--- title: "How to Turn a T-Shirt into an Accent Pillow" url: https://decoratingwithless.com/turn-t-shirt-accent-pillow description: "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?" published: 2015-02-17 updated: 2015-02-17 --- # How to Turn a T-Shirt into an Accent Pillow Published 2015-02-17 17 February 2015 · [DIY](https://decoratingwithless.com/category/diy) 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](https://decoratingwithless.com/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!* #### Related Posts [How I Made an Incredible Piece of Artwork for $5](https://decoratingwithless.com/made-incredible-piece-artwork-5) [5 Websites for Free Photography to Decorate Your Home](https://decoratingwithless.com/5-websites-free-photography-decorate-home) [How to Make a DIY Ring Holder in 5 Minutes](https://decoratingwithless.com/make-diy-ring-holder-in-5-minutes) Tagged [Saving Money](https://decoratingwithless.com/tag/saving-money) · [Decorating Ideas](https://decoratingwithless.com/tag/decorating-ideas) · [DIY Decorating](https://decoratingwithless.com/tag/diy-decorating) · [DIY](https://decoratingwithless.com/tag/diy) · [Frugal Decor](https://decoratingwithless.com/tag/frugal-decor) · Thrift Stores