All the yarn things…right to your inbox. Sign up here.

Easy Repurposed T-shirt Burp Cloths

by | DIY, Kids

Before I ever started blogging, I was crafting.  So today, I’m sharing these repurposed t-shirt burp cloths I made years ago, with the addition of a fresh upcycled burp cloth to show you how simple this project really is.  Trust me, this one is easy, and that’s coming from me.

Repurposed T-shirt Burp Cloths | www.1dogwoof.com

Once upon a time, my husband liked to buy t-shirts with funny/clever graphics and sayings on them.  I remember one of them said “Ewe’s not fat, Ewe’s fluffy”.  Awww, so sweet.  Those t-shirts now are stretched out and worn (a bit like ourselves) and if they haven’t been cut up into rags, they’re sitting forlornly stuffed into the bottom of a drawer somewhere.  But they are also tokens from our young carefree days and maybe a few of them are worth saving as reminders that yes, we were young and carefree, once (and didn’t have to pack for a weekend trip like we were moving to a new country).

Repurpose a well-loved t-shirt into a well-loved burp cloth | www.1dogwoof.com

I know burp cloths are probably not the BEST way to preserve well-loved t-shirts, but those well-loved t-shirts tend to be oh sooooo soft!  And don’t we all love a bit of vintage and history to pass on to our children?  These would also make great baby lovies or sentimental gifts for new parents, as long as you collect THEIR old t-shirts, since I don’t imagine your best friend’s sister would appreciate a burp cloth made from that t-shirt you got when you ran your first marathon.  Maybe save that one for your own kiddies, along with a story about how you used to run marathons (or still do!)

DIY t-shirt burp cloths | www.1dogwoof.com

For my quickie tutorial today, I’m using a t-shirt that my aunt bought me when I was 15.  FIFTEEN.  I won’t tell you how old I am now, but let’s just this shirt has been around a loooong time.  I never let go of it, even though there’s nothing funny or clever or cute or even sentimental about it, because it’s ridiculously soft and lightweight and airy, perfect for wiping delicate, sticky baby chins.

Repurposed T-shirt Burp Cloth | www.1dogwoof.com

Supplies:

old t-shirts
matching thread
sewing machine
fabric scissors or rotary cutter
quilting ruler and cutting mat
pins

Let’s make a burp cloth!

1. Turn your t-shirt inside out.

2. Iron out the wrinkles.  It doesn’t really matter if the material is stretched and skewed, just keep both sides of the t-shirt together as you iron.

3. Place the t-shirt on a flat surface and figure out how big you want your burp cloth to be.  Use a store-bought burp cloth or cloth diaper as a guide, or make it up, but remember to add a 1/2 inch seam allowance to your desired size.

How to turn an old t-shirt into a burp cloth | www.1dogwoof.com

4. Cut out both sides of the t-shirt together.  You can use fabric scissors, but using a rotary cutter along a quilting ruler makes it super quick and easy.

5. Once the rectangle is cut, carefully peel away the unused portion of the t-shirt, and then pin the two pieces of the shirt together in preparation for sewing.

6. Sew the two pieces together using a zig zag stitch, leaving a bit of room to flip the shirt right side out.

7. Sew a straight edge around the entire piece to finish.

8. I think this is a great little project for a beginning seamstress, since it’s all straight edges.  The only thing that can cause complications is the weave of the fabric, since t-shirt material will curl along the grain, which can make it harder to line up the edges.  That’s why it’s best to keep the shirt on the flat surface the whole time while cutting and pinning in place.

Turn your old tshirts into burp cloths | www.1dogwoof.com

Now it’s your turn! Go through your closet and repurpose those old t-shirts.  Enjoy!

Crochet Rug from Repurposed T-shirts

16 Comments

  1. Kate Lantry

    Cute idea 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Now if only I knew how to sew….

  2. Leesa B

    This is a great idea!

  3. Cher @ Designs by Studio C

    That is a super-cute idea! I love how they turn out and that they would make such a great gift!

  4. Kara

    Very clever idea!

  5. Melanie

    Easy idea- and I need all of those I can get!

  6. Bethany

    What a great idea! I know the cloths are really soft since they’re “broken in” t-shirts. 🙂

  7. ChiWei

    “broken in” is an understatement! lol “well-worn”, “well-washed”.. they have a lot of history 🙂

  8. ChiWei

    Haha, I bet! I’m always misplacing them all over the house. Sometimes, I end up grabbing extra shirts and pants to wipe drool 🙂

  9. ChiWei

    Thanks Kara!

  10. ChiWei

    Thank you! It’d be a great way to incorporate dad’s old shirts, right?

  11. ChiWei

    Thanks!

  12. ChiWei

    These are a great beginner project Kate!

  13. big sister shirt

    Good respond in return of this query with genuine arguments and describing everything on the topic of that.

  14. J J

    Me too; I can hardly sew on a button so it stays. I can embroider, though; I had to, for some of my plastic-canvas crafts. Several projects call for embroidery stitches over the yarn stitching.

  15. J J

    I love them too! I’ve got two close friends and a niece who are all going to have a baby in July; these would be perfect—but alas! I don’t sew.

Shop New

[products class=”et-zoom-in” limit=”2″ columns=”1″]