Earth Day Craft-- T-Shirt Weaving

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T-Shirt Weaving

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by Ellen Luckett Baker

Earth Day is April 22, so help your kids celebrate with an upcycled weaving project using old t-shirts. My six-year-old was fascinated to watch me cut up clothing (not for the first time) and we thought of many more uses for these cast-off shirts. I'm certain that you have some old t-shirts lying around the house, but if you get them at the thrift store, look for extra large shirts with no seams on the sides to make the longest strips. We used string for the base (called warp strings) because I found it easier for little hands to work with, but you could also use more t-shirt strips, creating a denser weave and a fully recycled project. And if you don't have a loom, don't go buy one -- you can use a cardboard box by following the instructions here.

You can make all kinds of things with your weaving. I sewed this one into a little pillow filled with rice and essential oils to be warmed in the microwave for soothing tired eyes. I'm thinking this will make a nice Mother's Day gift. You can turn your weaving into a dollhouse rug, wall hanging, hot pad, or any number of things. With a little sewing, you can make a fragrant sachet or a pouch to hold eyeglasses, cell phone or camera.
Supplies:
-peg loom
-old t-shirts
-string (optional)
-masking tape







All done! You can tuck in the knots on the sides to make your weaving look neater, but since we were sewing ours, we didn't bother with this step. I'm going to make some of these on my own to use as dishcloths.