T-Shirt Purse!

Okay, so you go on all these trips and participate in all these things, and the T-shirts just pile up!! You wear them once or twice, then never again... Then there's always those shirts that you've stained, or that just don't fit anymore. The shirts are just too cute to get rid of, even if you'll never wear them again! Well, here is a ten-step thirty-minute solution. It's super easy, and super cute!


Assemble!
A T-shirt
Scissors
Sewing Machine

Flip It!

Simply flip the shirt inside out.

Plan It!
Before you begin cutting or sewing anything on fabric, it's always kind of nice to draw out a plan before you start.

Cut It!
Since T-shirt fabric is prone to fraying and curling up, you should ALWAYS sew before you cut. With These sleeves though, there's already a hem where the arm holes are! So, just cut about a centimeter away from the sleave crease, and remove the sleeve.

Sew It!
It helps to draw a line first, but pick a place where you want the bottom of the bag. (This is also where you have to decide if you want a flat bottomed or rounded bag.) Then, sew along the line, making sure the material lies flat. I suggest sewing over it twice on areas of the bag that will carry a lot of weight or stress.

At the hole where you cut the sleeves off, sew to about halfway up the armhole (or however far you want it) on both sides.

Cut It!
About half an inch from the line which will be the bottom of your bag, cut following the line. Next, go to your sleeves. On the shoulders, there will be a seam. Cut on both sides of the seam, leaving it looking like this.

Then turn to the scrap left over from the base of your bag. On the side with the tag, (or either side if your shirt doesn't havce one) do the same removal of the seam as above. ONLY DO THIS ON ONE SIDE. If you do it to both, you can sew them back together and it's fine, but more complicated.


Sew It!
You can make a choice here, to leave the bottom hem on or cut it off. I chose to leave it, but if you want to cut it off simply sew all along the side, then you can cut between the two seams. You must now sew three more lines all the way down. These will be your straps! I suggest about two inches thick, but just make sure both straps are about the same widths. Leave some space between the first and second seam, to cut between them.

Cut It!
Cut the straps out, leaving some room on the outside of your seam.

Sew It! Sew the straps to the top. To do this, you must match "pretty-to-pretty." This means, put the side which has no rough seam (pictured above) in the middle against the side of the shirt with the image. Sew the ends of the shirt and the strap together.

Then, attach the other end of the strap to the other sleeve. Repeat this with the back side.

Now, you're done! Enjoy your cute, handmade bag!
Happy Crafting!

As always, I'd love to see how yours turned out! :)