How many T-shirts are in your drawers? The average American will buy 2.8 t-shirts in 2024 and about two billion are sold globally each year. T-shirts are a wardrobe staple for many people, but what happens to them when they don’t get worn any longer? You could always donate them to a thrift store, but their T-shirt shelves are overflowing and there isn’t much demand for used T-shirts. If you are a craft person, there are hundreds of fun upcycling projects that use T-shirts.

Here are just a few of my favorite ways to upcycle T-shirts.

1. This cozy T-shirt shag rug from Instructables. 

2. These very hip T-shirt baby bibs by A Little Tipsy.

3. A cuddly manaTEE from We Lived Happily Ever After.

4. Super affordable T-shirt cloth diapers by Dirty Diaper Laundry. 

5. Reusable T-shirt menstrual pads by Put A Cup In It. 

6. This useful T-shirt braided keychain from Crafts by Amanda.

7. These decorative T-shirt pom poms by Craftaholics Anonymous. 

8. This stylish braided infinity scarf from Max & Me Designs.

9. This precious five-strand braided T-shirt headband by Make It & Love It. 

10. This very colorful crocheted T-shirt rug featured on One Dog Woof.  

11. This handy no-sew T-shirt tote bag by Mommypotamus. 

With so many options, your hardest choice will be deciding exactly which T-shirts to upcycle first!

Editor’s note: Originally published on September 3, 2015, this article was updated in February 2025.