My mom has always been a big believer in reusing and recycling since I was a kid – but not necessarily by the bins. We reused plastic shopping bags as temporary rubbish bags, glass bottles to soak chia seeds and make overnight oats in, old newspapers as packing materials and bin liners (you get the idea 😁) – so upcycling fabric and clothes is not a big stretch (one way we used to upcycle clothes was by cutting them up into small squares for hexagons or hexies in English Paper Piecing).
I saw the coolest thing on social media some time ago – using an upcycled shirt to sew a simple cushion cover, and I just wanted to share it with you! If you ever see the video anywhere, it’s actually pretty easy to follow. If you hate pausing the video every few seconds just to keep up with the instructions, though, I’ve made it easier for you with these written-down steps!
All you need is:
- a button-down shirt (it could be a shirt you really love but can’t fit in anymore 🥹, or one that you can’t imagine ever wearing again but would look fabulous as a cushion cover 🤪, or simply one with torn sleeves that’s not repairable)
- your normal sewing materials and notions (sewing machine/hand-sewing needles, matching suitable thread, pins, tailor’s chalk/marker, thread cutter and unpicker, as the basics). A thimble would also be useful if you’re hand-sewing, but not absolutely necessary.
Just 3 simple steps from shirt to cushion cover:
Step 1
Cut the shirt across the body (from under the sleeves). Trim the curved shirt at the bottom to make them straight (not needed if your shirt has straight hems).
Step 2
Keep the shirt body buttoned up, leaving the middle button hole open, and turn the shirt inside out. Sew the open sides together (top and bottom) and flip it right side out again via the opening.
Step 3
Sew a 2-inch border along all the edges to create the look of a pillow sham (you may need to make this bigger or smaller depending on the size of your cushion and the shirt – the cushion I used fits a size L shirt). Unbutton the shirt, stuff the cushion inside and button it up again. And you’re all done!
Of course, you can use this for a pillow insert as well – provided the shirt is big enough to fit it.
Go ahead and try it out! You can decorate it with appliqued hexies, other applique designs, or embroidery to make it pop further (either on the button-free side to showcase the blank space, or on the buttoned side for extra emphasis – your choice!).
If you want to make other practical items for your home, why not try sewing this quick and easy apron from an upcycled shirt?