How to make a Buff from an old t-shirt

Are you ready to get your crafty side on? Keen to recycle your favourite old t-shirt and learn how to make a buff … without the trade-marky bit but loads of enviro-goodness?

I’ve recently been inspired by Fashion Revolution and their commitment to spreading the word about the negative impacts of fast fashion on not only our environment, but on the social impacts that it can have. They’ve inspired me to think twice about how I can buy less, waste less and re-use more.

Now it’s no secret that I love wearing merino. It’s great as a base or mid layer in both the active outdoors and urban environments and I’m happy to pay for quality that I wear over and over again. I’ve been holding onto a favourite old merino t-shirt that I’ve had for about 10 years. I just love the gorgeous cornflower blue (or is it purple?) colour but due to bad stains all over it from too many off-track, mud sliding, tree sap dripping adventures, it wasn’t fit for wearing in public anymore.

I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with it as the fabric was still pretty good. Solution? Slice and dice it into a Buff (or snood or neck gaiter depending on what you call these things!).

Step 1

Lay t-shirt flat. Measure 41cm (16”) from bottom hem towards armpit and mark line with pins.

Step 1: Lay flat and measure

Step 2

Cut along 41 cm line.

Step 2 : Cut

Option A

If you want a larger neck gaiter that wraps twice around your neck, all you need to do is hem the raw edge and voila!

Step 3

Cut along both sides of the tube and open out flat.

Step 3 : Cut along side seams

Step 4

With right sides facing, sew up the side seam. (If you’re being particularly Knitting Nancy about the whole thing, you can even finish your seam with zig zag stitch or an overlocker!)

Step 4 : Join the side seam

Step 5

Hem the top and bottom of the gaiter.

Step 4 : Hem top and bottom

And welcome to slow fashion. Re-purposing, re-using and re-loving.

Voila! 1 Buff, 4 ways… well, maybe only 3!