Upcycle T-shirts into scarves for good cause

Craft a fun gift for a good cause — using nothing but old T-shirts.

At “Gift Giving on a Budget,” 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday in 121 Burnham Hall, students and employees can learn how to remake old T-shirts into trendy scarves for local organizations that support women.

The event is sponsored by the student organization Donate By Design and the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women, Minority Women Concerns subcommittee.

Do-it-yourself instruction takes place every half hour so people can drop by and leave at any time. Bring two T-shirts to reinvent — one to keep and one to donate.

The upcycled scarves are a useful and decorative gift, said Katherine Battee-Freeman.

“Chicago is always cold so this gift is both functional and fun,” said Battee-Freeman, co-chair of the Minority Women Concerns subcommittee.

Making the scarves benefits others in a big way, said Alison Chen, Donate By Design’s president. The organization makes and sells clothing and accessories and gives the proceeds to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and hate crimes.

“Just bringing in T-shirts that you don’t wear or that are too small can help keep someone else warm,” said Chen, a senior in biology.

Together, the cosponsors hope that the scarves will help struggling women in the Chicago area.

“We want them to know that there’s people like us that are trying to brighten their holiday and get them through the cold winter,” Chen said.