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Need a bag, or want to give one away? You can make one without spending a cent!

What You’ll Need

old T-shirt
scissors
safety pin
sewing supplies (for hand or machine sewing) - or see the no-sew option
Optional: 1/2-inch ribbon

Instructions

1. Cut the top off the T-shirt, right under the armpits. You are now left with a rectangular tube.

2. From the cut edge, cut a one-inch strip. Set it aside. If you're using a ribbon, cut it to a length at least twice the width of the rectangular tube.

3. Turn the rectangular tube inside-out. Sew the cut ends together, about 1/4 inch from the edge.

4. On the hemline of the shirt, make a small cut on a side seam. The hemline is the casing for the drawstring.

*Tip ~ if you have advanced sewing skills it would be easy to make several small slits along the hemline and weave the ribbon in and out of them for a different look.

5. Take the strip you cut off from the shirt in Step 2. Cut it on one side seam to form one long strip. Attach the safety pin to one end of the strip or ribbon. Slowly push the safety pin and drawstring through the casing until it comes out of the other side.

6. Sew the ends of the drawstring together. For a no-sew option, simply tie the ends together in a tight, secure knot. Push this seam back through the casing to hide it.

7. Turn the bag right side out. Enjoy your new drawstring bag!

Since there are so many sizes of shirts, this bag is easily made into a bag small enough for a child or large enough to hold several items. This is a quick and easy craft that one can complete in just a couple of hours. T-shirts can be very stretchy so depending on the intended use of the bag, you may want to use a size smaller bag to compensate for the stretching out.

Submitted by Leximom