Do you have an old t-shirt in your closet that you no longer wear? I am sure you do. Why not do something with that old t-shirt that can decorate your home?

I am always looking for ways to reuse things in my house or stuff I find at thrift stores. I recently started doing a DIY monthly challenge with a group of other DIY enthusiasts on Facebook…by the way if you haven’t already done so please like me on Facebook.

In this DIY challenge, each month there is a theme and everyone is assigned a particular project. For the month of February the theme was appropriately “Love” and I was assigned a t-shirt project. When I got t-shirt project I was not too excited, because I didn’t want to create a Valentine’s Day t-shirt…

…but then I started thinking about ways I could transform a old t-shirt into something else “Love” themed that could decorate a room. As you know from my post, My Big Interior Design Confession, I have a lot of decorating I want to do. So I am always looking for easy ways to decorate my home.

After tossing around some ideas and surfing Pinterest for inspiration I decided to turn a t-shirt into an accent pillow for my daughter’s bedroom…the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for my oldest.

Here is the end result of my easy t-shirt transformation.

I am particularly proud at how this DIY project turned out. It has been a long time since I attempted a sewing project…so I was nervous to do this project. Luckily my sewing skills came back to me.

Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Turn a T-Shirt into an Accent Pillow

Supplies & Tools

  • Tools (with links to the specific tools I used)
    • Scissors
    • Sewing Machine
    • Thread
    • Needles
    • Fabric Acrylic Ruler
    • Rotary Cutter
    • Cutting mat
  • Supplies
    • T-Shirt (I bought a girls t-shirt from Goodwill for $1.99)
    • A Small Pillow (I also got this at Goodwill for again $1.99)

Step 1:

Measure the size of your pillow to determine where to cut off the shirt.

The idea is the pillow cover will come from the body portion of the t-shirt. (Hint: if possible find a t-shirt that is the same width as your pillow. This will eliminate two seams to sew)

Step 2:

Use the rotary cutter and fabric ruler to cut off the top portion of the shirt.

Don’t throw the top of he shirt away…I use it later.

Step 3:

Sew the bottom of the t-shirt shut.

Since the bottom of the shirt already had a finish edge I simply sewed right across the bottom.

Step 4: (Optional)

Cut out the heart shape from the top of the t-shirt that you cut off in step 2.

This step is optional because you could to choose not to add this heart embellishment.

I made my own half heart template out of some cardboard. Then I folded the fabric over itself on 45 degree angle so the stripes would not run horizontal.

Step 4b:

Sew the heart onto the pillow cover.

I did this step after I sewed the top seam halfway making the a little more difficult…oops. Sew the heart on now before sewing the top seam and it will make this so much easier.

I hand sewed the heart on using a back stitch. If you are a skilled sewer you maybe able to sew this on using a sewing machine.

Step 5:

Turn the shirt inside out and sew half the top seam of the pillow cover.

You could choose to sew the top seam by had but I felt this would make it easier for me to get a good seam.

Step 6:

Turn the t-shirt right side out and stuff the pillow into the cover.

Step 7:

Finish sewing the top seam by hand. Then you are done!

Total Time to Complete: 3:30 hours

T-Shirt + Pillow = Endless Possibilities

You could do this DIY pillow project anytime of year to create inexpensive throw pillows for your home. I know I can see myself doing this project again because it was so easy.

Throw pillows can be expensive to buy, so making your own from a Goodwill t-shirt for under $5 is money saved.

Hannah was super excited to get her Valentine’s Day gift from daddy! Priceless

Does sharing DIY projects like this one help you decorate your home? I would love to know.

Also, if you enjoyed this post please click to share it with your friends.

Happy Decorating!

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