What to do with old concert shirts

Not sure what to do with old concert shirts and tees? Don’t let them gather dust in your drawer. Put them to good use with our super easy DIY ideas.

Are you a big music fan?

If yes, then you probably have a vast collection of old concert shirts from all your favorite bands sitting hanging in your wardrobe or gathering dust under you bed.

Rather than allowing these treasured garments to become a distant memory, why not take your favorite concert tees and make them into something special?

Read on to discover all our amazing ideas for what to do with old band shirts, with options to suit all crafting abilities and budgets.

What can I do with my old concert shirts?

Depending on the condition of your old concert shirts, there are several upcycle options for you to choose from.

Donate them to charity

If your old concert t-shirts are just taking up space in your wardrobe and you don’t want to keep them any longer, then why not donate them to charity?

There are lots of charities across the United States that welcome clothing that is in good condition such as Goodwill. If you have enough items, some charities will collect from your house.

Sell them online

If you would like to make some money out of your old concert shirts, then you could choose to sell them online. There are online auction sites which might suit you, or you could try to sell them on social media platforms.

However, it is worth noting that auction sites will normally charge a small fee for selling items on their site and, on local social media selling groups, you may not get as much money as you would hope.

Make a t-shirt quilt

For those that want to keep hold of their favorites concert shirts, a t-shirt blanket or shirt quilt is a great idea. Ideally, you need at least 5 good-sized t-shirts to make a blanket and you can do this yourself using an online tutorial or you can enlist the services of a t-shirt blanket company to do it professionally.

T shirt quilts make amazing gifts or can be created to make a long-lasting keepsake from your favorite shirt.

Frame your tees

Could your bedroom do with a revamp? If yes, then why not use your old concert t shirts to make some cheap and decorative wall hangings?

Choose to frame your favorite shirts and tees in a picture frame or simply hang them on the wall for all to see.

This is a particularly good idea if you have only one or two concert shirts that you can’t bear to part with.

Make throw pillows with them

There are many online tutorials that show you how you can make throw pillows with old t shirts. By turning something treasured into an item which can bring your own style to the rest of your house, you will be working towards making your house a home.

Pass them on to the next generation

Don’t want to give your old shirts away or upcycle them? A great alternative is to pass them down to your children, younger siblings or a friend so that someone else can get some enjoyment from them.

Vintage tees can often become collectors’ items and are also highly popular in the world of fashion, especially for those who like to emulate a trendy, hipster vibe.

Fashion a pair of curtains

Another great idea for giving your bedroom, or any other room in your home a refresh, you can make t-shirt curtains using your much-lived concert shirts and tees.

However, it is worth noting that this DIY project is not ideal for beginners so you may want to enlist the services of a company who specializes in making keepsakes and gifts out of old t shirts and other fabric items. This is especially true if you treasure your concert tees and don’t want to risk ruining them on a craft project gone wrong!

Make a dog toy

If you have an old concert t shirt that has seen better days and you don’t mind cutting it up to be reused, then you could try making a dog toy out of it.

To make a simple tug-of-war toy for your dog, all you need is one unwanted t shirt and a pair of scissors.

Alternatively, if you have a feline friend, then you could make a cat tent about of some old t shirts, some pieces of wood and some wire.

Create a tote bag

To make a tote bag out of an old concert t-shirt, all you need is one old tee that is made of fairly sturdy fabric and a pair of fabric scissors. No sewing required. You can use any style or design of t-shirt that you have lying around, although concert shirts with bold images, logos or motifs work best as these will act as a focal point for your new bag.

The beauty of making a t-shirt tote bag is, not only will you look super stylish, but you will also be helping to reduce the number of plastic bags used in the United States of which only 1% are recycled.

What NOT to do with old concert shirts

Although there are lots of amazing ideas on what you can do with old concert t shirts, there are a few things that you should not do with them. These include:

Throw them in the bin

If you are tempted to just throw your old and unwanted concert t shirts in the bin, then you should know that billions of dollars of consumer waste end up in landfills each year. Even worse, is that 95% of these items could have been reused or recycled.

Create dinner napkins

Again, you can find lots of how-to-videos online that show you how to make napkins out of all t shirts, but do you really want to give your guests napkins that have been made out of your discarded clothing?