Recently we had the opportunity to give a gift to a friend leaving the USA for a year to live as a missionary in Nicaragua. We wanted it to be something she could use right away & wouldn’t have to store. A trip to Whole Foods provided everything we needed. We found a variety of useful items & healthy snacks she could use on the plane. Next was finding the right gift bag that was useful even after the contents were gone. We decided to transform a t-shirt that was meaningful to her & make it into a bag.

Materials/Tools:

T-shirt, we used an adult Small
Sewing machine, thread
Ruler, rotary cutter, cutting mat

Check this out on our website

Step 1: Lay the T-shirt on the Cutting Mat With the Bottom Edges Lined Up on One of the Horizontal Line

Use the ruler and rotary cutter to cut off 1" from the bottom, discard this piece

Step 2: Cut Off Another 1", Save for Later Use

Step 3: Smooth Out the Sleeve and Cut Them, Discard

Step 4: Fold the T-shirt in Half With the Seam Even

Sketch a cutting line from about one inch or so from the neck binding to about four inches from the center of the neck binding, cut & discard piece.

Step 5: Turn T-shirt Inside Out

Lay t-shirt flat with bottom edges even, pin or clip edges, stitch a 5/8” seam

Step 6: Press the Side Seam to Form a Crease

Step 7: To Form the Boxed Bottom, Line Up the Stitched Seam With the Side Seam Crease & Flatten So That You Have Formed a Triangle, Press & Pin

Step 8: Use the Ruler to Draw a Four Inch Stitching Line Across the Triangle, Stitch on This Line

Repeat with the other side

Step 9: Turn the Bag Right Side Out, Use the One Inch Piece to Tie Across the “shoulders” As a Decorative Accent

Visit our website for more projects!

Introduction: T-shirt Gift Bag