How-to: Neckerchief-Style T-Shirt Scarf

It’s still sweltering here in Atlanta during the day, but we’ve had some nice cool mornings and evenings lately. Fall is in the air, and this light, cozy t-shirt scarf is just right for those cool-but-not-cold times of day.

I know, t-shirt scarves are kind of old news, but the ones I’ve made have always been that spaghetti-style: lots of skinny pieces of stretched jersey. Those are fun to make and cute, but chances are you’ve seen a thousand of them by now. What I like about this scarf is the chunky pieces of fabric and the faux neckerchief detail. Here’s how to make your own!

Materials

reclaimed t-shirt – clean out your dresser, or hit the thrift store to find a shirt that’s the right color for your scarffabric scissorssewing machine, pins, and thread in a coordinating color – I used a contrasting color, so you could see my stitching, but you’d really want yours to blend

Directions

1. Lay your t-shirt out on a flat surface, and cut the bottom seam off. Set this aside, but don’t discard it. You’ll need it later.

2. Cut your shirt horizontally from armpit to armpit, right under the sleeves. Then, cut the rectangle you just made in half horizontally. When you’re done, it will look like this:

3. You’ll be left with two tubes of fabric. Cut one of the shirt’s side seams out of each tube. Most t-shirts will have two side seams, but you only need to cut one open. Once they’re open, stretch the fabric. As you stretch it will start to curl under, which is what you want.

4. Time to sew! You should now have two long pieces of stretched jersey fabric. Grab your two pieces and lay two of the short sides together, right sides in. Pin and use a wide zig zag stitch to sew your pieces together. Make sure you back stitch on either end, so your stitches will be nice and strong.

5. Repeat step 4 with the other unfinished edges of your fabric. When you’re done, you should have a big loop of jersey.

6. Double that loop over, bringing the seams that you just sewed together, then grab that bottom seam of the shirt that you set aside earlier. Slide that bottom seam under your scarf where the two seams meet up. Knot that bottom seam piece around your scarf so that it hides the seams you sewed.

That’s it! To wear your t-shirt scarf, you can let it hang low or double it over. In the photo at the top of this post, it’s doubled over to really work that neckerchief look.

The shirt I used, and the one on the mannequin, were extras from this year’s World Domination Summit. My awesome friend Jen Neitzel from The Maven Circle helped organize the event and when they had a bunch of leftover shirts, she was kind enough to send me a few to craft with.

View the original article here

Old Frame + Scarf = A Masterpiece

A long time ago, I found this ugly picture frame at a garage sale for $3.00.

I used it for another project and spray painted it silver. Since then, though, I’ve changed things around and have had the frame in the back of my closet. Then, my amazing friend Erin went to Amsterdam and brought back a beautiful scarf for me. I can’t make myself wear it — not because I don’t love it, but I’m so afraid of ruining it. After seeing this project from House and Home that upcycles old handkerchiefs into wall art, I thought, “Hey… I could do that with my scarf and old frame!”

1. A picture frame. Look for ones at your local thrift store or at garage sales! There’s no reason to buy a new one when you can upcycle an old one!

2. Spray paint. You will only need spray paint if you decide to spray paint your frame. If you can, use a low VOC spray paint– it’s more eco-friendly!

3. Something to attach your scarf to your frame. I used tape, but you could use tacks or staples.

4. A beautiful scarf or handkerchief.

1. Spray paint your frame. This is how my frame looked after I spray painted it:

2. Once your frame is dry, turn it over. Attach your scarf to your frame. If there is an image on your scarf (mine had a peacock) make sure you center it within your frame. If you use a frame that still has the glass/backing with it, you can just insert it in like a normal picture. However, mine didn’t have that, so I taped it to the back of the frame. I taped it instead of stapling it because I didn’t want it to damage the scarf. Here is how I taped it:

I just taped my way around the frame, making sure that the scarf was pulled tightly on each side. (Side Note: make sure you get the wrinkles out of your scarf before you put it on your frame.)

3. Add a picture hanging mount to the back of frame, if you need one. Mine looks like this:

Find the middle of your frame, and then nail it onto the frame. Now it is ready to hang up! Here it is all finished:

I love how the silver sequins from the scarf match the silver frame! Do you have a favorite scarf or handkerchief that you could use as wall art? I would love to see it– share a picture of it on our facebook wall or share a link to it in the comment section below!

View the original article here