Today’s project will help you upcycle any old t-shirts into jewelry for your kids, yourself, or to give as gifts.
What You’ll Need
- T-shirts, mostly just the sleeves – you can save the bodies for another project
- sharp scissors
- beads
Time
Very quick – ten minutes for the easiest steps, but you can spend an hour making more versions…
Instructions:
Step 1
Cut a t-shirt sleeve off a shirt. Cut the sleeve into strips or loops about two fingers wide. Make a pile of these loops.
Step 2
Take one loop and stretch it.
Step 3
Simplest bracelet: Wrap this stretched loop around your wrist two or three times. Stack several colors, like bangles.
Step 4
Beaded bracelet or necklace: cut open a loop, making sure to cut out one of the sleeve seams. Thread contrasting beads onto the fabric.
You can either stretch the fabric to make a long, skinny necklace, or you can leave it un-stretched for a thicker bracelet.
Variations
- Tie different-colored loops together to make a longer necklace
- Stack necklaces of different colors but the same beads.
- Use loops as hair scrunchies to cover ponytails
- Make a very thin loop and wear it as a ring.
What other ideas can you try? Leave us a note in the comments below.
Click here to find places in Gauteng offering arts and craft classes.
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