DIY T-Shirt Reconstruction

Do you get sick of your T-shirts? Do you have some laying around that are years and years old but you've never worn them because the neck hits too high on your collarbone and bothers you? Do you just really dislike a shirt because it is ill-fitting and unflattering on you? Well, I have tons of those shirts that I can't throw out because they have some sort of memory attached to them or they're not bad per se but I just don't wear them. I came up with the perfect solution: modifying old t-shirts to look like brand new, stylish tops.

I have, at the bare minimum, been altering sleeves and necklines on t-shirts lately and it completely reconfigures the fit. You can opt for cap sleeves, instead of regular sleeves, maybe even transform your tee into a tank or cut-off shirt, and the neckline can be changed from that basic circle shape into a V-neck or low-neckline so you can wear your t-shirt off one or both shoulders. If you find they accentuate your tummy area in unpleasant ways then you can snip the bottom hem of the t-shirt, you can round it out so that it gives the t-shirt a more feminine (as opposed to unisex) base. You can also make cool designs by cutting slits into your t-shirt and then braiding them together (it's even simpler than braiding, all you have to do is loop one segment over the next).

All you need to do this is either a fabric scissors or just a regular scissors (you'll need a little more patience to cut straight lines), you can score where you want to cut for precision, but I don't even bother with that. It's so simple, just make sure you cut the same distance from both sides of the t-shirt so it doesn't end up looking uneven or asymmetrical (unless you're looking for an asymmetrical look, it is your own unique fashion after all).

Once you get more advanced with your snipping and braiding, you can transform your shirts into some amazing fashion-forward pieces:

How to make your own earring organizer!

This project is inspired by my mother-in-law because she's always making funky and weird household things with her own little touch of style to them. If you choose to do this project, I guarantee you that it will be uniquely you and nobody else will have one that looks the same. If you're not down to pay a pretty penny for most of those metal carousel hangars to put your earrings into, you may want to consider making your own earring organizer.

 This is better than placing your earrings in boxes, as you can forget which ones you own (if you have many like I do) and you might have a hard time finding the pair you want in the mornings. Having your earrings out in the open and on a wall, not taking up any space at all in your home, is an ingenius way to go about displaying them.


The tools you will need for this fun and inexpensive project are:

- inexpensive picture frame (from a thrift store or new, it doesn't matter)
- scissors
- fabric large enough to fit behind your frame
- picture hanging kit (if the frame lacks the proper hanging ability)
- sandpaper (hard and soft grade sandpaper)
- paint
- paintbrush or painting sponge
- something to cover the area you're working over so you don't create a mess - like newspapers
- wire mesh or screen of some sort (window screen can be found at hardware stores)
- heavy duty stapler or hot glue gun (gorilla super glue may even do the trick)

The backing of your creation can be as interesting as you want it to be, you can use produce bags, several wires wrapped around each other, fabric in any array of patterns, or even lace! Make sure that your picture frame is free of any nails or anything that can hurt you while manipulating it, remove nails using hardware pliers. You won't be needing the glass associated with the frame, so you can toss that out or use it for something else, or the backing that comes with it. Make sure you lay down some newspaper or rags before continuing on. First you will want to start sanding with a very gritty sandpaper to get any excess paint or spliced wood off your wooden frame and then smooth it out using a soft grit sandpaper. You don't have to do the sanding if you love the way your frame looks to begin with, but if you want to change the color of it, make sure you sand down the old paint first, and paint on a new layer of whatever color you choose.

Turn your frame around and have the back facing you while it is laying flat. Using your hot glue gun or stapler, stretch the mesh and append it taught to the inlaid part of the frame, making sure you're pulling it apart so that it looks straight and doesn't create waves. Cut the excess of the screen off using your scissors after you have secured it on all sides to the frame.

 Then you will want to glue your fabric to the back of your frame, making sure that the pattern is facing away from you and to the face of the frame (it would be a shame to put it on the wrong way, wouldn't it?). Glue one side and then pull it taught after it has dried and get an even spread across the whole frame. Cut off the excess fabric so it doesn't pop out along the sides of the frame. if your frame doesn't have a hanging kit attached, wait for everything to dry and apply it to the back of the frame. Hang your frame on the wall where you want it to be or just prop it up on your desk if you don't want to hang it. And it's as easy as that! Now all you have left is to hang your earrings in a creative way on your frame.