutorials with ways to repurpose your old t-shirts, courtesy of a few of the best crafty blogs on the web. Today we have a little tutorial of our own! Check out our step-by-step guide on how to craft a simple, super-cute scarf out of an old t-shirt. Let’s get started!
What you’ll need:
- One t-shirt. Any knit fabric will do. The larger the size, the longer the scarf will be.
- Large, flat surface to lay out your t-shirt.
- Rotary blade or scissors for cutting fabric.
- Yard stick or large ruler for measuring and a straight edge.
- An iron for pressing fabric.
- A sewing machine for sewing.
1. Lay your t-shirt on a flat surface, smooth out to remove most of the wrinkles.
2. Cut straight across the bottom of the t-shirt just above the hem.
With the bottom of the t-shirt removed, the result should look something like this:
3. Next, cut a straight line vertically up both sides of the shirt, removing the sleeves and separating the front and back at the fold.
After removing both sides of the t-shirt, you should have something that looks like this:
4. Now, make another straight cut across the top of the shirt just below the bottom of the collar.
With the collar and shoulders of the t-shirt removed, the remaining fabric should look similar to the photo below. Our remaining fabric is 20″ wide by 24″ tall. These dimensions will vary depending on the size of the t-shirt you use.
5. Since our fabric is 24″ tall, we decided to make an 8″ wide scarf.
This allows us to easily cut the fabric horizontally into three, equal 8″ sections. You can cut yours to the desired width to make a wider or narrower scarf.
6. The t-shirt is now in six pieces, three from the front of the shirt and three underneath from the back of the t-shirt. It’s now time to select at least three of your pieces (you can use more for a longer scarf) and sew the short ends together using a French Seam.
7. To begin your French seam, take two pieces of your fabric and put the wrong sides together. “Wrong sides” refers to the sides of the fabric that will be on the “inside” of the scarf. Using a sewing machine, sew them together using the narrowest seam possible. Using a narrow seam will make it easier to encase the seam and make a more professional, less-obtrusive final product. Make sure to back-stitch to better secure the ends.
8. Repeat this with each piece of fabric. Sew the last and first pieces of fabric together to form a loop as seen below.
At this point we have something that resembles a scarf, but you’ll notice that the seams look ugly and unprofessional. No worries! It’s time to complete those French seams!
9. Turn the loop of fabric inside out and press all of the seams flat using an iron.
10. Since our loop is now inside-out, the “right” sides of the fabric are now facing each other. At the seams, sew the right sides together so that the original seams are “encased” in the new seam.
The result should look something look similar to the photo below. The exposed edges of the fabric are now inside the seam, creating a stronger and more professional looking seam.
Turn your scarf so that the right sides are facing outward once again. The finished seams are very clean and attractive.
Your simple t-shirt scarf is now complete! Since t-shirts are made with a knit fabric, the raw edges of the scarf will not fray. However, if you’re not a fan of the raw-edged look, feel free to finish the edges.
That’s it! Your new scarf is ready to enjoy!
Of course, it doesn’t have to end there. If you want to jazz it up a bit, feel free to add some of your own decorative touches. Perhaps a cute flower embellishment, for example. Be creative!
This is just one of dozens of ways to make a t-shirt scarf. Do you know of any more cool t-shirt scarf tutorials? If so, let us know in the comments!