DIY Dorm: T-Shirt Pillows

Have an overflowing stash of old T-Shirts in your closet? Before you toss them in the trash, why not consider “upcycling” instead? Turn old shirts into inexpensive decorative pillows for your dorm room - it’s easy, we promise!

What You’ll Need:

- needle + thread
- old T-shirt
- pencil or chalk
- scissors
- pillow stuffing (found at craft or fabric stores)

What to Do:

1)    Decide what size you want your pillow to be, then add between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch to each side. This is the seam allowance.  Mark lines you will cut along on your shirt of choice with chalk or pencil (if the fabric color is light enough).

2)    Cut out the rectangular pattern along the lines you just marked to form the front piece of your pillow. Then cut the same size rectangle out (either of the same shirt or another shirt, your choice) to form the back piece of your pillow.

Follow our easy steps and these old T-Shirts will become awesome dorm decor!

3)    Place the two pieces of fabric on top of each other so that the sides you want to eventually face outward are facing in (the pillow is sewn inside-out at first to hide the seams). Use sewing pins to loosely hold the pieces together.

4)    Begin sewing at the bottom left corner upwards to the top left corner. Continue sewing your way around the pillow. Stop sewing about 3 1/2 inches before you once again reach your starting point.

5)    Turn your pillow so it is now right-side out and stuff it to your desired level of fluffiness. Then, use a needle and thread to sew the opening closed.

If you’re not quite confident in your sewing skills, College Candy gives excellent, easy-to-follow directions for those who would rather sew around an existing pillow. Once you are finished, feel free to enjoy the fact that you just upcycled an old item AND helped furnish your room in one easy project!

Be sure to look out for more Do-It-Yourself projects to come! Have any specific projects you need advice on or any areas where you could use an idea or two? Share it with us below and we’ll be happy to help!