Generation T: 108 ways to transform a T-shirt

September 4, 2010 2:33 pm Anitra Crafts, Green Crafting, Projects, Techniques and Mediums, Trends

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.

Putting away laundry can sometimes be revealing. Yesterday, I attempted to cram another T-Shirt into my closet, and thought, I have too many T-shirts. I was wrong about that, though. What I have is too many projects in the making!

I have next to me one of my favorite books, and I’m going to show it to you.

Generation T—108 ways to transform a T-shirt

It has so many things to do with t-shirts that I may never run out, and that’s not counting the ideas that pop into my head while I’m perusing its pages.

Here’s a page of overview sketches, just for example:

The book has eight chapters, including “the grand finale”, a chapter on making a t-shirt wedding dress, and covers basic sewing techniques and terms for the beginner, ways to alter, decorate, and customize tops, turn t-shirts into skirts and dresses, create accessories, and even a chapter on turning the scraps into usable items.

The instructions are clearly written, and just in case you can’t quite understand them, each step is illustrated with a line drawing, and there are many tips and tricks given as well. On many, there are alternate instructions for complete non-sewers, so even for someone who doesn’t know what end of the needle has the eye, the book is a useful treasure trove. (Summer isn’t over. Are you running out of things for the kids to do? Some of these styles take nothing more than a pair of scissors to create!)

And although many of the designs are a little too edgy or punk for me, there are a lot that I think are wearable even for me, and certainly appropriate for someone younger. Guys, too, are not left without fashion options and ideas, including snugged-up, tighter tees, half-and-half combo tees, and a hat.

Leafing through the book, I see there are designs for jewelry, hair accessories, gauntlets, a bikini, rugs, cell phone purses—more ideas than I’ll be able to use, even if I empty my closet for them, which is beginning to tempt me!

And just for fun, here and there are bits of t-shirt trivia: