Category: Crafting

8 Fun Sweater Craft Ideas from Goodwill

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Although those warmer temperatures seem like they are just around the corner, here in Indiana it is still sweater weather season for awhile. Whether you are looking to switch-up your winter wardrobe staple or looking for an easy craft to beat those last-days-of-cold-weather blues, Goodwill has you covered with these fun sweater crafts you can create for a fun pick-me-up! 
Sweater crafts are the types of crafts that anyone can do and the possibilities are endless. I had the best time demoing some of these fun crafts at the grand opening of our Warsaw location and now I am sharing eight more ideas with you, for fun crafts you can try with items from your own store! 

Make a Cute Cowl

I love to knit up cowls for the cooler months, but I know not everyone loves to knit. That is why I love this cowl made from a sweater that you can create with just some simple stitches on your sewing machine…no knitting required. Check out this fun and easy tutorial from Madigan Made. 
This would also be a fun one to create with light and Spring-y prints and lacier knits to create a beautiful scarf or cowl for Spring!

Make a Sweater Bag

One of my favorite gifts that I ever got was an adorable sweater bag that my best friend found for me at a boutique. You don’t need to pay boutique prices though to create a cute sweater bag. Look for sweater prints in fresh Spring colors and follow this adorable tutorial for by Lana Red Studio to create a cute sweater bag of your own! 

Cozy Up a Pot

Indoor plants and terrariums are a fun trend that I am seeing pop up in all of my favorite catalogs like Pottery Barn & West Elm. Even though I lack a green thumb, I have found myself picking up pretty indoor plants for my home as I await seeing our grass buried under the snow.
Consider visiting Goodwill to find a sweater that matches your home decor to dress up a pot. Not only would this be a cute addition to your own home, but it would also make an adorable housewarming present! Check out A Cultivated Nest for this easy tutorial. 

Make a Sweet Plushy

Does your child have a favorite sweater that the just can’t bear to part with? Consider transforming their most-loved clothing item into a sweet plushy that they can sleep with at night. I love this idea for creating a toy by Leigh Laurel Studios and she even includes a PDF that you can use to create your own toy. 
Consider saving this sweet item for your child’s Easter basket this year! Wouldn’t that be a fun surprise?

Embrace the Fox Trend

Foxes are a fun woodland animal trend that is happening both in clothing and in home decor. Not only do I have an adorable fox locket from one of my sweet blogging friends, but we also found a beautiful fox print for our home. 
Add a nod to this adorable trend by dressing up a Goodwill sweater with fox elbow patches. Check out this fun tutorial from Adventures in Crafting and add a cute fox embellishment to your favorite sweater today!

Make Some Cozy Sweater Boots

It does not matter if it is the dead of winter or the dead of summer, I always have cold feet. That is why I absolutely love this fun tutorial for creating cozy DIY Slipper Boots from a sweater. 
Head to Goodwill and find a sweater that offers lots of warmth, but is not itchy against your skin. Use this sweater as material to create your own slipper boots using this easy tutorial from Drawings Under the Table. 

Add a Feminine Detail to a Spring Sweater

When I was a child, my mom always stressed that things should be just as pretty from the front as from behind on our clothing. You would always find our Easter dresses with an unexpected buttons or a beautiful bow in satin or a contrasting fabric in the back.
As an adult, this philosophy towards clothing still applies and I love beautiful sweaters with feminine backs and details. Look for a lightweight and delicate Spring sweater and add a satin bow detail using this tutorial from love maegan. 

Sew a Sweater Skirt

Last, but not least, consider transforming your sweater into a skirt to dress up your wardrobe as we await the warmer months. Look for a sweater that you love in a great basic color with cabling and use this easy tutorial from My Poppet to transform that sweater into a new skirt for your wardrobe. Pairing these with leggings, a short sleeve basic-t-shirt, and a pair of ballet flats, would be absolutely adorable! 

Crafting With Vinyl: The Best in Record Crafts

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One collection you may not have spotted at your local Goodwill is the over abundance of amazing vinyl records that they carry at their store. The best part isn’t just how much fun it is to flip through them, but the easy-on-the-wallet price of a mere $.25 per record price tag! Have you caught on to the reemerging vinyl fad yet?

This winter to celebrate my birthday and the launch of my book, my amazing friends all pitched in for a record player and my first stack of vinyl for my birthday. Since then, it has been my little weekly hobby while the kids are in school to head to the stacks of records at my store and spend an hour flipping through records to bring home to listen to over our evening meal. At a mere quarter, it is easy to get a little carried away with my record collecting, but it has proven to be the perfect thrifty hobby for me. There is nothing more fun than settling in with some of my favorite albums from my youth and hearing them on record, just like when I was a kid. 
Records that are scratched can still get a great deal of love in your home and today I wanted to showcase some fun record craft ideas you could create for your home with these budget-friendly wonders! 

Make a Wall Decal

Did you know that you can create, cut, and mold shapes with records to make a wall decal? Me either, but I am so excited to try this amazing idea for decorating a wall as demonstrated in this easy DIY butterfly craft from Threadsence. I am already imagining all the possibilities with this craft and think it would be a fun way to dress up a craft room wall or a fun addition to a teen/tween bedroom. 

Decorate a Corner With Records

Records come in different sizes and I often see the smaller 7″ records available for purchase at our store. Don’t overlook the overabundance of these tiny little powerhouses of music because they make the perfect size for tackling smaller crafts.  These tiny records are the perfect size for creating a cute hanging fixture to decorate a room.  I can picture this as a fun mobile in a trendy nursery or as a fun addition to a family game room. (Source Unknown)

Create a Side Table

If there is one thing I love, it is easy crafts and you can’t get any easier than grabbing your hot glue gun and attaching a record to a plant stand for a side table. This little table would be adorable in any room or the perfect gift for the music lover in your life. Scratched records make the perfect little resting place for your morning coffee and breathe new life into a tired piece of vinyl. Check out The Flourishing Abode to create your own record side table. 

Craft a Cake Stand

I am all about turning anything that I can find from Goodwill into a cake stand. Remember these adorable board game cake stands I created for a party? You can attach an inverted candlestick holder or martini glass for an easy stand for these. These would be adorable at themed parties you are hosting or just a fun way to serve up retro food for an evening with friends. Check out cake for the full scoop on this fun addition to a party. 

Make a Clock

Wall clocks can be expensive, but a necessary addition to many rooms in your home. That is why I love this easy DIY Vinyl Record Clock idea featured on Apartment Therapy. Simply choose a record with a label that compliments the color of the room and use a few clock hardware pieces to create your own version for your wall. Can’t you picture one of these adorable clocks in a dorm or teen/tween bedroom too? I love it!  

Make a Record Bowl

Looking to add a fun fluted bowl to your party table? Just as was showcased in the wall decal craft that I talked about here, you can also shape and mold records into bowls to adorn your tables at parties. This easy DIY requires no cutting of records, but simply a heating and shaping of them to create these adorable bowls. I can picture popcorn, candy, or nuts as fun appetizers for a party. Check out Prudent Baby for this easy record bowl tutorial. 
Don’t forget that you will need a spot to store your new-to-you record collection! I have fallen in love with this DIY Industrial Storage Cabinet on A Beautiful Mess for an adorable stand and place to display your favorite records. It looks like the cabinets I have been eyeing online, but is made at a fraction of the price. 
Of course, if you are heading to Goodwill every week like me, you might need storage that offers a little more room. I found this storage ottoman at our local Target for $80 and it created the perfect little spot for our collection. All of the records are flipped on the edges so we can see the titles and grab what we need easily. It also is a fun way to reveal your collection to your friends and enjoy an evening together around the ol’ record player! 

Happy record crafting & hunting, friends! 

Fun Book Page Crafts

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One thing you will find a lot of at Goodwill are books of all shapes and sizes. I consider Goodwill my bargain resource (at a mere $.50- 2.00) for finding great reads as well as my number one resource for book page crafts.

You may not have looked at the books section as craft materials before, but book page crafts are a hot trend in magazines that you probably browse through when doing your ” window shopping,” like Anthropologie, West Elm, & Pottery Barn… just to name a few.

Today I wanted to showcase some fun crafts you could try with books found at your local Goodwill store. I have a feeling that once you see these ideas, you will run right out to find the perfect book to get started!

Adorn a Letter (Or Four!) 

Letters are always a fun trend to try in your home whether it is your family name, your child’s name, or a fun word like, “EAT,” in the kitchen. I love this idea for rolling book pages to create a letter or word that is special to you. Little Things Brings Smiles offers a great tutorial on how you can make these with just a few items from the craft store! (@ Little Things Brings Smiles)

Make a Unique Table Runner

As a bookworm, this table runner makes me swoon! This table runner would be perfect for an evening with your book club or as a creative party display. The best part about this is that it is just created from  book pages and a little craft glue. (@ Elizabeth Anne Designs)

Make a Gallery Wall Of Your Child’s Favorite Books

Making a gallery wall of photos can be an expensive project, but a gallery of book pages is a fun spin on the gallery wall that could be easily switched out and an inexpensive way to decorate a wall. This fun display was created from a Shel Silverstein book, a book that just happened to be one of my favorites when I was a kid. Use Washi tape to hang the book pages so you can add another fun color to your display and easily move or remove the pages when done.

If you want to try this on a smaller scale, consider framing the book cover jackets of your child’s favorite books or select a series of pages that can be hung gallery-style on a wall. To pull it all together, look for frames at Goodwill that can be spray painted in matching colors. (@ Rice Design)

Make a Fun Photo Backdrop

I do a lot photography with my job and buying photo backdrops are often out of my limited budget. I am so inspired though by the idea to create a book page photo backdrop, both for its inexpensiveness as well as for its beauty, that I can’t wait to create one of these of my own. This would be a fun backdrop behind your kids on their first day of school or for a fun backdrop to creatively display wares you might be selling on eBay or Etsy. (@ The Blue Eyed Owl)

Create an Eclectic Art Display

Kids shouldn’t have all the fun with book pages and this art display is easy to achieve by simply printing over your book pages with a creative image. For this craft, look for old encyclopedias or a similarly sized book that can can truly fill out your frame. I am so excited to see this fun tutorial from Crafted Niche for how to create a display like this of my own (@ Crafted Niche, image from Ruffles & Stuff)

Adorn a Door

One search on Google will yield a plethora of creative book page wreaths that can be made, but this wreath made from book pages rolled into little rosettes gets my win for both beauty and creativity. The best part is that this one could be personalized with other layers for the seasons. A felt flower in a fun pop of color or a different color of ribbon to hang it can change the look of the wreath for the changing seasons. I can’t wait to make one of these myself (@ Under the Table And Dreaming)

Add Book Page Fun to a Mantle

Decorating a mantle can be expensive and require switching with the changing seasons. I love decor that is timeless and can be enjoyed all year long. This beautiful book page flower would look beautiful propped up on a mantle and is made from just a few inexpensive items from the craft store. While you are at the store picking up your books, be sure to take a peek at all of the other lovely housewares you can find at Goodwill!  (@ Whimsical Perspective)

Have you tried any crafts with book pages before? I would love to hear what you have done with old books in your home! 

11 Fun New Ways to Decorate Eggs

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Easter is just around the corner and Goodwill has you covered with 11 fun new ways to decorate your eggs this year. Before you tackle these egg dying projects, be sure to check out the store for fun ways to display your beautifully dyed eggs. Goodwill offers a plethora of choices for beautiful glasses, jars, cake stands, baskets, and bowls in the Housewares department to showcase your handmade beauties!

Here are 11 new ways I have discovered to decorate your eggs this year! I have a feeling you are going to LOVE these new spins on egg dying and decorating.

Trying to create a statement? These Subway Art Eggs with Lil’ Luna are just the subway ticket! 
Why should Christmas be the only advent holiday? Tackle a countdown to Easter with a dozen eggs from A Subtle Revelry.
Do you have packets of Kool-Aid in your pantry? Put them to work with Kool-Aid dyed eggs from MomAdvice! 
Budding artists in your family? Give them a Sharpie and let them create beautifully decorated doodled Sharpie eggs from Alisa Burke.
Watercolor prints are a hot trend right now. Replicate that beauty by letting your kids create watercolor eggs with Nest of Posies. 
Do you gravitate towards a more minimalist decor? These minimalist Easter eggs are a sweet & simple nod to the season from pickles. 
Do you prefer your eggs bright like a rainbow? These rainbow dyed eggs are vivid in hue and statement from no. 2 pencil.
Love using more natural elements in your decor? These naturally dyed Easter eggs are dyed with a variety of items you probably already have in your pantry & fridge from Two Men & a Little Farm.
Can’t choose between colors? Try this simple marbleizing technique created from pantry items from MomAdvice.  
One thing that will never go out of style is the sweetly speckled egg and you can find a tutorial for this technique over on Crafts By Amanda.
Should you be feeling a little more trendy, you can create beautiful ombre eggs in your favorite hues from Sugar and Charm.
I hope these ideas inspire you and be sure to visit your local Goodwill store for cute supplies to show off these beautiful eggs. Not only will you have a fun new nod to the season, but you will be able to do it all on a budget that fits absolutely beautifully in your life. (image source: momadvice)

What is your favorite way to dye or decorate eggs? Feel free to chime in below! 

Valentine’s Day DIY Projects

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and today I wanted to showcase some fun ways to add a little Valentine’s fun to your house using items you can often find at your local Goodwill. The best part about these  projects is that the are inexpensive and oh-so-easy to create!

Valentine’s Day Mason Jars– Mason jars are an item that you will often find in the housewares section of the store and can be used for a variety of projects. Decorate a side table or mantle with these cleverly decorated mason jars for Valentine’s Day. Hearts can be created from any red shirt or sweater you might spy and then wrapped sweetly with jute or twine. Finish this project off by adorning it with a lacy paper doily. (@ crescendoh).

If snow globes are more your thing, I adore these sweet little Snow Globe Jars that you can create for Valentine’s Day. I also love that they are inspired by one of my favorite out-of-my-budget shops, Anthropolgie (@ whiperberry)

Tunnel Of Love Art– Free printables abound and can be a fun way to dress up a wall, table, or mantle without spending a lot of money for holiday occasions. Spray paint a Goodwill frame a bold red and insert this adorable free printable in your frame for a fun nod to the holiday that sits perfectly in your budget!  (@ Flamingo Toes)

Candy Cane Valentine’s Day Treats– At Goodwill, we are all about finding new ways to repurpose items around the house and that is why I love this candy treat project so much. Don’t throw out those leftover mini candy canes just yet!  Upcycle your Christmas treats into super sweet Valentine’s Day treat pops for your kids to give out for Valentine’s Day. Have your children decorate and create their own Valentine’s this year and tuck these sweet candy cane pops in for a finishing touch. (@ Pleasant Home)

Crochet Heart Garland– If you have the talent for crochet, this adorable Crochet Heart Garland is a fun project to create to decorate a mantle or to drape over a window. Check Goodwill for items like yarn and crochet needles in the craft supplies section of your store. (@ design sponge)

Valentine’s Day Wreath– Donated wreaths are often donated at the store and can easily be updated with a few homemade additions. This tutorial for loopy felt flowers and rosettes are the perfect way to dress up a wreath in bright Valentine’s Day colors with just a few dollars in felt (@ The Motherload)

Yarn Wrapped Letters– Yarn projects are one of my favorites because they are so inexpensive to create and, frankly, I’ve got a lot of yarn in this house of mine! These yarn wrapped letters are a fun way to repurpose a ball of yarn in your home and can be created with a variety of sweet phrases for the holiday. (@ Family Chic)

Valentine’s Day Bunting– Buntings can be created from a variety of items available at Goodwill. I love to use large pieces like a sheet, tablecloth, or curtain material to create my fabric projects because they offer so much fabric for your money. Hunt for fun prints in pinks & reds to create a simple fabric bunting to dress up your mantle. (@ It’s My Story)

Fabric Painted Hearts– Fabric painting is a fun way to spice up a shirt or a bag for the Valentine’s Day season. This sweet and easy tutorial for a fabric painted heart would be a fun craft project to try on a white t-shirt for yourself or for your kids (@ V and Co.)

What are some of your favorite Valentine’s Day projects to do with your family? 

Easy DIY Halloween Costumes

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It’s only a couple of short weeks until Halloween, but if you haven’t found a costume yet, have no fear! Today I want to showcase eight easy DIY Halloween Costumes you can create using items found at Goodwill. This list of easy DIY Halloween Costumes will hopefully help you gather some great ideas for throwing together a great last minute costume and save you money in the process, thanks to Goodwill!

Baby Aerobics Instructor Costume

Holy cuteness! This easy baby aerobics instructer outfit looks like an easy DIY to put together and I promise, it will be a memorable costume. Create a baby headband from a goodwill t-shirt, cut the bottoms off of a pair of socks to create baby leggings, and use your baby’s onsie and leggings to complete the look. This mom created an adorable boombox out of felt to complete the look.  (via Homemade By Jill)

Book Fairy Costume 

A couple of hardback books from Goodwill can create a unique and adorable book fairy costume. Using a hot glue gun, book pages, and the covers of the books to create your fairy wings you can create an entire costume from simply rolling paper for an adorable skirt! You will love this one (via Lilliedale)

Paper Doll Costume

Short on funds for Halloween costumes this year? This paper doll costume can be created using the free template provided, poster board, and a little foam core. Add your daughter’s laciest socks and a pair of Mary Jane shoes from Goodwill and you have a real-life paper doll to trick-or-treat with. What little girl wouldn’t love that?  (via Family Fun)

Mary Poppins & Bert Couple Costume

Couple costumes can be challenging, but with few things from your closet and a little help from Goodwill, it can be easy to create your look for less. My husband & I created this costume for less than $20 and absolutely had a blast putting it together. (via MomAdvice)

Homemade Redbox Costume

I had to laugh at this adorable Redbox costume that this family created! The Redbox costume was created using spray paint, a box, and snagging some of the Redbox images from Google. I absolutely love this idea and it cost the family less than $5 to create. The best part is that the whole family can jump in on the creating (Coolest Homemade Costumes)

Baby Cabbage Patch Doll

Looking for a costume that can work around pushing your baby in a stroller? This Cabbage Patch Doll costume is simply genius and wouldn’t cost a lot to create. Head to Goodwill to grab a green fitted sheet to cover your stroller, create the Cabbage Patch box, and then cover your baby in yarn pigtails. (Via Costume Works)

Will Work 4 Candy Costume

The best part about the, “Will Work 4 Candy Costume,” is that you need not buy any supplies at all to create this look. Paint a beard on your child’s face, dress them in their most tired looking play clothes, mismatch their shoes,  and add a cardboard sign from your recycle bin. (via Coolest Homemade Costumes)

Child’s Superman Costume

Leading a double life can be tough, but it doesn’t need to be expensive. Head to Goodwill to pick up a tie, shirt, and heavy glasses for Clark Kent, and dress him in a Superman shirt underneath. This costume is adorable and affordable! (Via Think Geek)

What is the best DIY Halloween costume you have created? Feel free to share your links and ideas below!

Fun Ways to Celebrate the Olympics

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Are you as excited as I am for the Olympic games to start? In our family, the Olympics is something to watch and celebrate together. It is an opportunity to learn about other countries, to admire amazing athletes, and a time of celebration for our country.

The Olympic games are just a week away and I am so excited to share a few fun ideas for craft and activities you can do to celebrate this exciting time.  Today I wanted to share with you seven fun activities you can try together as a family to make the Olympics extra special for your kids.

1. Olympic Medal Cookies– What could be sweeter than receiving an Olympic medal? How about an Olympic Medal filled with a cookie? AlphaMom offers this sweet little Olympic craft to do with your little ones. Stumped for a cookie idea?  I highly recommend an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookie for your medal filling!

2. Olympic T-Shirts– Visit Goodwill to find the perfect white t-shirt to dress up for the Olympic games. with a simple painted ring pattern on an inexpensive thrift store shirt, this is a craft that is easy enough to do with kids of all ages. Kate’s Creative Space offers this fun craft idea to her readers and we think it pairs perfectly with a great t-shirt from Goodwill!

3. DIY Olympic Torch– What child doesn’t dream of carrying around their very own Olympic torch. Hoosier Homemade showcases a fun craft that you can do to create your very own Olympic torch made from some commonly found items at your local craft store.

4. Olympics Party Fun– Why not throw a party for your family or for a group of families to celebrate the Olympics? A Small Snippet has you covered with everything from patriotic foods to great Olympic game ideas to play together, to fun ideas for decorations that don’t cost a lot. Before heading to your local superstore, check Goodwill for creative games and prop ideas for your very own mini-Olympics.

5. Olympic Torches Made From Recyclables– If hitting your craft store for supplies to make an Olympic torch isn’t in your budget, this Olympic Torch from The Idea Room is made from common items you have in your home and recyclables. These torches are made from a paper plate, a paper towel roll, and red & gold tissue paper. This is one that even the smallest child can do. Be sure to lift these high and participate in your own round of fun family Olympic games.

6. Olympic Rings Necklace– Even moms can jump in on the Olympic excitement with this cute craft, from Remarkably Domestic, for an Olympic Rings Necklace. This necklace is made from simple rings covered in Chinese knotting cord to create those Olympic rings everyone loves so much. This would be a fun craft to do while watching your favorite games this year!

7. Discus Throw Frisbee– Are your kids excited about the Discus Throw? This craft from My Sister’s Suitcase is a fun one for kids of all ages. Print a design for the front of your Frisbee and then have your child decorate it to their heart’s delight.

What are some ideas you have for celebrating the Olympic games with your family?

Great Gifts to Give Teachers from Goodwill

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As the school year draws to a close, it is a great time to think about honoring all of the hard work that your kid’s teachers have put in for your family. This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week and I couldn’t wait to deliver our fun gifts to our hardworking teachers.  Both of my children have been so blessed this school year to have teachers who love and care for them each day. It was such an honor to get to give a little love back to them for all they do.

End-of-year gifts are a thoughtful way to say thank you to your teachers who have dedicated their time to helping your children grow and learn. Here are a few of my favorite gifts to give and how you can make Goodwill a part of those gifts!

Frame a Fun Printable– Head to your local Goodwill and find a frame that you can use to frame a fun free printable for your teacher. I love to hunt for these inexpensive frames and then give them a fresh new look with a coat of spray paint.

I made these, “Raise Your Hand if You Mustache a Question,” printables for our teachers for the holidays and they loved them with spray painted red frames. They coordinate perfectly with a white thrift store mug adorned with a painted mustache.  I also really love this fabulous printable from eighteen25 that reminds the class to listen to their teachers. What teacher would not love that?

Create a Pretty Pin– This year I have become obsessed with making cute pins and have found a way to incorporate these pins on everything from bags to belts to jewelry. Teachers will love these fun accessories and it is an easy way to say thank you without spending a lot.  Pins can be created from recycled Goodwill t-shirts or you can create elegant roses from a felted Goodwill sweater or use fabric from a cute shirt you can snag on their sale rack.

Bake a Treat– One gift that I think says I truly appreciate you is spending time in the kitchen baking something special for someone you love. Visit Goodwill to find cute tins, plates, or even bake them right in the baking pans you find at your store. The best part about packaging these delicious treats with Goodwill packaging is that you don’t have to worry about getting your dishes returned back to you. I highly recommend these Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Brownies for a treat that will knock your teacher’s socks off!  Just be prepared to have to share the recipe once they have tried them.

Give a Gift of Pampering– If there is one thing that you can find at Goodwill, it is a plethora of mason jars that can be used for all of your craft projects. Consider giving your teacher a gift to pamper herself and packaging it in a Goodwill mason jar and attach a spoon, that you can also find there.  Mix up some easy bath salts or a hand scrub that she can use to treat herself.

Give Them Something They Can Use– This year I decided to give our teachers a fun teacher supplies cake that I made with school materials I knew they might be missing in their classrooms. Check the office supplies at Goodwill to see if you can find items you can weave into a school supplies cake for your teacher. You will often find great folders, binders, and new office supplies that could easily create tiers for a cute school supplies cake to replenish their supplies for next year. Simply configure your supplies and stack them on top of each other, securing with a little packing tape to hold everything together. Half of the fun in this craft is in the creating of your cake. Adorn it with a little ribbon and a picture of your child with a thoughtful message of thanks.

What is one gift you love to create with Goodwill supplies for your teachers? We would love to hear your ideas! 

10 Unique Ideas for Projects to Do With Goodwill T-Shirts

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Goodwill is one of my favorite places to visit for craft supplies and to find ideas for upcycling donated items. If you have ever been in a Goodwill store, one thing you will notice is that there is an abundance and plethora of donated t-shirts in every size, style, variety, and color.

The next time you visit your local Goodwill store, don’t just visit the t-shirts in your own size for ideas. Look in the Men’s section and in the larger sizes to find t-shirts that will offer you extra and a generous amount of craft material for the same amount of money as your smaller t-shirts. Try to select t-shirts that are not as faded or that have fabric pills on them for optimal material for your projects.

Today I wanted to share with you ten of my favorite projects that I have found to do with old t-shirts from your Goodwill store from some very amazing bloggers. I love that all of these ideas are extremely unique and that most require no sewing skills at all.

1. T-Shirt Scarves– I have seen lots of varieties of t-shirt scarves on many different blogs, but I absolutely love this DIY Dish episode you can watch to discover three different varieties of scarves you can make from an old t-shirt. My favorite is the one, pictured above, with a bright pom-pom trim.

2. T-Shirt Bibs– If you are looking for a fast sewing project that would make a fun baby gift, then these t-shirt bibs are the project for you. For little boys, you could look for their dad’s favorite sports teams and for little girls you could look for a fun t-shirt with sparkly letters or flowers. Don’t forget that these could also be embellished with rick-rack, ribbon trim, or an easy t-shirt rolled rosette flower.

3. T-Shirt Bracelets– There are many varieties of cute bracelets that I have seen using t-shirt materials, but this one has to be one of my favorites. This twisted knot bracelet can be made from just a single t-shirt or it could be made with a mix of prints or a mix of solid colors. I can’t wait to make some of these for myself and my daughter this summer. Nothing could be cozier than a gently worn t-shirt bracelet on your arm!

4. T-Shirt Produce Bag– Nothing could be greener than carrying your groceries in a cloth grocery bag…until you start using recycled materials for your bag. Even if you are a beginning sewer, this simple produce bag can easily be created for a visit to the grocery store of your local farmer’s market. I think these would be fun to make in a variety of pastel colors or to give as a gift to someone special in your life.

5. T-Shirt Pom Poms– Looking for a fun way to dress up your home for the warmer months? I absolutely love these adorable t-shirt pom poms for a fun way to add a pop of color to your mantle, as a fun adornment to a wreath, or hung in a gathering on a door handle or front door. The best part about this project is that no sewing skills are required for this one!

6. Petal Tees– I have seen many, many refashions of old t-shirts, but I think this Petal Tee is simply genius because the petal trim on this t-shirt is made from a variety of t-shirts, adding a cute pop of color for the Spring. Visit Goodwill on their half off days and stock-up on a fun mixture of colors for a fun addition of color to your wardrobe. If you are looking to add a little of the fluorescent color trend to your wardrobe, this would be a great way to do it without having to commit to an entire fluorescent piece!

7. T-Shirt Yarn– My favorite craft in the world is knitting and I love the idea of using Goodwill t-shirts to create fun yarn for my projects. This would be a fun gift to give to a friend that knits or crochets. If you can use a pair of scissors and cut in a relatively straight line, then you can do this craft and use this yarn for a variety of projects!

8. T-Shirt Aprons– I have a true affection for aprons and have a little collection of my own thrifted aprons that I have acquired from Goodwill and other antique shops. I had never thought to use t-shirts to create aprons, but I think this t-shirt apron is the cutest thing I have ever seen. This would be a cute craft to make for yourself or for your helpers in the kitchen. The best part? No ironing required and it can handle the messes that you might make in the kitchen.

9. T-Shirt Necklaces– I love t-shirt necklaces for adding a splash of color to your neckline. This rolled rosette t-shirt necklace is a fun way to add some feminine details to your outfit very inexpensively. I think it would be cute to make the t-shirt bracelet in a coordinating color and one Goodwill t-shirt should more than cover both of these cute projects.


Our tenth project is actually a fun t-shirt project we did here on the Goodwill blog. Be sure to visit my tutorial on creating a cute t-shirt flower pin made from an old t-shirt and spray painted clip-on earrings. This is so cute and would be a fun addition to a Spring top or jacket.



What are your favorite craft projects to do with old t-shirts?


All photos featured in our collage were gathered from the blogs that were featured. Please visit these blogs for tutorials and instructions on completing these projects!

How To Make T-Shirt Flowers

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Today I wanted to share with you an easy and fun project you can create from some common items that you can find at your local Goodwill Store. Today’s inspiration came from a bag of clip on earrings that I found when browsing through the jewelry section of the store and the sea of endless t-shirts in every variety of color that you can find on their racks.

For this project you will need a t-shirt (any size), spray paint in a contrasting color, clip on earrings, hot glue, glue sticks, scissors, a piece of card stock to make your template, and one piece of felt.

  1. To begin, you will need to cut out eleven circles out of your old t-shirt. I used a large circle punch and created my template out of scrap card stock. You could also just trace a lid to a canning jar, if you don’t have a circle punch handy.

  2. Grab your piece of felt and cut a heart out for the base of your flower or you can cut a simple felt circle.

  3. Let’s make some flower petals. Fold your circle in half as shown.

  4. Fold up one side of the circle that has been folded in half.

  5. Fold up the other half of the halved circle and have it meet with the other side to form a petal.

  6. Now hot glue the seam just a tiny bit together where the petal is gathered and then hot glue the end of the petal to the felt heart.

  7. Repeat this with all four ends of the heart.

  8. In the spaces left, fill in with three or four more petals.

  9. Spray paint your clip on earrings in your favorite color. Allow this to dry.

  10. Remove the back of the earring with a pair of pliers. Hot glue the earring to the center

  11. On the back of your fabric flower, you can attach a simple jewelry pin that you can find in the jewelry section of your favorite craft store.

  12. Wear your thrift store pin proudly!


Have you ever done anything fun with thrift store t-shirts? Feel free to share your ideas for ways you craft with Goodwill supplies here. We would love to hear them!