Making Aprons from Old Shirts...

Well I've told you how much I love Pinterest.

I always find something inspiring while I'm happily pinning away.

Last month I came across a photo that brought back memories from a project that I made when I was in Junior High.

It was a project that we made in our church youth group (Mutual)...they were aprons made from our brothers, dad's or grandpa's old button down shirts.

I can still remember the aprons that I made back then...I used my brothers western shirts...you know...the kind with the snaps instead of buttons.

It's real easy and fun to do.

You can find basic instructions here.

These photo's are from this site where the Pinterest picture originated. 

She has used two different shirts to make one apron and has added a few embellishments and even a log cabin block for the pocket on one.

Here are a few without embellishments or pockets....I like these too...

simple and basic.

I will be making some again for Mr. Honey and for Sterling to wear in the kitchen on Sunday's over their white shirts and ties in between meetings.

(they are probably tired of wearing mine...haha)

I will keep the collar on for the neck...

or I will use a standard butcher apron

as a pattern and

simply finish them off with bias tape.

The idea of re purposing clothing...

or making aprons out of

old shirts is not a new one...

it's been around for a long time!

Our grandmothers lived by the motto

"waste not want not"

and we would do good to live by the same!

I still can hear my grandma saying...

"Use it up...

Wear it out,

Make it do

or Do without"

It would be fun to make a few just for sentimental reasons for Kassidy out of an old plaid shirt of her grandpa's...

I'll have to ask each of them for one.

For her... ruffles would be a must for sure:)

She likes a feminine apron.

See the tutorial for the ruffled front apron above here.

And speaking of feminine aprons...

I wanted to show you this one that my friend Rae Ann made out of an old blouse.

I took this picture of her apron and the pocket below at our Aspen retreat.

She saw the possibilities for an apron in the blouse because of the little red pinstriped fabric, the pleats at the top and the red eyelet trim around the bottom...

makes a cute ruffle apron!

There were darts on the back of the blouse and she just left them in and cut a pocket out of the back for the front. Cute huh?

I loved making my aprons out of old shirts

a long time ago ...

and I'm glad I found the pictures on Pinterest to remind me to make more!

So now you can go look in your own

Mr. Honey's closet or take a quick trip

to the thrift shop.

Look at mens old button down shirts or womens old blouses in a new way...look for an apron inside of them:)

Waste not...want not.

xx

Lori