Recycled T-Shirt Pillows

Good news everyone! You no longer have to sleep in a bed full of rock pillows, because your savior has arrived. Let me introduce you to a passion of mine......Pillow Making.

I've been making pillows for my friends and family for a while, but for my big public reveal I needed pillows with a twist.

These pillows are special because most of the fabrics came right out of my clothes wardrobe. I was cleaning out my closet and was faced with a terrifying dilemma- how could I simply get rid of  all these radical t-shirts and stuff?! The answer was clear, I needed to make them into pillows.

After successfully making a few and seeing the enormously positive reception they received, I went crazy and made like another set of 20 recycled t-shirt pillows from stuff in my closet and things I scavenged.  Here are the results, all for sale.

Presenting... The Pillows

"Betty Boop" Pocket Pillow #1

This was the first pillow I made from a rather large nursing scrub I found at the thrift store. The pink sides are made from some scrapped polyester I also found at the same store, what luck. If you'd ask Betty Boop, I think she'd say these fabrics were totally a match made in heaven.

Also, check out the sweet built-in pocket on the front of the pillow. The uses for them are endless- my mom suggested you could use it as a place to put your tissues on Lifetime Movie Night. I thought it would be better off used as a cellphone keeper...  try over sleeping your next nap when the phone alarm is ringing right next to your head!

This pillow weighs 1.4 pounds.

Height: 18.5"   
Width: 2.5"
Length: 15"

SOLD

"UFC Fight Night" Skull Pillow

Side view of the UFC pillow.
The back is made from the rest of the
shirt, which is a plain brown color.

I didn't want to leave the boys out of all this pillow fun, so here's one of my attempts at a pillow built for a man. Doesn't it just ooze masculinity? If the skulls weren't tough enough, it has the UFC logo on it and even says "FIGHT NIGHT" right on the pillow. You could probably get Chuck Liddell to punch this pillow and it wouldn't even fall apart. It would probably just be very severely dented.
The sides are made out of soft black fleece. This was a fairly new t-shirt to begin with, so it's still very soft as well. I think that makes this pillow a pretty deadly mix of cuddly and badass.

 This pillows weighs 1.8 pounds.

 Height: 17.5"

Width: 4"

Length: 15.5"

                      

SOLD

Ladies- if you think this pillows seems a little sexist, I just have to say this pillow could quite possibly be made for you as well. The shirt used to belong to my mom, after all.

Embellished "Pink Cafe" Pillow

Another pillow made from a thrift shop shirt. This was a medium lady's dress top. The print depicts this quaint little cafe scene which wraps around the entire pillow. On the front side it has these shiny little sequins sewed on... definitely wouldn't suggest sleeping on this side unless you want a cafe imprinted onto your face! (Actually, that sounds kind of cool.)

I almost didn't have enough of the shirt's fabric to finish this pillow, so I had to patchwork the sides together so that they'd fit. As an unintentional but cool result, this pillow transformed from a square shape to kinda round! It's definitely unique, to say the least.

Shiny Shiny, shiny bits of sequin.

Height: 17.5 "

Width: 4.5"

Length: 17"

This pillow weighs 1.4 pounds.

SOLD

 

"Zoo York City" Pillow

This is definitely one of my personal favorite pillows that I've made thus far. The print is just full of skulls, grime and other cool things. Too bad the t-shirt was a Boys XL or I would so be wearing it right now.

Besides being cool and covered and skulls, it's very soft,  fluffy and comfy..  it would probably make a good neck pillow, too... If someone doesn't get this pillow soon I'm totally going to keep it for myself, seriously. 


Height: 9"
Width: 2.5"
Length: 20"

This pillow weighs 12.2 ounces.

Sold

 

"Bubba Gump Shrimp Co" (Charleston) pillow

I don't know anyone who hasn't seen Forest Gump yet... and if you haven't, I guess you're just gonna have to miss out on this cultural reference because I'm not explaining it. There is a Bubba Gump restaurant right here in Charleston, but I got this awesome shirt from the neighborhood thrift store instead. I enjoy utilizing "localized" things in my pillows because of their rarity... Charleston is the only place in the world you could buy a shirt like this, unless you cheat and order it off of Ebay or something. So in a sense, this pillow carries a little bit of history and travel mileage with it.

The sides are made of brown felt and the print is on a cotton tee.










Height: 15"        
Width: 3"
Length: 14"


This pillow weighs 12.2 oz.

   

Sold

"Wild Cat" pillow

This is definitely one of the "big cats" of my pillow collection, even larger than a standard sleeping pillow. I know the print has a tiger on it, but I was just dying to use this cheetah/leopard fabric, which is soft and kind of fuzzy like a real wild cat's fur. The sides are plain black and the print was taken from an old workout t-shirt.. its the eye of the tiger, get it?

Height:  17"
Width: 3"
Length: 21"

This pillow weighs 1.6 pounds.

SOLD

 

Everybody knows that kissing an Irish person will probably just lead to eventually fighting them. At least, that's the motto I've lived my life by. Either way, I still think this little green Irish pillow is pretty charming. The sides are made from a very shiny and soft polyester ribbon I got from Wal-Mart's remnants section. The print was from my mom's closet again... If you haven't noticed, we come from a long line of angry, short potato eaters. 


This pillow weighs 8.6 ounces.

Height: 13"   
Width: 2"
Length: 15.5"

SOLD

 

"Betty Boop" Pocket Pillow #2

This is the second pillow I made from that giant thrift store scrub. For your convenience, it also has a built in pocket. The difference between this pillow and the first one is that it's slightly smaller and that it uses the Betty Boop fabric on all sides instead of utilizing the polyester. I can proudly say that there were very few scraps of the nurse scrub left after I made it into pillows...awesome.


Height: 15.5"

Width: 4"

Length: 14.5"

This pillow weighs 1 pound.

Sold

"Drink Cheerwine" Pillow

Cheerwine, the weird cherry-flavored cousin of Coke and Pepsi! This would be perfect for someone who is a fan of Cheerwine... I gotta say, their fans are never lukewarm, they are always so die hard about their favorite drink. The sides are made of a bandana like red and white fabric, and the back is plain white.


Height: 12.5" 
Width: 3"
Length: 17"

This pillow weighs 13.4 ounces.

SOLD

"Wicked Witch" Pillow

 Okay, I have to come clean. This pillow was not made out of a recycled t-shirt. The print came from some absolutely wicked fleece that I found in the craft section of Wal-Mart... what a good find, if you ask me! If you love retro things, this pillow will definitely be right up your ally. The sides are made out of green and yellow striped fabric, it kind of reminds me of the striped socks on the witch that gets the house dropped on her in Oz. Consider it in memoriam.

Height: 14"    
Width: 2"
Length: 16"

This pillow weighs 13 ounces.

SOLD

"Burt and Ernie BFF's" pillow

"You're my best friend." - Queen

This is probably another one my favorites! This pillow is humungous, probably one of the largest one I've made so far, so it's perfect for sharing with your friends. To make it even better, I used an awesome junior's Sesame Street t-shirt as the print. Ironically the print seemed really small when it was on the shirt, so small I had to include the arm caps in with the print (check the top corners), but once it was transformed into a pillow it seems so huge! The sides are a purple fabric and the back is this really nice textured plaid fabric. I really like how it feels as the surface of a pillow, very comfy.




Height: 20"
Width: 4"
Length: 17"

This pillow weighs 1.6 pounds.

SOLD

"Little Miss Sunshine" Pillow

Another great throwback (throw pillow?) from childhood. Little Miss Sunshine and the rest of the Roger Hargreaves' "Mr. Men and Little Miss" sereies were definitely books that were read to me a lot as a kid. This is a super cute pillow, another one I can boast used almost the entire junior's t-shirt. For some reason, juniors shirts fabric make for the softest and squishest of my pillows. Us girls have good taste in fibers, I guess!

Height: 15"   
Width: 3"
Length: 18"

This pillow weighs 14 ounces.

SOLD

"Homage to AnvilTee's" Pillow

This pillow is so awesomely meta.  According to its tag, this thrift store t-shirt is made out of "66% recycled material" to begin with... So now that I've recycled it again, how has that percentage changed? Maybe someone savvy at math can figure that one out. In the mean time, I love being able to re purpose something that had such a great purpose to begin with. That's what this whole t-shirt pillow series has been about! Like the pillow says.. "I am part of the solution."

Sierra Club and AnvilRecycled Tees teamed up to spread their message
about waste reduction, and I'm now doing my piece by breathing
life back into something that was close to the edge of obscurity.
Everything goes full circle.

Height: 13"
Width: 2.5"
Length: 15.5"


This pillow weighs 14 ounces.

Sold

 

"Lego Batman" Pillow

The corner that was "chewed up" in the sewing machine.

Ahhhh what an adorable print! Personally I LOVE the Lego Batman game, it's insanely fun. However, I think the Joker was playing some sort of cruel joke on me while I was making this pillow because it gave me so much trouble! One of the corners got severely damaged during construction and in result the fabric got all chewed up in the sewing machine. There were a lot of holes, I managed to patch them up but the perfectionist in me will always be a little bit mad at this pillow.
Because of these issues, the price has been reduced accordingly.

Height: 17"

Width: 2.5"

Length: 14"

This pillow weighs 15.3 ounces. 

Sold

 

"Orange Cheetohs" Pillow

Anyone hungry for some Cheetohs? This pillow is pretty delicious. It would be the perfect pillow to rest your head on while laying on the couch, watching tv and munching on your favorite cheese flavored snack. The sides are made out of soft yellow fleece and the print is from a standard cotton t-shirt.

Height: 13"
Width: 3"
Length: 15.5"

This pillow weighs 14 ounces. 

Sold

 

 

"300 Movie" Pillow

Another really tough pillow featuring prints from the movie Frank Miller inspired movie 300.  Historical Roman and Greek stories are totally all the rage right now... This would be perfect for a Spartacus or Rome fan too, I bet. The sides are made from a sturdy black fabric and the front and back of a men's cotton t-shirt makes the body of this pillow.
 
Height: 17.5"
Width: 3"
Length: 14"

This pillow weighs 13.6 ounces.

SOLD

"Spoletto 2003" Pillow

This was one last really interesting find from the thrift store. It's a Spoletto shirt from 2003. If you didn't know, Spoletto is an annual arts festival that happens right here in Charleston. The print is so unusual. After spending a lot of time looking at it during the construction process, I've really come to appreciate its meaning more. To me, this is a picture of a woman that is expressing pure joy and uninhibited freedom while enjoying the warmth of a nice meal and good company. How can life be better than that?

The back of the pillow is a tan brown color and the sides are
made from the same cheetah fabric as the "Wild Cat" pillow.

Height: 17""    

Width: 3"

Length: 18"

This pillow weighs 15 ounces.

SOLD

 

 

Final Words

These pillows are soft, fluffy, and full of love. I also must admit that they are sturdy as hell- they are definitely meant to last after much wear and tear. I have made a few of these pillows over the years for my friends and family, and I think that they were all surprised how long their pillows have endured.

 Most were afraid to wash them in the machine, but I actually encourage you to run your pillow through the washer and dryer when you receive it. Not saying I have "Dirty Pillows" or something, but running it through your machines will get it all  squishy and tenderized for your lounging. They kind of change form over time anyways, depending on how the person uses it. Sometimes the pillow becomes very flat and compressed, and other times they get all lumpy and malleable. The choice will be yours!

BTW, You may notice that some of them have adorable price tags attached. These price tags are mostly for when I'm presenting my stuff at shows and craft fairs.  By default, I will take the tag off of your pillow before I send it. However, if you want to keep the fancy tag on, please specify in your Paypal order and I'll happily comply.

Juju dolls!

Have you ever heard of a poppet? They are small, hand made dolls typically fashioned out of rags or even sticks and grass. These figures are sometimes intended to represent actual people and can contain personal items from that individual. They're used in folk magic, spell casting and effecting outcomes of the future. Sound familiar? Poppets are more (in)famously known by their other name, Voodoo Dolls.

I don't really like using the term voodoo doll because it has such negative connotations attached to it. When you think of Voodoo, it usually brings up visions of an evil witch doctor dressed as a crazy skeleton, ritualistically sticking pins into little crude dolls shaped like their enemies to cause them agony. Of course, this is an overblown stereotype made up by fantastical literature and Hollywood. The truth behind these misunderstood dolls is far less sinister.

Voodoo priestess from Hollywood...Brush YO TEETH!

I became initially interested in creating my own poppets after I realized that I was at a crossroads in my personal life.  Bad relationships, unnecessary stress and general illness have all been very disorienting recently. It's lead me to search for new, more positive answers to my problems. One way I like to "regain control" of my life is through meditation and forward thinking.

I am not a particularly religious person in the fact that I believe in one specific institution,  but I can say that I truly believe that we all have some sort of hidden magic will power inside that we can use to alter the environment around us. Have you ever wished for something so hard that it actually came true? Same idea. Poppets/Voodoo dolls have been used for centuries as focusing tools in this kind of magic, and they still serve their purpose as good today as they did 100 years ago.

I decided to divulge my mystical fantasies and make a few poppets of my own. They're inspired by a mix of traditional and contemporary voodoo doll styles and I adore their whimsical personalities. I created them with the thought in mind that each one was intended for a unique individual with specific needs in their life. These dolls can be used for focusing your energies on manifesting good fortune, healing, achieving goals, finding true love or improving certain aspects of yourself.

Don't make voodoo dolls that are
intended to harm or control others.

Before I go on, I have to reiterate that my poppets are not intended for evil use. Yes, they can be used in this way, but like attracts like and you will end up with just as much pain and suffering as your victim. You are also doing it wrong if you are trying to control a person's feelings or actions based off your own selfish needs (like, for example, casting a love spell on your crush so that they are forced to love you) because it's never OK to take away a person's free will... and these kind of deals always seem to back fire anyways.

Oh, and yes, each doll has an awesome back story to go with it.  
I'd like to think it helps to focus your energies!

Material girl

 Material Girl is a free spirited and care free. She probably likes to go to parties and meet new people, and is always up for an adventure. Those she meets are enchanted by her beauty, and good fortune follows her wherever she goes. This doll would be perfect for someone who wishes to be more outgoing, or even for someone who wants to attract this kind of person into their lives. 

She was the first poppet I attempted to make and is definitely one of my favorites. I decided to give her a beachy boho look after noticing her lovely tan and gold color scheme. Her shiny crystal eyes are actually made from some recycled earrings I found, and the clothing is made of ribbons. 

The hair is actually my favorite part of this doll. It's brown yarn that's been hand sewn into her head. This particular yarn turned out to be perfect for Material Girl's hair because it's very soft and wavy. A good way to "charge" this doll with your personal energy would be to maybe add some bows or beads to her hair, or perhaps give her some jewelry.

Mr. Banana Pants

This weird little fellow is definitely one of the "creative types." He constantly has crazy ideas for projects and is always working on artwork. Banana Pants is definitely not afraid to stand out for being colorful and different, in fact he embraces it! I would imagine BP is for someone who needs more creative spark in their life, or someone who wants to embrace the silliness and freedom that the world can provide them. 

I made Banana Pant's awesome yellow trunks out of ribbon and used some found objects for the belt. He has big golden bead eyes and a few tufts of embroidery thread hair. I believe that the awesome fabric print on his front is originally from Australia.. I obtained it in a bag of scraps given to me by one of my artist mentors who took a trip abroad. I think that extra element adds some culture to Mr. Banana Pants!

The Swamp thing

Not much is known about the Swamp Thing because this tiny bizarre poppet is a complete recluse. He never goes outside or does anything fun, and it would be your job to get him out of the house! Swamp Thing is smaller than the other voodoo dolls and could fit in your pocket so you could take him with you anywhere. He could help alleviate your own social anxieties and give you bravery by absorbing all of your negative energy.

I really dig Swamp Thing's crazy flowery print. I originally intended for this to be a female doll, but it instead turned out masculine or even androgynous at best...I enjoy the mystery. Swamp's eyes were made out of sequins. He also has a little tiny pink knot for a belly button, too cute.

Daniel Crockett
I suspect that Daniel is a very supportive poppet to own. He is an explorer of the world ( if you couldn't already tell because of his awesome coonskin hat!) and is known to be incredibly lucky. The source of this luck comes from his collection of enchanted trinkets that he keeps on his belt at all times, which create good fortune when they clink together. Daniel is very manly but is known to have a sensitive side- perfect for a girl who wants this kind of guy in her life!

The hat was made of faux fur (and not an actual raccoon.) His eyes were made of beads and I love the kind of demure expression they give him. I used suede and various yarns for his outfit, and a few little found objects for his "good luck" trinkets.

I hope that these voodoo dolls speak to the people out there who are interested in getting some positivity back in their lives. If you're in a rut, depressed, or just want to see some results for goal you're perusing, why not try utilizing a juju doll during some meditation? Use it to help picture the things you want to be improved. It will be even more meaningful to add personal belongings to these dolls. They would benefit from a few extra stitches sewn, some extra trinkets and little patches. I also left them without all without a mouth so that their new owners can decide for themselves what kind of expression their poppet has, if any at all.

 I know it's all a little hokey, but the idea behind it is very sound- Clarity is a helpful thing to have in your life. You may be surprised by how quickly results can reveal themselves if you'd just take the time out of your day to think about what you actually want.

These dolls are currently available for sale on my Etsy page.