Making T-Shirts into Pillows

I was at a friends house the other day and saw this wonderful t-shirt pillow that her daughter had made at school, it was so simple I just had to try it. This is a great way for us to recycle some of the more beloved t-shirts in our house.

All you need for this craft is some old t-shirts, some fiber fill and a needle and thread. First the kids and I gathered up some old out-grown or slightly stained t-shirts (which we have many of), then we grabbed their sewing kits and got started.

T-Shirt Pillows

Once you have your t-shirt make sure to sew up any rips, tears or holes so that when it’s stuffed none of the fiber fill gets out.

Sew up holes.

The first step is to do a simple running stitch along the neck, bottom and one of the sleeves. When sewing make sure the fabric doesn’t bunch up and can lay flat. I found that it was easier for the kids to sew just above the hem where the fabric was thinner.

Sew with a running stitch.

When the the neck, bottom and one sleeve all sewn together it’s time to fill the pillow with the fiber fill.

Stuff the shirt through the sleeve.

Start putting the fiber fill into the sleeve, make sure you push it into the corners too. Don’t worry if it has a bit of an uneven texture just push on it and redistribute the fiber fill until it looks even.

Sew up the sleeve.

When it’s all stuffed and even it’s time to sew up the other sleeve with a running stitch.

Finished T-Shirt Pillows

You now have a t-shirt pillow stuffed and ready to use! They can be used as reading pillows, for cuddling or even sleeping. Enjoy!

3 Comments Add yours

  1. Lauren James says:

    Yay!!! They look great! We took Roo’s with us on our weekend roadtrip, and it made an excellent car pillow too!! When she did hers, they used embroidery floss and big needles, without separating the threads… I like yours with the smaller thread though:)

  2. Michele says:

    Hey, those t-shirts look like they once belonged to my kid… great to see them well recycled!

    1. You have a good eye!

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