I recently rescued a whole stack of my husband’s old t-shirts from certain death in the trashcan. There were a few small holes in all of them, but the vast majority of the fabric in each was still usable. After I got over my initial shock and dismay that he would throw away potentially useful crafting materials, I got right to work upcycling the t-shirts into fancy new panties.
To make your own snazzy upcycled underpants, you will need the following materials:
* Cardboard for pattern-making (Cereal boxes or old cardboard boxes work great. If you don’t have cardboard, you can also use tracing or pattern-making paper.)
* Scissors//X-Acto knife for cutting out pattern
* Fabric scissors
* Seam ripper
* Pencil
* An old, well-fitting pair of underpants for pattern-making (You must be willing to sacrifice this pair for the sake of the project, though you can always try to sew them back together when you’re done.)
* An old t-shirt
* Stick pins
* 1/4″ Braided elastic
* Sewing machine and/or serger
1. With your seam ripper, take apart the old pair of underpants, and pin the pieces to the cardboard. (If using tracing paper, use fabric weights to spread out the pieces.) Make sure the underpants you choose for your pattern are still stretchy enough to maintain shape, so the pattern is as accurate as possible—now is not the time to really excavate your underwear drawer!
2. Trace the fabric pieces onto the cardboard.
3. Cut around the traced edges to make your pattern.
4. Spread out the t-shirt, ironing if necessary to remove any wrinkles.
5. Arrange the patterns on the shirt, making sure to center any designs you’d like to keep.
6. Trace the patterns onto the t-shirt.
7. Using fabric scissors, cut out each piece.
8. Using your serger (with the knife disabled) or a sewing machine with a zigzag stitch, attach elastic to the top of the front and back pieces of fabric.
9. Sew the liner into the front piece and finish the edges of the leg holes with the serger, securing the liner in place. If using a sewing machine, stitch elastic around the leg holes with a zigzag stitch to secure the liner.
10. Attach the front and the back pieces by stitching the back of the liner on the front piece to the bottom of the back piece. If you’re not using a serger, zigzag stitch the bottom of the front piece and the bottom of the back piece together, but don’t sew the liner into the seam (leave the back of the liner loose, so it will cover the back seam). To finish, stitch the sides together using the serger or a zigzag stitch. The side seams should be on the inside of the finished underpants.
Enjoy your upcycled underpants!
you should model them!
Haha. Trust me, nobody wants to see that! ;)
Oh my! LOVE them! Great job & super idea! Cheers, Julie
I love recycling and those are SO cute! I would love to link to these on Sunday if you didn't mind.
Rachel: I'd be happy to have you link on Sunday! Thanks :)
This is a really super idea, and GREAT tutorial – I've never seen one so complete and clear. Thanks for sharing. Another great use for the serger! I will definitely try, although I can almost guarantee I won't be sharing photos on my blog! :) Glad you did, tho!
I have talked about doing this for over a year, nice affordable undies are almost impossible to find, by old t shirts are. My friends thaought I was crazy and evn offered to buy me undies…They did not understand the reativeness of this, so my hats off to this person who posted this. One artist/crafter to another.
Thanks! I raise my cup of tea in a toast to underpants that are both comfy and affordable!
how to put the fabric on the elastic and sew it on the underwaer?I have everything done but the elastic.I need the elastic coated because i have allergy to the elastic.I like sewing a lot.I just need some help with it.My e-mail is mommykisses63@yahoo.com .Thank you.Please write me back.
I just sent you an email with additional instructions. I hope they help!
Great tutorial!
You could definitely do it with just a zigzag stitch–no serger needed!
I’ve been trying to making underwear and when I use the zigzag stitch cause I don’t have a serger, it gets ruffly and doesn’t stay straight and smooth the way I have it pinned down. Any thoughts/advice????
I love this repurposing project. One I did years ago was to take thick cotton T-shirts that the print faded from multiple washings, but the cotton was clean and bright white. I cut out a diaper pattern for form fitted diapers and made a dozen with a doubled cotton crotch.
I love your tutorial, very well put together. I have done similar with old t-shirts. They are a little heavy for underpants though.
i love repurposing stuff. I recently had to get rid of a tee that I love(dryer accident). didn't know what to do with it so I cut out the pic and used the rest for scraps. still have the pic (too big for undies) got the wheels turning though! thanks for sharing!
I have that shirt!!!
I was wondering if you'd have a pattern for men's undies – probably need a bit more material too!
I love this!! I have got a load of band t-shirts I never wear anymore but still love, this is the perfect use for them!!! Better than just using them as pj's!
I'd love it if you'd edit to include that info on the original post! Please? :~) Especially leg elastics…
I recently made a pair, but used stretch lace for with waistband and for the legs. Cannot wait to make more.
This is brilliant. My husband wants me to sew him some new pairs from one of his well-fitting pairs, which he offered for “the cause.” I wouldn’t have thought of pinning them to the cardboard! Thanks.