Recycled Shirt to a Tissue Box Holder

Use your worn out or torn button down shirt and make it into a cool tissue box. Hang it in the car or a convenient spot to access the tissue.

This is a simple and fast project. You can use a sewing machine to stitch the material together or use a fabric glue to glue the seams together.

1- a shirt
2- scissor
3- a sewing machine or a glue gun or fabric glue
4-Straight ruler
5-pen
6-box of tissue
7- needle and thread
8- button ( will be from the shirt)
9- Velcro if you don’t want to see a button.

The way I measure if I have enough material for my project is simple. It’s like wrapping a present.
I placed the box on the shirt I am using.

Here is a size 10 youth shirt. We are using the front of the shirt with the buttons. That helps to reduce the amount of sewing or cutting.

If the material is sufficient to cover the box with overlaps, then the shirt is suitable.

Next , cut out the rectangular shape cloth from the shirt.

Before we stitch the pieces together, we will check how much extra material we have.

We want the cover to be snug with a little room but not too loose.

Place the front of the shirt over tissue box. Making sure the opening of the tissue box lined up with the shirt /button flap. Centered it.

Turn it over . Check that the center of the box is still aligned with the shirt flap.

Bring the 2 flaps of materials over the back of the box.

Use a Bobby pin to hold the flaps together. This will show you where you should be stitching or gluing the seams.

Remove the tissue box carefully.

If you don’t own a sewing machine, you can use any fabric glue to stick the seams together. Just glue the parts that show me stitching with a sewing machine.

1- make sure the button ( opening) aligned ( photo 1) with the back seam that is held together with Bobby pins. (Photo 2)

2- stitch the 2 flaps held together by the Bobby pins ( Photo 3)

Next we will stitch both ends and it will create a gusset.

1- take one end of the project and stitch / glue them together. It will look like a sack. There is the opening on the other end.

2- there are 2 triangle shapes formed where you stitched the seams. We will stitch it to form
the gusset so it will fit the tissue box snuggly

1- Place the tissue box into the cover you just made, push it to the end. You will see there are 2 triangle shaped pieces.

2- fold the triangle inwards . Use a Bobby pin to pin it down. Next use a thread and needle to stitch it together. Or use the glue to glue it.

3- repeat on the other triangle.

4- when you are done. Take out the tissue box and sew the other end together ( repeat step 5 & 6)

Once both ends are stitched together, you will flip the cover back to inside is in.

Now your tissue cover is complete as it is. Put in a box of tissue.

If you want to make it as a hanging tissue box cover, you will do the next step.

Find more material scraps to make the straps.

Fold in the edge of the material to prevent the material from fraying. Press it down to make a crease.

Use Bobby pins to hold the folds down.

Then stitch or glue both edges together.

Stitch one end of the strap to one end of the tissue cover. This end should be closer to button hole that is closer to end.

Stitch the button on to the other end of the strap. You can use a Velcro to replace this step if you don’t want to use the button.

To fasten the strap to a spot you like, unbutton and wrap the strap and then button it.

I wrapped the strap around the metal pole under the front passenger head rest.