This is my husbands nice white shirt he wears to church.
He has had it for just over three years, it lasts a long time because it is only worn to church, however it was starting to show a little wear. Here on the collar, at the crease the fabric was starting to fray.
Then the other night he sat down and bent his arm, and his elbow went right through the sleeve. This isn’t something that I could fix without it being very, noticeable. I could patch it and Dadzoo could use this as a working shirt, for dirty outdoor job, but he already had several of those, so I decided that it needed to be repurposed.
Dadzoo is a big guy, so there is a lot of really good material that is in great condition.
The only question, is what to do with it.
First, I cut off all the buttons.
And added them to my stash of buttons. I got this tin from my Grandma, it has buttons that she collected, and now I add my own.
Then I searched for ways to reuse a man’s shirt, and these are some of the things I found:
Usually I have cut up shirts to make into rags that I use in cleaning or for medicinal purposes. However I am trying to only use 100% cotton for such things now, and this shirt isn’t all cotton. The Polyester in the cloth makes it less absorbent and less breathable, two things I look for in my cleaning rags, handkerchiefs and bandages.
So here he sits, waiting for me to decide exactly what he is going to be in his next life…
( I am still thinking something with pink ruffles)
I just got my Special Gardening Issue of Martha Stewart Living and it has some great ideas for repurposing men's clothing. There are pillows and stuffed mice and a really cute bunny, also a water-bottle cozy and some drawstring bags. I think your idea of making it an apron is awesome–I may have to find a shirt of Travus's to repurpose the same way…You can find patterns for those other things at marthastewart.com/menswear
Thanks Kathy, I am going to add that link to my list 🙂
Hubby's shirts last a long time as well. Which is good since we can only get his shirts from a big and tall store with his height and arm length. I've never done anything with them since the fabric isn't what I would normally use for things. I don't like polyester clothing or other items.
But he did get one for christmas from my mom that is cotton to bad it will take so long for him to need a replacement. LOL
Erika
Well all I can say is, imagine how HOT your hubby will think you are in an apron made of HIS shirt… Dudes like that stuff.
I have a ton of buttons from shirts! But most of the fabric has ended up for quilts or first aid bandages. Now I will have to go through Erik's shirts and see if there are any he NEEDS to get rid of so I have new projects!