Hey! Don't Throw That Away! Boot Cuffs from a T-Shirt
November 10, 2014
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!
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.
Now, cut the ring you've cut off into a long strip.
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.
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.
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.
Stitch along the seam to create the tube. I recommend pinning the fabric because jersey stretches a lot.
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.
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.
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...
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!
You can download a printable version of the instructions HERE.
Thanks for stopping by!