Don’t Toss Those Old Shirts — Make a DIY Fabric Garland!

This DIY fabric garland might just be the most fun you will have with a pair of scissors all summer! Made entirely from thrifted clothing, it is budget-friendly, easy for beginners, and absolutely charming when it is done!

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Your local thrift store is hiding a secret…and once you discover it, you will never walk those aisles the same way again!

Forget shirts and pants.

Think fabric!

This DIY fabric garland is easy and costs next to nothing.

No new fabric, no extra cost, and no special skills required.

Just thrifted clothing, a length of rope, and a little bit of time.

This is truly an easy craft that anyone can do!

What You Will Need

• Thrifted shirts, dresses, or other woven cotton clothing in red, white, and blue (or your favorite color palette!)
• Rope (dollar store works perfectly!)
• Scissors
• Optional: a rotary cutter
• Command hooks (for hanging indoors or out without damage)

That’s it! This easy tutorial requires no sewing, no glue gun, and no prior crafting experience. Just simple, straightforward steps from start to finish.

Step One: Shop For Your Fabric

Head to your local thrift store and think like a fabric shopper, not a clothing shopper.

You are looking for woven cotton fabrics in your color scheme. Knit fabrics don’t tear into clean strips, so move past those and look for woven cottons instead.

The men’s section is a goldmine for this project! Woven, button-down shirts in stripes and plaids are exactly what you want.

Different patterns mixed together are what give this garland its charm! You will also want solid colors to bring a little calm to the pattern chaos.

Don’t skip the dress section!

Long dresses give you so much fabric for your money. The longer the dress, the more fabric you have to work with.

And always peek in the bedding section. I found the perfect red and white buffalo check pillow shams…ideal colors and a great pattern that adds additional texture to the finished garland.

Before you leave the store, lay your different fabrics next to each other and check for a good balance of your colors as well as a nice variety of solids and different patterns.

You want a little bit of everything!

Step Two: Cut Your Fabric Strips

Now for the fun part!

Take one of your garments and lay it flat. Starting with my solid blue men’s shirt, I cut a small notch along the side seam and then ripped the front panel away from the rest of the shirt along that seam. Use scissors to cut the remaining panel free.

Lay the panel flat. Measure a couple of inches across the bottom and cut small notches with your scissors. Then grab the fabric with both hands…and rip!

Tear from each notch straight through to the end of the panel. Trim any stray threads with scissors as you go.

Repeat this process with the remaining sections of the shirt…even the sleeves. You will be amazed at how much fabric you can get from one shirt!

Salvaging Other Thrifted Fabric

For a dress, find the largest open panel of fabric. I cut the bodice away from the skirt and used the skirt as my main fabric piece, tearing it into strips the same way.

For delicate or specialty fabrics like lace, skip the tearing and use scissors or a rotary cutter to cut each strip in a straight line.

I used scissors on a plaid pillow sham so I could be more precise with the pattern placement. The red back on that sham was a total bonus…extra fabric for free!

The number of strips you need depends on the desired length of your garland. A longer garland needs more strips, so it is always better to cut more than you think you need.

Keep cutting until you have good-sized piles of fabric strips in each color!

Step 3: Tie Your Fabric Garland

Grab your rope and find a comfortable spot to work.

Take one fabric strip and tie it in a bow around the rope. Take another strip in a different color and tie it right next to the first one.

Keep going, alternating colors and different patterns as you work your way across the rope.

Tie the strips close enough together that you can’t see the rope underneath. That’s the secret for a full, lush-looking garland!

If you have shorter strips, a simple knot works just as well as a bow.

Mix in those solid colors as you go. Solid fabric pieces give the eye a place to rest among all those fun patterns and are such an easy way to pull the whole color scheme together.

For the ends of the rope, I used the ruffle from the dress, cut in half, and tied to each end with lots of trailing fabric. It makes hanging the garland so easy, and look beautiful doing it. If you don’t have a ruffle, extra-long strips of fabric work perfectly for the ends.

This is truly so much fun to make. Once you get going, it is hard to stop!

Tips for Mixing Patterns and Solids

Here are a few simple tips for mixing different fabrics and patterns like a pro:

• Use the rule of thirds. Aim for roughly one-third solids, one-third small patterns like stripes, and one-third larger patterns like plaids or checks. This keeps the garland balanced without looking too busy.
• Let solids do the work. Solid color strips are your best friend in a rag garland. They calm things down visually and make the patterns around them pop even more.
• Vary your strip width. Wide strips make bigger, fluffier bows. Narrower strips add detail and fill in gaps. A mix of both gives the garland different looks and a more organic, handmade feel.
• Step back and check as you. Every few bows, hold the garland up and take a look. If you see too much of one color clumping together, mix in a different color before moving on.
• Don’t stress about perfection. The beauty of this type of fabric garland is its casual, handmade charm. Uneven strips and slightly different knot sizes add character, not flaws!

More Ways to Use This Garland

Red, white, and blue is just the beginning!

This easy craft translates beautifully to so many occasions just by switching up your color scheme and type of fabric. Here are some fun ideas:

• Baby showers – Soft pinks, whites, and mint greens make the sweetest baby shower garland. Drape it across a gift table or along the back of a dessert table for charming party decor.
• Bridal showers – Whites, creams, and blush tones are absolutely gorgeous for bridal showers. Tie it along a cake table or drape it across a mantel for an elegant but relaxed look.
• Summer parties – Any bright, fun color combination works for a general summer party. Mix in some yellow and orange for a sunshine feel, or go bold with hot pink and turquoise.
• Home decor year-round – Swap out the color scheme with the seasons. Use warm oranges and browns for fall, or deep reds and greens for the holidays.
• Outdoor entertaining – Drape it along a fence, tie it to a pergola, or swag it across an outdoor table. Command hooks make it easy to hang indoors without putting holes in your walls.
• Next party or gathering – Honestly, this garland works for almost any celebration. It is such a fun way to add some handmade personality to any space without spending much at all.

Go Make One!

I hope this easy tutorial has you looking at your thrift store in a whole new way.

This DIY fabric garland is one of those projects that is just as much fun to make as it is to display.

So the next time you walk past a rack of old shirts at the thrift store…grab a few! Your next favorite piece of home decor is waiting right there on that rack!

Cheers!

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