Turn Old T-Shirts Into Sentimental Wall Decor With A Simple DIY

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Our t-shirts are often a tapestry of our lives, representing the time we saw our favorite artist in concert, visited an attraction, or even started a new job. You might find yourself holding on to a pile of t-shirts for sentimental reasons, even if they're all damaged or don't fit anymore. Instead of letting them languish at the bottom of your drawer, a simple DIY will let you turn them into clever wall decor. With a pair of scissors and a simple embroidery hoop, you can make one-of-a-kind decorations to showcase your t-shirts as living room or bedroom art.

Embroidery hoops are the perfect frame for this DIY. Their rounded shape adds visual interest when hung on the wall, plus they're typically very affordable. They don't take up too much space, especially when compared to storing a pile of unworn clothes in your closet or drawer. When you go to repurpose your t-shirts in your home like this, you also make a sustainable choice, particularly if your shirts aren't really donation-worthy, either from damage or staining. Textiles, especially clothing, are a big worldwide waste category, and if you do donate a shirt, there's no guarantee it's not landfill-bound anyway. The act of reusing your t-shirt as wall decor means that you'll enjoy a sentimental reminder each time you look at it, while also knowing that you've kept this item out of the waste stream. 

First, gather the shirts you want to transform into your new decor, giving them a good wash if needed. You likely don't want to frame anything with stains, unless it's a souvenir from the time you won a pie-eating contest at the fair! Then grab your embroidery hoop. You might already have one lying around from a previous project, like a vintage embroidery hack. However, there are plenty of affordable options online, like the Similane 5 Pieces Embroidery Hoops. Most hoops come in various wood tones, including bamboo and beech. You can leave the frames in their natural state or spray paint them to complement the t-shirt color.

Then, all you need to do is lay the fabric over the hoop, making sure you place it print side down (if a print is present). Next, pull the outer ring to secure the fabric, then cut to fit, wrapping the fabric around the edge to secure it. That's all there is to it! If doing this DIY project with several T-shirts, consider choosing embroidery frames that vary in size to add more depth to the wall when hung. Not only will your t-shirts look great when hung as wall art within the hoop, but you can also place a few lapel pins in the fabric or even sew on a patch for an extra bit of personalization. Beyond t-shirts, you could also do this DIY with any other fabrics you have brimming with nostalgia. Perhaps repurpose a tablecloth from your wedding or a bit of your child's newborn clothes; just make sure you measure carefully if cutting something you consider precious.