DIY Table Runner Made With Recycled Jeans and T-shirts

Today I wanted to show you my new table runner. This actually started out as a plan for my coffee table but after finishing it I decided I like it on the dining room table as much as on the coffee table. The great thing about this piece? It uses up some old clothes. I am all about recycling as much as possible and I have a big cabinet just full of old clothes to use for my projects.

To make this piece you need an old pair of jeans, about 5 t-shirts in the colorway you want. I chose reds, yellow, orange and black, some stiff lining material, another shirt in a coordinating fabric, I had an old stretchy black velvet shirt I used. 

Some shishka mirrors or fancy buttons, 

embroidery thread in the same coordinating colors, some liner material and some backing material. The sizes are dependent on how wide you want to make your piece.

I started out by cutting three rectangles from the legs of the jeans. Mine were 20" long and 8" wide. Then I cut the tshirts into strips from side to side about 1-3/4 inches wide.

I then took the strips and folded each side into the middle and then folded them again, so they are long strips like bias tape. 

I pinned these shut with safety pins so they would be easier to work with. 

I then placed the strip of tshirt at the top corner of thejean rectangle and using 3 ply of  embroidery thread started sewing it on. I simply wrapped the floss over the top, pulled the needle through to the back and came up about 1/8 of an inch further down and do it again. 

This is a very easy stitch to do and I made most of these while watching tv. I made two with the colored t-shirts using black thread and one with the black t-shirt and the different colored flosses. 

I would just sew a long piece of thread and then switch to another color.

After you finish your t-shirt pieces you can make your other two pieces. 

I used a thick lining material like you would use inside a belt, like buckram but you could also use jeans for this. I cut them the same size as the other pieces. I then cut out the velvet about 1/2 inch larger all the way around, I wrapped it around the lining material and slip stitched it all the way around. 

I then took the shishka mirrors and scattered a few across the top and slip stitched them onto the fabric. When I finished with this I took the yellow floss and made simple criss cross stars all over the two pieces.

When all the stars were done I laid the five pieces across my lining material and cut it out to the same size. 

I then pinned it all down (I used a lot of pins to make sure nothing slipped around) I then stitched the pieces onto the lining material first stitching the velvet pieces down onto the striped pieces and then all the way around the edge.

After this was done I laid the piece out on top of my backing material and cut it 2" wider all the way around. 

Then I folded the edge of the backing material twice and then up and over the edge and pinned it down. Then I machine stitched all the way around the edge. 

Voila, finished!