Upcycled T-shirt Part 1: A Superhero Cape

So here goes - another upcycling project! Last Friday was Superhero Day at my toddler's preschool. Now mine is a boy that refuses to wear anything other than t-shirts and pants, no, not even button down shirts. Hence, wearing an entire superhero costume was totally out of the question. (Yes, last year he did wear a Thomas train halloween costume, but hey - anything for a bucketload of candy!). Which is why all he got was a 15 minute Superhero Cape made from an old Tshirt of mine!

You will need:

1) An adult t-shirt that has seen better days

2) Two lengths of about 7" ribbon

3) Bits of felt to create superhero logo

4) Images of superhero-y symbols (If you don't know what I mean, see below!)

Here's what you do: (I apologize in advance for the really really wrinkly pictures!)

Step 1: Lay your old t-shirt flat on work surface

Step 2: Cut out the sleeves. Then cut off the shoulder seams and use either the front or back for next steps.

Step 3: Cut a straight line from one each bottom end to the top shoulder seam to eliminate armhole curvature.

Step 4: Fold in the neck binding and sew across it, if you need to. I did because it had gotten really shapeless.

Step 5: Sew one piece of ribbon onto a shoulder seam each. Right here, take a moment to rejoice because the existing t-shirt hem eliminates the need for you to hem the bottom edge!

At this point you're done, but not quite. Now, there are rules to be followed to be a successful caped crusader. Other than a pair of underwear worn on the outside of their pants, every superhero must have an iconic symbol, his or her own calling card. Something powerful, that strikes fear, like an animal whose prowess they identify with, or the first letter in their name and so on. You get the idea. So I 'Marvel'd at some images and got jolted by an idea that struck hard - a lightning bolt would be perfect as a symbol. I had a blast designing that!

And here's my Vidyutman to the rescue! (Vidyut = lightning in sanskrit and V is also the first letter of my son's name. As you can see, I put in more time and effort coming up with a name and logo than actually making the cape. I could totally see myself channeling my inner Edna Mode from The Incredibles! Gosh, what a fun job.)

But of course, after rushing to rescues and working hard to save the day, even a caped crusader is entitled to curl up exhausted on the nearest couch! (Added bonus: the cape can double up as your blanket.)

Tearing up old t-shirts didn't end here however, as the weekend dropped another upcycling project in my lap. I look forward to telling you all about it next Monday!