T-shirt Trickery: Create Your Own Recycled T-Shirt or Personalized T Shirt

Do you have a favorite shirt and don’t want to throw into the garbage ‘coz you wore it when you hand your first kiss? Or you wore it when you caught your boyfriend cheating on you and it will serve as a reminder that you will not fall in love again with same kind of good-looking and egocentric guy.

The good news! Here are the 7 ways to give it a second chance (not the guy but the T-shirt).

1. A tee that’s too small or faded to wear on its own makes a great layering piece. Thinner tees or camisoles can look so stylish when you pile one on top of another. Choose two shirts in coordinating colors and let the first layer peek out at the bottom.

2. Cut off the sleeves and make it a cute tank top. Give it a slightly military look sewing patches on the front and bunching the shoulders together and securing them with a gold or silver chain from the crafts store.

3. Change the color! Channel your inner hippie and break out the tie-dye. Or just dye it a few shades darker. This works even with old concert tees, or anything with writing on it.

4. Sew buttons of various sizes along the neckline for a necklace effect. Pick out buttons in coordinating colors or fun shapes, or for a slightly dressier look, try metal buttons with a silver or gold finish.

5. Take a T-shirt that’s slightly baggy at the waistline and cut four 2-inch vertical slits in the front and in the back, lace it with a ribbon and tie it as a belt.

6. Cut some small slits or holes into a shirt that can be layered over another tee or a tank top, letting the color of the undershirt show through a bit.

7. Try tracing a favorite design onto an old white T-shirt as a fun art project. (What’s the worst that could happen? You’d throw it away, which you were about to do anyway!) With computer transfer paper (available at the office-supply stores), you can print out your own pictures or sayings. You could even print out an inside joke that only a few friends know, and watch them crack up when they see you wearing it.