Do you have some favorite old tee shirts lying around that don’t fit or are not in decent wearing condition?  Recycle them with this “rockin’” project!  This is the perfect craft project for a teen, or gift for a young adult. (They look great in dorm rooms or first apartments)!

There are so many reasons to love this project.  It’s green, it’s cheap, it’s easy, and it’s fun!   I also love the fact that this unique wall art is a step-up from boring old paper posters.

Here are the materials you will need:

  • An assortment of tee shirts with graphics or logos
  • An assortment of frame-stretched and mounted canvas (6” to 1’ squares work best)
  • Scissors
  • Masking tape
  • Staple gun with plenty of staples

If you need t-shirts or stretched canvas, I found my local Goodwill to be a treasure trove of these items.  My whole project for three finished pieces cost about six dollars.  Believe it or not, under my tee shirts is some very ugly artwork.  Who cares if the canvas isn’t new?  It’s just going to be covered.

It helps to keep a theme and color scheme in mind.  The particular recipient of this gift is a music lover, so I chose tee shirts which reflect that interest.

Another tip: try an odd number.  My inner interior decorator likes the look of odd numbers in a wall collection.  Three or five pieces are a safe bet.

Directions:

  1. Choose your favorite shirts and choose canvas that fits over a large part (if not all) of the tee shirt logo what you want to display.
  2. Casually wrap each tee around its canvas and lay them out together.  How do they look?  Do they look like a collection?
  3. Next, cut your tee shirts.  You need to remove the sleeves and the back (or front, depending on the location of the graphic).  Be sure to leave as much extra fabric around the graphic as possible.
  4. Now, you’re ready for the canvas.  Lay the graphic over the canvas, and position the artwork over the piece just how you prefer. This is where you can get creative and center a particular part of the graphic you love, or even turn it diagonally for an interesting angle.  Be sure to note if the frame has a hanger on the back, as you will want to make that your “top.”
  5. Once you’re happy with the position, wrap each corner of fabric around the corner of the frame, to the back of the piece, and tape it into place.
  6. Check to make sure your shirt is still positioned the way you wish.
  7. Staple the corners of the piece first, on the back of the frame.
  8. Now, like wrapping a gift, bring the sides firmly under to staple around the edges. Be sure to leave the hangar exposed if possible.  If not, you can probably still use the hanger through the fabric of the shirt.
  9. When done stapling, trim the extra fabric and tape with scissors, and check the piece from the front, to make sure no fabric edges are showing.  (I found after trimming that I needed to staple a bit more).
  10. Enjoy your finished, original, one-of-a-kind piece!  Hang it on the wall, or give it as a gift.

 Do you have any ideas for up-cycling old tee shirts?  Please share them in the comments below.