threadbare memories

Happy Thursday, friends!  Today I want to share a post with you from 2012--it's been my most popular post by far and it's one of my favorites too. 

 You know I love helping with room designs and this is an easy way to make meaningful wall art for your space. 

As a mother of three boys I have come across two dilemmas.  Yes, only two.  What to put on their bedroom walls that both they and I will like?  and What to do with all of those threadbare t-shirts?  You know the ones--the this is my favorite shirt so I'll just put it on the end of my bed instead of in the laundry so I can wear it again tomorrow shirts.  They're worn so much that they become a sort of uniform for an age.  Those shirts used to annoy me but now just the sight of them brings back so many memories. Kind of like seeing my old 10th grade KFC uniform and the memories that it brings back.  Ok, not like that at all. The truth is, I miss some of those little pieces of knit.   

Enter the t-shirt canvases...

I began making these when my boys were little. It takes about 5 minutes and can be an easy collage to add to as shirts are outgrown. I don't use all of their t-shirts, just the ones that spark a memory. 

Begin with a canvas and a well-loved shirt.

  

The canvas I used today is 6x6 but you can use any size.  I had to go small because this shirt is so small.

 Put the canvas inside the shirt and wrap the shirt around it. 

You have to finagle it a bit to get the graphic on the canvas evenly. 

Grab your trusty staple gun and begin stapling around the edges. 

It works best if you staple opposite sides first. 

Once you've stapled the shirt enough so that it isn't pulling, cut off the excess.

 

All done.

   

You have now become an official t-shirt canvas artist.

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