DIY Upcycled Beach Bags

You know that stack of old t-shirts you are hanging onto, even though you never wear them? Stained, stretched out, or maybe just not your style, you can’t bring yourself to throw them away.

It’s time to give them a new life.

I had this pile of old worn-out shirts and onesies taking up valuable space in my closet. I knew no one would ever wear them again, but I loved the colors. So I turned them into bright, cheerful beach bags.

Total time to make 6 bags: less than an hour
Total cost: $0

You can’t beat that.

You will need:

• assorted cotton knit t-shirts or onesies (aim for different sizes and colors)
• scissors
• sewing machine
• ruler

Directions:

1. Turn your shirt or onesie inside out. Sew a curved line along the bottom of the shirt, from one side to the other. You can draw a line first in erasable ink, then sew along the line, but I just went for it.
2. Cut just below the stitched line, leaving approximately 1/4″ hem. You can finish the hem with a serger or zigzag stitch, or just leave them as I did.
3. Cut a curved line along the top, from armpit to armpit.
4. Cut a slit in the top of the curved edge, to use as a handle. Be sure not to cut too close to the edge.
5. Using a ruler, cut evenly spaced slits in the bag. I made 1″ slits, about 1.5″ apart. This can also be done with a rotary cutter, if you have one.

Once all of your slits are cut, stretch the bag out to open up the holes a bit. Then wash your bags and dry them on hot. Depending on the type of cotton knit, some will curl up more than others. I also left a few bags without any slits at all, perfect for smaller items that may fall out of the little holes.

Now they are ready to be used. We loved using them to hold towels, beach toys, flip flops, or to collect shells and treasure on the beach.