26 Brilliant Ways To Repurpose Those Ratty Old T-Shirts
No sewing machine required!
1. Show your elbows some love with these DIY heart patches.
What you'll need:
- Shirt or sweater
- Felt
- Fabric glue
- Fabric markers
You can find the instructions here.
2. Turn a blah long sleeve shirt into a classy cardigan.
3. Make a cool multi-strand scarf out of your ex's t-shirt.

4. Add an artistic touch to a plain white tee.
5. Give people the cold shoulder with this cool design.

What you'll need:
- T-shirt
- Scissors
- Chalk
- Studs
- Pliers
- X-acto knife
Follow the step-by-step instructions here.
6. Customize any t-shirt with a ~cool~ lace insert.
What you'll need:
- T-shirt
- Lace
- Iron-on hem tape
- Iron
- Scissors
- Printed picture of a crescent moon (or any shape you'd like)
- Pen
Complete tutorial here.
7. Give your favorite shirt some bow sleeves.

8. Give your back a cute cut-out.
Tie-dye and cut-outs will give any shirt extra flair.

9. Add a delicate and elegant accent to a baggy t-shirt.
10. Embellish your shoulders with some snazzy epaulettes.
What you'll need:
- Shirt
- Beaded epaulettes
- Sew-on snaps
- Needle and thread
Find the complete tutorial here.
11. Spell it out with ~edgy~ safety pins.

What you'll need:
- Oversized tee
- Scissors
- Safety pins
All you have to do is cut the sleeves off and spell out any message you'd like with safety pins. You can find more detailed instructions (in Spanish) here.
12. Create a ~cute~ ventilation system with these fun cut-outs.
13. Create a galaxy of your own with a black shirt and some paint.
What you'll need:
- Dark colored t-shirt
- Bleach
- Empty spray bottle
- Fabric paint or acrylic paint in purple, blue, red, white, and yellow
- Sponges
- An old toothbrush
Follow the tutorial here.
14. Make your back the focal point with this cool DIY.

15. Make a tailored tee with a braided back out of a baggy t-shirt.

16. Dip dye an old oversized tee.

What you'll need:
- Shirt
- Rubber gloves
- Large bowl
- Packet of dye
- Salt
- Hot water
- Bowls
Follow the complete instructions here.
17. Make a racerback workout tee out of an old oversized shirt.

18. Make a tote bag out of a shirt that's been sitting in your closet.

What you'll need:
- T-shirt
- White pencil
- Scissors or rotary cutter
- Ruler
- Cutting mat
You can follow the visual tutorial here.
19. Upgrade a tee with this detailed open back design.

20. Embellish your neckline with colorful gems.

21. Make a super comfortable baggy halter out of an old shirt.
22. Convert that huge t-shirt you use as PJs into a cute dress.

What you'll need:
- Oversized t-shirt
- Fabric glue
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Marker
Watch the video tutorial here.
23. Make cute accessories out of old t-shirts.

24. Get creative with paint and decorate your favorite shirt.
25. Make a casual tee into an elegant one-shoulder shirt.
