REPURPOSED MARDI GRAS SH….TUFF

Installment #1 – The Bed Buddy

Mardi Gras festivities often leave us with broken beads, t-shirts that don’t fit and scraggly feathery boas. Before you toss those in the trash consider repurposing them. Sure those beads won’t stay around your neck anymore, but it doesn’t mean they’ve stopped being pretty. That feather boa may look like a plucked chicken after the Grand Parade and disco music got ahold of it, but its not done partying yet.

A challenge was given to us to find new and inventive ways to let our Mardi Gras treasures live on, no matter what small flaws they may have. After some tinkering and thinking, we’ve got a full half dozen projects you can do with a few minutes, a little crafty skill, and the inclination. We also believe a glass (or three) of wine wouldn’t hurt.

This first project may be the easiest, but it’s also probably the most useful. Introducing The Bed Buddy (not that kind, naughty ). Our Bed Buddy is your very own Mardi Gras themed body pillow to snuggle with while reading, drinking, sleeping, or ordering next years’ throws. This is the perfect use for those t-shirts caught at the parade that refuse to fit or for the vintage ones you just don’t wear anymore.

The Bed Buddy

For this project you will need:

• T-Shirt
• An old sleeping pillow (Standard works best for most shirt sizes)
• Scissors
• A sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• A ruler

1. Lay your shirt on a flat surface. Iron if necessary to remove most wrinkles (some are okay).
2. Starting at the bottom of the sleeve, measure a straight line up the side of the shirt. Cut sleeves off on this line to create a (mostly) rectangular shirt.
3. Turn the shirt inside out. Use straight pins to hold sides of shirt closed. Pin neck hole closed along a straight line just below the collar.
4. Stitch along sleeve line of shirt and neckline. I used a double zigzag stitch, but your preference is fine.
5. Turn shirt, now a mostly closed rectangle, right side out. Stuff with bed pillow.
6. Pin bottom hem closed and sew (carefully) using machine or hand stitch.
7. Sit back and relax with your new fluffy companion. (This technique would make an excellent dog bed too if your canine is an honorary Krewe member!)

Iron inside out shirt

Cut off arms & pin closed

Stuff w/pillow & sew closed