A million uses for an old T-shirt

Since we got married, dear hubby and I have been trying to cut down on the clutter. We both came into this marriage with quite a bit of stuff, and now we have to combine.

However, I have a problem. I have a really hard time throwing stuff away.

I always think to myself...what if I need that again someday? Won't I regret throwing it away if I someday have to spend money to buy a new one?

But when you live in a one-bedroom condo, you can't keep everything. We have basically no storage space at all. We keep our seasonal decorations in the attic at my parents' house, and Keith still has loads of stuff that has never even made it's way over here.

The outgrowth of these two problems - overwhelming amounts of stuff, and inability to throw things away - has had some creative consequences.

Keith has more t-shirts than anyone I know. Most of them, I think, he has gotten for free over the years. So, a raiding of his t-shirt pile was an easy step to decreasing the amount of "stuff" in our home. I have already decreased my pile of t-shirts by making a T-shirt Quilt, and I'm in the process of making one for hubby as well. But in the meantime, I've found lots of uses for old t-shirts.

From a variety of old shirts, I knitted a rug for our kitchen floor. It's much nicer than standing on the cold tile, and washes easily.

From a too-small t-shirt with a cute logo, I made this little bag. It's perfect for storing the essentials in my big ski bag - deodorant, tape, batteries, for my boot warmers, etc. That way, the little things don't get lost.
Members of the ski team I coach tend to leave things behind - and once they've been in the lost and found for a whole year, I consider them fair game. Hence, a little coin purse.


I have a few more up my sleeve, but those will have to wait. I'm preparing for a big trip next week - going to Japan for a week! I'll be working most of the time, but hope I'll find some time to do a little sightseeing as well!