How to Make a T-Shirt Quilt. Take treasured t-shirts and supplement them with thrifted shirts with meaningful places, logos or sayings for a quilt that will be treasured always. It is a fun craft to make with a teen or tween or give as a gift!
A T-Shirt Quilt is the perfect gift or project to make for a teen or tween
Do you have a teen or tween? If you do, chances are they have some special t-shirts they have saved over the years. My daughter graduated recently and I helped my mom make her a t-shirt quilt, filled with special t-shirts. We also found some t-shirts at Savers with special teams, places or saying that are special to her. It is a quilt that she take with her to college and remember all of the special events and places we visited together from her childhood!
My mom made one for my older daughter and it is one of her most treasured possessions!
Gather those shirts and turn them into a special gift!
Just for reference, this is approximately how many t-shirts you need for different sized quilts: 12 shirts will make a throw-size quilt, approx. 48″ x 64″ – 3 across x 4 down. 20 shirts will make a twin size quilt, approx. 64″ x 82″ – 4 across x 5 down 30 shirts will make a full size quilt, approx. 82″ x 96″ – 5 across x 6 down. 36 shirts will make a queen size quilt, approx. 96″ x 96″ – 6 across x 6 down. 42 shirts will make a king size quilt, approx 110″ x 96″ – 7 across x 6 down.
How to make a T-Shirt Quilt
Gather the t-shirts
See how many shirts you have and how many you would needHead to a Thrift Store to get more shirts
My daughter had about 12 special shirts but we needed about 30 shirts. So we headed to Savers. There are so many shirts to choose from! We found some shirts to add to the quilt that had special locations like Seattle (we went on a family trip there one summer), a fox (her favorite animal), a cake saying (she works in a bakery) and other shirts to make her quilt even more special.Find the smallest shirt
Take the smallest shirt and see how big it is. You need at least 12 inches square to make a good sized quilt square. 14 inches in width and height is ideal. If you have a shirt that is considerably smaller than 12 inches, you can take fabric from the back and add panels to the sides and top and bottom to make it larger. Once you know the size of the smallest shirt, you can make a template.Make a Template
You want a template that is as big as the smallest shirt. So if you smallest shirt is 12 inches square, make your template 12 inches. You can cut your template out of cardboard OR you can get a plastic template. That’s what I did since I want to make a few of these t-shirt quilts. Plastic T-Shirt Template.
Cut your shirts
Cut along the seams of your shirts, so that the front of the shirt is exposed, remove the knitted cuffs and neck bands so that you can lay the front of the shirt FLAT. Then center the template on top of the design and cut the t-shirt around the template. Do this to all of the shirts.
Lay your shirts out to measure the size
Lay the shirts out and see how big your quilt looks. This is when you decide if you want to have sashing in between the shirts.How to Make a T-Shirt Quilt
Sashing
Sashing is the material that runs between the t-shirts. It also makes the quilt bigger. If you don’t have many shirts, you can add sashing and you won’t need as many. If you have TONS or you just like the idea of the quilt being only t-shirt, you don’t need sashing in between the shirts. You will need material for the edges of the quilt and the back of the quilt. You can also find fabric at Savers too! Measure the places you will add sashing. A note – most t-shirt quilts that use sashing cut the material 2 inches wide, once it is sewn into the shirts the sashing will be 1.5 inches wide. You also need to measure sashing for the edges of the t-shirt quilt.
Fabric and Batting
Add up the sashing fabric total. You also need a back for your quilt. Factor in how big your quilt is and get enough fabric for the back of the t-shirt quilt too. Take the total you need for the back of your quilt and get enough batting to go inside the quilt.Add Interfacing
T-shirts are so stretchy they are hard to sew. Adding interfacing will make them sturdier and easier to quilt. You can buy iron-on interfacing. Then just iron on the interfacing to the back of your t-shirts.
Lay the T-shirts out
Lay the t-shirts out in the order you want to make them for the t-shirt quilt.
Sew the t-shirts together
Then sew them by rows onto the sashing. If you aren’t using sashing you can sew the t-shirts directly together. We only used sashing vertically between the t-shirt rows. So we took the first row of t-shirt and sewed them together until they were all in a row, then sewed that row of t-shirts onto the sashing. Then we did the same thing with the next row until all of the t-shirts were sewn together with sashing in rows between the t-shirts. Then we attached the edging fabric onto all of the edges.
Sew the back of the quilt
Sew the material together for the back of the quilt.Add batting and back of quilt
Flip your quilt over and add the batting and the quilt back. Safety pin it all together.
Add binding
3 inch strip of bias fabric material until it is long enough to go all the way around the quilt. See this tutorial on Craftsy on how to bind a quilt.
Quilt the top
Machine quilt the top. You can sew along the outlines of the t-shirts to quilt the top of your quilt. It is hard to do with a regular sewing machine. Some other ideas on finishing the quilting is to take the quilt to a machine quilter who has a long-armed machine that is made for quilting. Or you can also tie the top of your quilt with embroidery floss.Add a personal touch
You can add a iron-on label with a hand-written note too!
Make a T-Shirt quilt for someone special in YOUR life!
Savers is also amazing for getting quality, on-trend clothes. I shop there with my girls all of the time!! Here are a couple new outfits I bought last week:
These JCrew pants are BRAND NEW and have never been worn. $2.50!!
I love these wide-legged linen pants. Perfect for Summer date night! This outfit cost $10 total!
Pin This Idea to Find Later!
And tag me on Instagram at @tatertotsandjello if you make a t-shirt quilt. I would love to share yours!
More Graduation Ideas:
Make a Graduation Money Necklace!
Make a Graduation Money Lei Necklace. Instead of giving money in an envelope for graduation, get creative and make a graduation lei necklace with MONEY leafs! After graduation the graduate can take the paper elements off and still have a cute wood necklace to wear and remember their special day!
Graduation Donut Backdrop and Dessert Bar
graduation donut backdrop. Make this donut backdrop for any type of party or event. It’s a decoration, a photo backdrop AND dessert!Have a HAPPY day!
xoxo
Love this idea and yours looks actually so gorgeous!! I noticed your shirts were all black, grey and white, but mine are a ton of different colors. Should I change the color of the top thread to match each shirt when I do the quilting/pattern, or should I keep it the same throughout? How did you do yours? I plan to do a simple diamond-shaped pattern, just crisscrossing lines.
HI Teresa!
I would keep the thread the same color but it’s up to you!
xoxo
I will be visiting their site and browsing but I have never heard of Savers. I will save this page and hopefully give it a try. Now I would use the gift card to buy more t-shirts and clothes for my son because he likes patchwork clothes.
Hi! Savers is lie a goodwill thrift store 🙂
xoxo
My college bound grandson really likes how you dus this tshirt quilt. I am making it it with four vertical rows of 5 T-shirt’s per row (tshirts will be 15” finished squares each.
I want to put the columns of fabric between the vertical rows and borders as you did.
My question is how wide is the material between the rows?
How wide are the borders all around ?
How large was your finished quilt? …….Mine will be longer as he is 6’2”
Thank you in advance
Can you reply yo my email : [email protected]
Oh yay Nancy!
xoxo
Why do you show a T-shirt quilt with 15 shirts and then not tell the measurements or how it went together? You show 15 shirts and talk about 30…??? I want to make one like you are showing !!! Please tell me how…
Hi Martha!
This is just a guide. It all depends on how big your shirts are and if you want to include sashing between each shirt or not. A helpful thing to buy is the shirt measurement board that I showed in the post. It will help you cut each shirt to the same size. Then once you lay it all out on your floor you can see how wide it will be and deptermine how many shirts you will need. I hope that helps!
xoxo
Hi, thank, thank you for replying, can you tell me how much material I will need for the sashing and trim for a quilt the size you show? I love this quilt!
Thanks , Martha
I have all my t-shirts ready to go. Is there anyone who does this for a living?
My Family and I lost our Father in January and I want to do this for my Brothers and Sisters out of some of Our Father’s shirts ❤ I miss him so much!!
I’m so sorry Deborah! Sending you hugs.
I would love a gift card! I would by more t shirts and possibly fabric there. I want to make this blanket for my husband and I for Christmas with our favorite t shirts and a little more that would fit our personalties.
I would love to make a Holloween themed quilt. So I would definitely buy a lot of Halloween themed shirts. ????
I love that idea!
xoxo
Been wanting to do this for both my boys who are out of HS and done playing sports. I would use the Savers card to help others that need it.
Thank you for sharing your talent and posts.
I’ve had some T-shirts saved that my son wore in high school waiting to be put in a quilt. But I didn’t think I had enough. I had not thought of buying a few more with his tastes and likes! Perfect idea! I would probably use the card for that and definitely Halloween decorations! :}
I would buy fabric for the back of the t-shirt quilt I am making my husband. And more for the quilt I will make of my daughter’s old onesies 🙂
I would love to find some fun clothes for me or my kids OR something amazing for Halloween costumes!!
I have been wanting to make a T-shirt quilt for several years. I lost both my grandparents and want to put shirts on my quilt in their memory. I would use the gift card to purchase the fabric for my quilt. This is an amazing project! Thank you for sharing!
I would buy video game character tees to make a quilt for my gamer son.
I would buy funky clothing for Halloween costumes
My father passed away last week and I would love to make lap quilts for my mom, my brother, and myself.
Crossing my fingers that I get picked!
I’m so sorry Lisa. Sending you hugs.
xoxo
I would love to win the gift card so I can finally make my t-Short quilt. I’ve always wanted to make one!
I would use the gift card to purchase shirts to make a T-shirt quilt.
Shared to Facebook ????
Neat idea! Thanks for sharing the directions.
I’d use the gift card to purchase sheets & shirts to complete a pair of double/queen size quilts for my teen daughters.
I’d probably buy some cute sheets to use for the back of the quilt and maybe in between the shirts.
I would try to find some Home decor at savers. we are redecorating our home, so we need some “new” stuff!
What a great idea for us grannies! The gift card would be a great help.
Sharing this awesome idea on Facebook! I have friends who would love this!
I love this idea!!! I have shirts from our college, so I could make a t- shirt quilt for my husband for christmas. I also have older Disney shirts I could use to make a family memories blanket. I would use the Savers gift card to get any extra shirts to finish the blankets.
I shared this on Twitter
https://mobile.twitter.com/Gkeeper333/status/1038072483818209283
I would love to use the gift card towards making my kids Halloween costumes. I love going to Savers and finding unique things that I can turn into costumes for my young boys.
Some scrubs. I’ve lost weight, and nuthin’ fits me anymore!
This is an amazing idea. I can’t wait to try it. I already have shirts I would use. Savers is a wonderful place and you never know what you will find there. There is always a treasure for everyone lol but I would but Halloween stuff. They have a great selection
I buy a lot of my kids clothes at savers. Best thrift store.
I love this!! I will probably make a t shirt quilt with the gift card! What a great post! Thinking about making some now! We have been purging out closets!
I have T-shirts saved from my husbands coaching years. This post is so helpful! I’d love the savers gift card to shop for my kids. We love Savers!
I have my Dad’s shirts saved just for this purpose. He passed away a few years ago. I have shirts to make a quilt for my kids & myself. ????
I love that idea. My mom made us quilts out of my dads flannel shirts after he passed and it is something I will always treasure!
xoxo
Materials to do a theatre tshirt quilt that has been waiting for about 19 years to be finished.
Thats so fun! You should make one!
xoxo
I would buy fabric to make Christmas gifts.
I would use the gift card to buy some things for Halloween.
That’s a great idea!
xoxo
I would use the gift card to buy more t-shirts and clothes for my son; he is the one I will be making this quilt for.
Thank you for the SIMPLE directions! I am learning to sew and quilt for this first time. I took Home-Ec a million years ago in school and haven’t sewn anything in almost 30yrs. Wish me luck…
I’ve been wanting to make one of these for so long. I need to just do it. Yours turned out so great.
I have never been to Savers, but would love to check then out
I shared it on Twitter at https://twitter.com/1froglegs/status/1034172085248176128
I would use it to buy some cool shirts for our kids to save for their own quilt. Unfortunately, I use their old shirts as rags, so I don’t have any to quilt. Hindsight is 20/20!!!
Posted to Facebook
I have been collecting T shirts for a while now and I love your post on how to make one. I have shopped at Savers and they finally built one closer to me. I would get school clothes for my grand kids.
This blog post is perfect! I just received a package from my grandson – a freshman starting college today! And the package contains the t-shirts he loves, asking me to make them into a quilt.
Thanks for posting!
If I win, I would put the money toward a new sewing machine. I got mine at a second hand store for $25, and I would love to upgrade to something that does more than just sew frontwards!
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/1033782308501770240
I’ve been thinking about wanting to do a tshirt quilt….thanks for all the helpful info .
I have never heard of Savers till now, and will be visiting their site and browsing. I love the tee-shirt quilt idea and would like to give that a go. I will save this page and hopefully give it a try.
I need a new iron. I wear out irons like people wear out shoes. They have 1 year warranties and mine last about 13 months. I am a quilter and retired so I quilt a lot. I donate a lot of quilts and pillowcases so my irons get a work out.
I definitely would buy somd t-shirts & make a T-Shirt Quilt! 🙂
I have never heard of Savers until today! I would use a $50 gift card to update my very momish wardrobe!
Turning t-shirts into treasure
I would buy clothes and toys.
I love seasonal décor but don’t like to spend a lot of money for it. Savers would be perfect for this! Also, would love some new fall clothes!
shared on twitter: https://twitter.com/slehan/status/1033229693980311552
It’s time to get some fall clothes.
Thanks for the contest.
I love Savers! We are expecting baby #4, so I would love to buy some cute baby clothes.
Congratulations Michelle!
xoxo
Great post! I need to do this for my four kids. I’d definitely check out the shirts/tops section. Some new winter clothes will be needed soon.
This quilt is a good idea!! Oh, half the fun at Savers is just exploring from one end to the other. I like to make a beeline for the tops, I have found so many, but you name it, and I have probably gotten one of everything from Savers, from cookbooks, to umbrellas to cashmere sweaters to shoes to fabric…. I love to donate to Savers, too. I used to be a big sister and I love the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
I agree! It’s like great garage sales all in one location!
xoxo
People do donate nice things there, not throwaways. The last non-profit thrift shop in our town is in the process of closing down, they said since the online consignment shops have sprung up, donations started to dry up. Savers is easy to drop things off, and of course, must take a spin around the store!
School clothes
I’ve been wanting to do this for ages! I have so many race tshirts that I need to do this with!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
My sons girlfriend is homeless (dont worry, she is staying in our basement temporarily). I would use the gift card to help her get some clothes for interviews.
That sounds amazing! Fingers crossed for you!
xoxox