Easy T-Shirt to Reusable Grocery Bag Tutorial

Do you have a bunch of old or ill-fitting t-shirts lying around? If so, here's a good craft for upcycling them. I know there are other tutorials out there for similar bags, like this one, but here's my own version.

T-shirt material is great for reusable grocery bags because it's stretchy yet sturdy, doesn't fray, and it's washable! Of course these bags don't have to just be used for groceries--they're also good for toting books, crafting materials, kittens, etc. etc.

What you'll need:
-t-shirt(s)
-scissors
-pins
-thread
-sewing machine (optional)



1) Find a t-shirt you want to use, whatever style/size you desire. Obviously, you can make larger bags with larger t-shirts, and vice versa. I used an awesome, size large, Edgar Allan Poe t-shirt.




2) Lay t-shirt flat, and cut around the neckline. If you're more of a perfectionist, you can trace around a plate to make it more even. I just winged it.

3) Cut around approximated lines (as shown above) if you want to reduce the size of your bag. If you're starting with a smaller t-shirt--or you want to make a really big bag--you don't have to trim off the sides and bottom. You can just cut off the neckline and sleeves. Keep in mind though that t-shirt material is really stretchy, so once you start filling your bag up, it will get significantly bigger. Of course, this could be good or bad depending on how big you prefer your bag to be.


At this point, it may be tempting to wear your t-shirt as a badass muscle tank. If you can pull it off, by all means, go for it. There are plenty of other t-shirts in the world one can make into bags.


4) Turn t-shirt inside out, and pin along sides and bottom. If you didn't trim the sides, just pin the bottom.



5) Sew along pinned edges. You can either hand sew them or use a machine. If you're using a machine, I would recommend stitching over your seams a second time for extra durability.

6) Turn inside out, and you've got your bag!

This is another bag I made, without trimming the sides. I cut out a deeper, more ovular shape from the neckline, because I wanted longer handles. Try messing around with different styles. The t-shirt is your playground.