Make a Quilt With Tee Shirts

@RubyHawk (99405)

Atlanta, Georgia

August 13, 2018 9:22pm CST

If you are like me, you can't bear to throw away anything that could be remotely useful, and believe me, you can use those old tee shirts in very practical ways. Here are a few ideas. If you quilt and your old tee shirts are of interesting colors or motifs: Cut tee shirts in squares and sew together to make a one of a kind quilt. It takes about 36 tee shirts making 14 inch squares to make a queen sized bed quilt. You can make a twin sized bed quilt with half that many. You might want to add a matching or contrasting border around the quilt.

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27 responses

@JudyEv (338949)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Aug 18

That's a great idea. I like the handbags that are made from old shorts too - or the top part of a pair of jeans.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

I love those too. I’m always tempted to try making one but I haven’t yet. I like the jeans ones with pockets.

@Mavic123456 (21893)

• Thailand

14 Aug 18

that's nice, I am also intrigue with the tshirt rugs. show us the end result later.

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@Mavic123456 (21893)

• Thailand

16 Aug 18

@RubyHawk i saw it from youtube turtorial, vut instead of making our worn out shirts as rugs i just use them as is. lol such a lazy me

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

17 Aug 18

@Mavic123456 I suppose you would cut the shirts in strips to weave.

@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

I haven’t made any tee shirt rugs.

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@velvet53 (22534)

• Palisade, Colorado

28 Aug 18

That would be fun to make. I could even get tee shirts from my sons and their families so I would have a little of everyone in it.

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@velvet53 (22534)

• Palisade, Colorado

1 Sep 18

@RubyHawk I sure could. I already got some tee shirts from my sons today. Now I have to work on the rest of the family. That would be grand daughters and grand sons and my daughter in laws.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

2 Sep 18

@velvet53 Good for you, most people have tee shirts they never wear and don't mind getting rid of.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

29 Aug 18

That's neat, you could make a memory quilt.

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@LadyDuck (471002)

• Switzerland

14 Aug 18

It is interesting even if I would never be able to put together 36 T-shirts, at most I have 6 in the house and some are pretty old.

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@LadyDuck (471002)

• Switzerland

15 Aug 18

@RubyHawk I do not know many people who wear T-shirts, most of my male friends wear shirts and the women dresses. I know they donate to charities when a bit worn out. I do the same and I think it's a nice thing to do to help those in need.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

You would have to get donations of friends old tee shirts to make a quilt. Most people are glad to get rid of old tee shirts. Adn they love to see what you make of them.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

16 Aug 18

@LadyDuck Most women I know wear jeans and tees, jeans are my usual attire but I wear long sleeve blouses..

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@JustBhem (70555)

• Davao, Philippines

14 Aug 18

I wanted to make one using those small shirts I have. But whenever I try to make plans of it, it washes away the idea.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

Sometimes that happens. I never get to do everything I would like to.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

16 Aug 18

@JustBhem i have many things I enjoy doing but I don't have time for most of it.

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@JustBhem (70555)

• Davao, Philippines

15 Aug 18

@RubyHawk Yeah because something new will come to our mind.

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@arunima25 (87747)

• Bangalore, India

14 Aug 18

I am one person like you. I like to make use of everything. This seems a good idea. I mostly donate my used clothes to poor, so I am left with none now. Last time I used a torn bed sheet to make a bathroom rug. Since it was torn, I could not donate it and I made a good use of it instead of throwing away.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

I like to make use of everything possible. Anything I cannot make use of I donate to a thrift store where someone can buy at a small price.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

16 Aug 18

@arunima25 Yes, I like that idea, it's what I try to do.I read somewhere that the food a restaurant throws out every day could feed a family for a week. That's horrible. The food could be given to someone.

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@arunima25 (87747)

• Bangalore, India

15 Aug 18

@RubyHawk That is good. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle...we have to follow it for our planet.

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@scarlet_woman (23463)

• United States

14 Aug 18

i use fusable interfacing too to make the cloth more sturdy to stitch.

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@scarlet_woman (23463)

• United States

16 Aug 18

@RubyHawk it helps-especially with old shirts.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

17 Aug 18

@scarlet_woman I can see that it would help.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

Sounds interesting. I’ve never done that.

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@marguicha (222518)

• Chile

14 Aug 18

Maybe I could make a quilt cover that way!

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@marguicha (222518)

• Chile

15 Aug 18

@RubyHawk I´ll start by checking what I have in my drawers.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

You could ask your friends and family to give you all their old ones they’re getting rid of. Tee shirts are soft and comfortable .

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

16 Aug 18

@marguicha I made one years ago. I collected old tee shirts from everyone, then gave the quilt away.

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@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)

• United States

25 Aug 18

I have seen tutorials on how to make yarn with the t-shirt, so that one could make bags, lap throws, scarves and all sorts of other things with it.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

26 Aug 18

I suppose you would cut them in small strings and weave them. I've never seen it done. I have seen throw rugs made by braiding strips of cloth.

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317002)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

15 Aug 18

That would make a very interesting quilt.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317002)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

17 Aug 18

@RubyHawk I'm sure they are comfortable and snuggable too.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

18 Aug 18

@just4him Very soft and snuggley.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

16 Aug 18

They look very nice and they are soft and comfortable to snuggle up in. I made one years ago and gave it away.I give most of my quilts away.

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@Iam_jauntyjen (5016)

•

23 Aug 18

I am actually thinking of what to do with daughter's outgrown clothes. I think I should try to make a quilt out of it.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

24 Aug 18

It's a good thought. Her clothing would make a beautiful quilt.

@Courage7 (19633)

• United States

14 Aug 18

Yes one can re use almost any cloth and t shirts sounds like an awesome idea for a quilt thanks Ruby.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

You’re welcome. You can make a quilt out of almost any kind of material and tee shirt quilts are soft and comfortable.

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@yoalldudes (35037)

• Philippines

19 Aug 18

I wish you have a tutorial for this. I would love to learn.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

20 Aug 18

All you need is to cut squares and sew them together to make your top. Then place your lining down first, wrong side up, your filler in the middle, place your top on the filler. Pin all three layers together and start sewing. Of course, if you make a more complicated quilt it's more work.

@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

21 Aug 18

@yoalldudes You can buy cotton filler or polyester or you can use a light blanket. It's easier to use a light blanket. Just put the blanket between the topping and the lining and sew the three together. Then turn in and hem the outer edges. After you do that, stitch all over the quilt.

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@yoalldudes (35037)

• Philippines

20 Aug 18

@RubyHawk What material is the filler. I wonder what makes the quilt thick.

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@jipsyjo30 (42)

• United States

16 Aug 18

Cool. I'd love to see the finished product. I just cut up old tee shirts into cleaning rags.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

17 Aug 18

I do that, I haven't made a tee shirt quilt in a long time. I might never do it again. You have to gather up a lot of tee shirts to do so.

@AmbiePam (92105)

• United States

14 Aug 18

I always thought that would be really cool to know how to do.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

It’s very easy. Just cut to size and sew the pieces together.

@youless (112482)

• Guangzhou, China

14 Aug 18

This is a cool idea! And it can turn something useless into useful

In fact when I was little, my mom used pieces of little clothes to make me a quilt.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

I use scraps of material to make mine too. I have a trunk full of scraps. And I like to make something that will be useful to someone.

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@lady1993 (27224)

• Philippines

14 Aug 18

I want to see this quilt too.. i don't know how to make one myself

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

All you need do is cut squares and sew them together to make your top. Then use a sheet for a lining. Place a thin blanket between the two and quilt them together.

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@jstory07 (139415)

• Roseburg, Oregon

14 Aug 18

Sounds good. But I do not sew at all.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

Then it wouldn’t be for you if you don’t enjoy sewing.

@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

14 Aug 18

I'm like you in the way we both like poetry, but I'm certainly not like you in being able to make quilts. I just couldn't be bothered

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

It takes all sorts of people to make a world. I’m sure you enjoy doing many things that I wouldn’t like. I’m more a home body. I enjoy choosing quilt patterns and picking through my scraps to fancy what will best go together. I don’t have time to quilt as much as I would like.

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@andriaperry (116936)

• Anniston, Alabama

14 Aug 18

I thought about that a while back, I still have the shirts so maybe one day I will have time to use the new sewing machine I have yet to use.

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@RubyHawk (99405)

• Atlanta, Georgia

15 Aug 18

A new sewing machine is all the better. A good way to break your sewing machine in. Mine is old but it still gets the job done.