Recycled Same Pillow


© Valerie Borey
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Got an old Norwegian t-shirt that you can’t use anymore but don’t want to throw away? Here’s an easy idea for recycling old Norwegian t-shirt patterns and slogans into throw pillows for your home. These pillows also make for great (and educational) plush toys if you have young children in the house.

Take a t-shirt that has some sort of Norwegian pattern, slogan, or logo printed on one side. In this case, I found one with the Same national flag on it, but any sort will do so long as there is a defined border around the pattern that you can work with. T-shirts with company logos, music groups, or tourist destinations would also be good for this.

Turn your t-shirt inside out so that you can see the pattern through the cloth and smooth the material out so that the seams match evenly with one another. With a needle and thread, work your way around the pattern using small, even stitches, leaving a small opening in one corner for the stuffing. I generally do all my sewing by hand, but if you work with a sewing machine, the same rules apply.

Once you’re done sewing, cut away the excess fabric, leaving only about an inch of material from the seam. Pull the material through the small opening that you’ve left so that the pattern faces outwards once again. Using your fingers, gently tug the material so that the edges are completely smooth and not hidden in the folds of fabric. With stuffing that can be purchased at any craft store (or, if you like, finely minced pieces of scrap fabric), fill the pillow to its desired plumpness. Make sure to push the stuffing down into the corners before filling the rest of the pillow. Now close up the opening with a few inconspicuous stitches and you should be left with a fine little pillow.

If you’ve decided to convert your t-shirt into a toy for a young child, you may want to consider adding other features to make the pillow a little more interesting. Mixing crackly paper with the filling on the inside, for instance, can help draw the child’s attention to the object by appealing to his/her auditory senses. Another option is to forget about traditional stuffing material altogether and opt instead for bean-bag filling or whatever other interesting substances you can get your hands on. Just make sure that the child won’t easily be able to rip the seams open and accidentally swallow whatever’s inside.

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