T Shirt Bag - A Christmas Project #1

Remember - Freebies will be posted Saturday mornings for the next few weeks!

A couple of days ago I posted about Having Yourself A Handmade Christmas...where I listed numerous handmade gift ideas (check it out if you haven't seen it!).

I wanted to start sharing a few of my own holiday crafting projects!

So - I present to you A Christmas Project #1 - a T Shirt Bag!

-as per Martha Stewart's instructions-

T Shirt Bag

Tools and Materials
Heavy-weight cotton T-shirt
Pins
Sewing machine
Medium-size bowl
Water-erasable marking pen
Scissors

T-Shirt Bag How-To
1. Turn T-shirt inside out and pin bottom of the T-shirt along the hem. Using a sewing machine, sew bottom of T-shirt closed. Flip shirt right side out and lay flat on table, making sure all seams are lined up.

2. Place medium-size bowl about half-way over the neck hole. Using a water-erasable marking pen, trace along the edge of the bowl. Cut along the outline, making sure to go through the front and back sides of the shirt, in order to create an opening for the bag that's larger than what the neck hole allows.

3. Line up the hems on the front and back side of the sleeve and cut, making sure to go through both sides of the shirt. Repeat on the other sleeve. Tip: A jersey shirt would also work well for this craft, as it is already sleeveless, and it's made of a great mesh material.

Now, I don't own a sewing machine - so I went the old fashioned way, with a needle and thread. Except, I used embroidery thread for it's strength and thickness - and I stitched and stitched to ensure the bottom of the bag won't burst.

Obviously, you wouldn't use this bag for hauling around a week's supply of heavy vegetables or big jugs of milk. But if you are looking for a bag that is perfect for running quick errands and can handle about 10 pounds or so (I haven't tested the weight exactly but am guessing from what I stuffed in it), this is it - and you are saving the planet because you're re using an old shirt plus avoiding plastic bags!

I don't have stylists like Martha does, so my presentation of the completed project isn't as perfect as hers (see the top of post) but here's how my bag turned out, stuffed with random items I had on hand:


The bag itself is quite roomy, as you can see from the photo - it would be perfect for use as a gym bag (you could fit your change of clothes, sneakers, a yoga mat, water bottle, towel, showering needs and more with room to spare) or a unique sleep over bag for your preteen, it could also be used as a dirty laundry hamper...and you can just toss it in with the wash! That is, of course, if you aren't using it as a regular reusable bag!

I'm pretty proud of it, and I have a few more t shirts I'll be using for more bags - it's an easy project that takes about an hour or so by hand, and probably about 15 minutes or less with a sewing machine!

PS - it was sheer luck that I found the exact same t shirt, in a thrift store, that Martha used!

PPS - this craft cost less than $1. I found the shirt at a thrift store!