Hey! Don't Throw That Away!QuiltingTutorials

Hey! Don’t Throw That Away! Boot Cuffs from a T-Shirt

THrowAway

Like most people, I've got a decent collection of t-shirts that I don't wear because (a) they don't fit or (b) they're stained (especially true for white t-shirts).  Instead of tossing them away, you can make super cute boot cuffs with them!

BootCuffsBalzer-wm
BootCuffsBalzer-wm
BootCuffsBalzer-wm

Boot cuffs give you the look of socks or leg warmers, but without all of the bulk in your boots!

First, you'll need a t-shirt.  Cut a strip as tall as you want your cuffs to be.

1-tshirt-wm
1-tshirt-wm

Now, cut the ring you've cut off into a long strip.

3-cutsmaller-wm

Wrap the strip around your calf and pull a bit tight.  Snip the strip where it meets the other half of the strip. I wanted to avoid the t-shirt's side seams, so I ended up cutting my strip into four pieces.

3.5-pieces-wm

The pieces you wrapped around your your calf need to be cut into a wedge shape in order to properly fit your leg.  After all, your leg isn't a tube, it's tapered.

4-wedge-wm

This is an eye-balling process.  Jersey (t-shirt material) is very forgiving and it doesn't ravel (that's why we don't need to finish the ends).

Place the two sides you've cut into a wedge together to create a kind of cone-shaped tube.  In the photo below I'm pointing at where you'll stitch.

5-stitchHERE-wm

Stitch along the seam to create the tube.  I recommend pinning the fabric because jersey stretches a lot.

6-stitched-wm
6-stitched-wm

Now we're going to do my favorite t-shirt magic trick!  Cut a thin strip of t-shirt and stretch it.  I will become a cool little tube-y thing.

7-cutstrip-wm
7-cutstrip-wm

As a side note, this pulling technique is how you can make a t-shirt scarf or necklace.

Stitch your newly created string to the outside seam of your cuff.

8-stitchtie-wm
8-stitchtie-wm

And that's it!  Check out this 30-second video to see my boot cuffs in action!

And, of course, you can wear your boot cuffs with short boots…

ShortBoots-wm
ShortBoots-wm
…or with a skirt…

Skirt-wm
SkirtDetail-wm
Lots and lots of possibilities!  I can't wait to cut up more t-shirts in a whole rainbow of colors!

And here are some instructions I drew up for you!

BootCuffsInstructionsBalzer-sm
You can download a printable version of the instructions HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Based outside of Boston, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a mixed-media artist who constructs vibrant compositions. Passionate about connecting with and inspiring other artists, she shares her expertise through in-person workshops, her online classroom www.balzerdesigns.com, and through monthly membership at www.MyArtPractice.com.

46 thoughts on “Hey! Don’t Throw That Away! Boot Cuffs from a T-Shirt

  • Julie, Cute Boot Cuffs!! And Genius idea 🙂 I love it!!

    Reply
  • Julie, Cute Boot Cuffs!! And Genius idea 🙂 I love it!!

    Reply
  • Julie, Cute Boot Cuffs!! And Genius idea 🙂 I love it!!

    Reply
  • Julie, Cute Boot Cuffs!! And Genius idea 🙂 I love it!!

    Reply
  • Julie, Cute Boot Cuffs!! And Genius idea 🙂 I love it!!

    Reply
  • Well I just piled up some T-shirts for making into stuff, but there were way more than I knew what to do with…now I got some more good ideas! Thanks.

    Reply
  • Well I just piled up some T-shirts for making into stuff, but there were way more than I knew what to do with…now I got some more good ideas! Thanks.

    Reply
  • Well I just piled up some T-shirts for making into stuff, but there were way more than I knew what to do with…now I got some more good ideas! Thanks.

    Reply
  • Well I just piled up some T-shirts for making into stuff, but there were way more than I knew what to do with…now I got some more good ideas! Thanks.

    Reply
  • Well I just piled up some T-shirts for making into stuff, but there were way more than I knew what to do with…now I got some more good ideas! Thanks.

    Reply
  • awesome idea!! thanks Julie

    Reply
  • awesome idea!! thanks Julie

    Reply
  • awesome idea!! thanks Julie

    Reply
  • awesome idea!! thanks Julie

    Reply
  • awesome idea!! thanks Julie

    Reply
  • Very cute and thank you for the step-by-step instructions too!

    Reply
  • Very cute and thank you for the step-by-step instructions too!

    Reply
  • Very cute and thank you for the step-by-step instructions too!

    Reply
  • Very cute and thank you for the step-by-step instructions too!

    Reply
  • Very cute and thank you for the step-by-step instructions too!

    Reply
  • Such a cute idea. You look fabulous!

    Reply
  • Such a cute idea. You look fabulous!

    Reply
  • Such a cute idea. You look fabulous!

    Reply
  • Such a cute idea. You look fabulous!

    Reply
  • Such a cute idea. You look fabulous!

    Reply
  • Super cute idea Julie!!!!!! Don’t you just love those 3/4 black strap boots! They are my favorites right now 🙂 Have also seen around the arms off of sweaters with lace added too 🙂 Just an idea 🙂

    Reply
  • Super cute idea Julie!!!!!! Don’t you just love those 3/4 black strap boots! They are my favorites right now 🙂 Have also seen around the arms off of sweaters with lace added too 🙂 Just an idea 🙂

    Reply
  • Super cute idea Julie!!!!!! Don’t you just love those 3/4 black strap boots! They are my favorites right now 🙂 Have also seen around the arms off of sweaters with lace added too 🙂 Just an idea 🙂

    Reply
  • Super cute idea Julie!!!!!! Don’t you just love those 3/4 black strap boots! They are my favorites right now 🙂 Have also seen around the arms off of sweaters with lace added too 🙂 Just an idea 🙂

    Reply
  • Super cute idea Julie!!!!!! Don’t you just love those 3/4 black strap boots! They are my favorites right now 🙂 Have also seen around the arms off of sweaters with lace added too 🙂 Just an idea 🙂

    Reply
  • Love it! Gotta make some. You were so cute in the video! Love your energy!

    Reply
  • Love it! Gotta make some. You were so cute in the video! Love your energy!

    Reply
  • Love it! Gotta make some. You were so cute in the video! Love your energy!

    Reply
  • Love it! Gotta make some. You were so cute in the video! Love your energy!

    Reply
  • Love it! Gotta make some. You were so cute in the video! Love your energy!

    Reply
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