#also it has Stacy’s mom as an added bonus

[fishagain5846]

Mp100 aaa album

[creativeskullcreations]

How do you imagine the puppets as humans? Not like "they are suddenly turned intro humans", but like a "they were always human" scenario (or AU if you preffer to call It that).

Hmmm, well, let me see what I can do with this. I do actually have a sort of role reversal au where the “Puppets” all live together in the same house, so I’ll base this off of that.

Nick’s an artist, obviously, who has fairly good success. He let it go to his head kinda though. Despite that he still does his chores on the chore list, if only so he doesn’t get yelled at by Daisy.

Riley is a scientist who works at a nearby lab. She’s not the top boss, but she does have a team of other scientists that work under her. Some of the things she does kind of toes the line, but she gets results and that’s all her bosses are after. She does not do her chores, but keeps her office locked at all times so Daisy can’t yell at her about it.

Mortimer got the house, an old victorian one, from his grandfather who was a famous magician. Mortimer attempted to become a magician himself but couldn’t quite get it. So he runs a little magic show in a local... I guess like a fair that’s always there? like a mini amusement park but it doesn’t have the good rides. He also inherited a bunch of money, so he does this mostly for fun.

and to keep his mind off the horrible things he did once in a studio he set fire to

Daisy, despite growing up with them, actually moved to a new town when she got married. She’s recently had to move back in with her teenage daughter Scout when her husband died, and found a right mess. Whipping those three into shape helped keep her mind off her grief, though she doesn’t quite know how to help her daughter. She does most of the cooking and cleaning in the house, though she also participates in local baking competitions and started a little garden out back.

Scout did not like moving in with three weirdo adults she’s only met a few times at Christmases and her mom’s birthdays. She’s still foulmouthed and ready to fight, with the added bonus of being able to actually win sometimes. She didn’t have many friends at her old school, and none at the new one and is pretty lonely. So when she’s dared to go into an old, haunted studio why wouldn’t she? Ghosts aren’t real after all.

Stacy was meant to be a character on a long since dead show, her own creator having gone insane. Maybe this kid who’s gotten in is her ticket out of this death trap...

[lindarifenews]

The Road to Recovery: A Look at the Digital Future of Small Business 

With MSME Day just past us, we’re celebrating small businesses, the people who run them, and looking at the strategies they’re using to rebound from the impact of COVID-19.

“They come into 66 from the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads. 66 is the mother road, the road of flight,” wrote John Steinbeck of the migration of American farmers and small business owners at the height of the Great Depression as they marched down America’s now-historic Route 66, out of the dust bowl and towards California in search of opportunity.

The road became a myth. A monument. Not only to the plight of small business owners in the 1930s but also to their resilience in the years that came after. As America emerged from the depression, family-owned diners, bowling alleys, mom and pops, and heavy industry sprung up along the highway and gave life to the country’s once struggling heartland. Route 66 came to epitomize the thriving state of small businesses in middle America.

Bonus: Get the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.

Dorthea Lange, Free Way. 1937 / Public Domain

Even after it lost its designation in 1985, tourists continued to make Route 66 a place of pilgrimage. Ten miles outside Rolla, Missouri, many of them would pull over and have a drink in the St. James Winery taproom, where Josh Stacy, owner of Public House Brewing, would treat them to some of the best craft beer east of the Rockies. “Come in, do your tasting, stock up on your wine, and move en route.” That was the ritual.

But in mid-March, as the world went into lockdown, the crowds stopped coming and the highway cleared of traffic. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the global economy took its deepest dive since the very depression that defined the road on which Public House now stands.

Stacy and his staff were left to contend with history. And they’re doing it by trading in bricks and mortar for a digital future.

“We turned on and created a curbside and delivery service within three days. We had to implement the technology and the infrastructure on the back end to be able to track and collect all that and do the online ordering . . . it was pretty aggressive.”

Like many small businesses around the world, Public House has moved to digital as a means to not only survive, but to put themselves on a path to long-term growth.

“It kind of pushed everything forward, you know, maybe five years . . . we knew that the digital world and our ecommerce business and all these things that we were kind of muddling around with [would be important] . . . but it really did force our hand to move into that world.”

We spoke to Public House Brewing to find out how they’re rebounding, discuss lessons they’ve learned, and share advice on strategies you can apply to your own business.

How to plan for a rebound: lessons from the heartland

Double down on your online reputation

Small businesses like Public House Brewing are the lifeblood of their communities. Maintaining those relationships has been a top priority.

“This is where they all come out to play,” said Stacy. “This is where they come to hike and camp and fish and all of that . . . we have a really strong connection with our area and with our community.”

In a recent Harris poll, over 60% of business owners said that they believe the community cares about their business. The same poll found that, during the lockdown, 26% of consumers in the United States purchased something from a small business as a sign of support.

With most community purchases now being made online, there has been added pressure on businesses to stay responsive to their most loyal customers.

Stacy and his team have felt the surge. “It has overloaded our little customer service department of one. They’re just overwhelmed.”

The solution? Centralize and simplify the way you manage your customer services online.

“We’re looking at a more robust customer service platform that can bring our telephone and our email and all that stuff into one so we can bring it in and have that one person not feel overwhelmed every single day.”

Hootsuite apps that help

Manage your Google My Business presence along with your social media activity in Hootsuite. Whether a customer asks a question or leaves a review, you’ll have one place to monitor, engage, and strengthen relationships. Plus, you can stay connected with your customers—and attract new ones—by posting company updates right from your dashboard.

Connect Zendesk Pro to your Hootsuite dashboard to monitor and manage your social media channels and support tickets simply and efficiently. Manage, create, edit, and share tickets from one location, and see them through to resolution.

Meet your customers where they are

Your website is your engine. Your social channels are your wheels. Make sure they’re running in tandem to get in front of your customers.

Like most businesses, Stacy and the Public House crew saw a surge in online engagement and purchases as social distancing measures kept customers at home.

“They’re like, well, I don’t have to come out,” he said. “I don’t have to drive all the way to Missouri from Texas and I can still get my wine . . . it has changed tremendously and I think that there’s going to be a lot more activity than there ever has been. It was already pretty crazy but is in full effect now.”

Their experience isn’t new. Even before the pandemic, digital was surging. Our Digital 2020 report shows that just over the last year, monthly active users of all major social platforms increased over 8.7%. People spending more time at home has only accelerated the trend.

What’s more, 1 in 3 US businesses doesn’t have a website. And with new social commerce integrations like Facebook Shops, many won’t need one.

From discovery to purchasing to support, customers can go through the entire buyers’ cycle across Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram as they go about their daily doomscrolling.

It’s time for small business owners to build their social muscles and reach their customers where they are.

Hootsuite apps that help

With Hootsuite Syndicator, you can view RSS feeds and Google Alerts in your Hootsuite dashboard and share them to your social channels. Send posts to other services like Pocket, Evernote, email, and more. Get useful filtering, monitoring, and tracking tools—and track which stories you’ve shared.

Panoramiq Insights adds powerful Instagram analytics to your Hootsuite dashboard. Analyze account activity and follower demographics, as well as the effectiveness of your posts and stories—all in Hootsuite.

Build reach and depth

UK-based analyst and author Simon Kemp, who has advised global companies including Unilever and Google, spoke to us about how small businesses can diversify social channels strategically to reach more people on social.

“The thing I always recommend for small businesses,” says Kemp, “is to focus your efforts by picking two platforms. One for reach, one for depth. Depth includes building relationships, delighting customers, creating more of that experience for customers.”

The takeaway: Focus your resources and do well on a few social platforms before spreading your resources too thin. Stacy at Public House Brewing reiterated this sentiment.

“Twitter or Instagram . . . I think that kind of one of the things that we’re trying to put together right now is understanding. Cadence and timing and tone and all of that . . . you don’t have to use them all. In fact, it’s better for us right now to just focus on a couple.”

Hootsuite apps that help

Brandwatch lets you monitor 95 million online sources to see what people are saying about your business—and take action. This integration gives you a single social interface to track and analyze mentions and market activity so you can make fast, informed, and strategic decisions.

Use Canva for Hootsuite to create engaging visual content directly from your Hootsuite dashboard. View recently created designs as a Hootsuite content source, add previously created designs into Hootsuite from your Canva folders, and easily attach designs to the Hootsuite Composer to share across your social networks and delight your customers.

Recovery on Route 66

Almost a century after the worst economic collapse in American history, small business owners along Route 66 are facing unprecedented circumstances once again. A sharp economic downturn has pushed them to reimagine their futures and adapt their strategies almost overnight.

“I wasn’t planning for the pandemic back in, like, 2010, it just kind of happened,” said Stacy, dripping with sarcasm. “You’ve got to roll with the punches. But, honestly, I think that we’ve done a really good job, the team adjusted very quickly to the new world and the new roles. And that just shows me that we’re going to be fine.”

By adding new tools to its digital toolbelt and focusing on strategy, Public House has embraced the history of the highway it sits on.

“It’s part of the entrepreneurial spirit. We’re always challenging ourselves and trying to find the next thing. How can we improve and how can we make it better? That’s kind of what got us here.”

It’s clear that the spirit of Route 66 is alive and well. And its future is digital.

Find social media apps right for your small business with Hootsuite’s integrations. 

Get Started

The post The Road to Recovery: A Look at the Digital Future of Small Business  appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.

The Road to Recovery: A Look at the Digital Future of Small Business  published first on https://likesfollowersclub.tumblr.com/

[alecthemovieguy]

Merry Subversive Christmas: Quirky songs to get you through the holidays

Over the years, I’ve gathered quite a collection of off-beat, dark or subversive Christmas songs. These songs are the alternatives to the familiar ones saturating the airwaves, so if you’re looking for something different, these might do the trick.

“Cool Yule” — Tony Rodelle Larson (1962)

This is often mislabeled as being performed by William Shatner. It is easy to understand the confusion as Larson’s broken speech patterns do indeed bring to mind Shatner’s riffs on such songs as “Rocket Man.” This beatnik take on “Twas Night the Night Before Christmas” is most definitely way out.

“Monster’s Holiday” — Bobby “Boris” Pickett (1962)

After the “Monster Mash” became a hit this quickie sequel was churned out. There are some amusing riffs on holiday classics, but it is mostly a shameless rewrite of the original. It was a minor hit, but didn’t remain a holiday classic.

“Silver Bells” — Paul Simon and Steve Martin (Sometime in the late 1970s)

This rare show rehearsal starts out simple enough with Simon doing a lovely version of this classic song, but soon Simon’s singing becomes mere backdrop for Martin deadpanning through a cynical monologue on the true meaning of Christmas that ranges from goofy to racy.

“Father Christmas” — The Kinks (1977)

Leave it to The Kinks, the same band that sang about an encounter with the transvestite “Lola,” to write a song about mugging Santa. Ray Davies’ sunny delivery masks the nastiness in lyrics such as “Father Christmas, give us some money/Don’t mess around with those silly toys/Well beat you up if you don’t hand it over.”

“Christmas in the Stars” (from the “Star Wars” Christmas album of the same name) (1980)

Strange and frightening things began to happen after the tremendous success of the original “Star Wars,” including an astoundingly awful 1978 holiday special. Lessons weren’t learned and two years later producer Meco — hot off his successful disco version of the “Star Wars” theme — produced a Christmas album from a galaxy far, far away. “Christmas in the Stars” is so bad as to become campy fun.

“There Ain’t No Sanity Clause” — The Damned (1980)

English punk band The Damned released this song just in time for the holiday season, but it failed to chart perhaps because no one wanted to have the Santa Claus bubble popped for the youngest yuletide revelers. The lyrics are barely intelligible, but, it is the sing-a-long anthem-like chorus that brings this one home.

"Bollocks To Christmas" — The Business (1981)

English punk bands must have had it out for Christmas in the early ’80s. Elton John's 1973 holiday classic "Step Into Christmas" gets rewritten and reworked into rollicking anti-Christmas anthem that is a welcome antidote for those overdosing on Christmas cheer.

“Christmas in Heaven” — Monty Python (1983)

Monty Python were always known for loopy songs that often pointed out the hypocrisies or the idiosyncrasies of society. In the film “The Meaning of Life,” Graham Chapman sings a caustic song about the consumerism and commercialism that runs rampant during the holiday season that includes lyrics like: “There’s great films on TV/"The Sound of Music” twice an hour/And ‘Jaws’ one, two, and three.“

"Christmas at Ground Zero” - “Weird Al” Yankovic (1986)

Weird Al’s song parodies are usually goofy and innocuous, but Al also has a macabre and twisted sense of humor that occasionally shines through. Written in 1986, “Christmas at Ground Zero” is a biting satire on Cold War paranoia filtered through the sound of a festive holiday tune. Are lines like: “It’s Christmas at ground zero/There’s panic in the crowd/We can dodge debris while we trim the tree/Underneath the mushroom cloud” riotously funny, or simply in bad taste? You be the judge.

“Christmas In Hollis” — Run DMC (1987)

This is a happy hip hop holiday song about Christmas in Queens, N.Y. The song includes such endearingly goofy lyrics as “It was December 24th on Hollis Ave in the dark/When I seen a man chilling with his dog in the park/I approached very slowly with my heart full of fear/Looked at his dog, oh my God, an ill reindeer.”

“Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” — The Ramones (1989)

The Ramones were still kicking around in the late 1980s cranking out three-chord ditties. Surprisingly, one of the best songs from this era is a Christmas song about the tensions of the season and the need for forgiveness.

“Santa Song” — Adam Sandler (1993)

Everyone is familiar with Sandler’s “Chanukah Song,” but he actually did a Christmas themed song that pre-dates its by a year. In this one Sandler sings about all the reasons he won’t be getting a visit from Santa. Best line: “Santa don’t like bad boys…especially Jewish ones.”

“12 Days of Yaksmas” — Ren and Stimpy (1993)

There have been numerous parodies of the “12 Days of Christmas,” which is your favorite really comes down to personal preference. As a youth in the 1990s, I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the warped antics of this dog and cat team.

“Burger/Christmas Medley” — Phil Hartman and Sinbad (1995)

Hidden in the closing credits of the film “Houseguest,” a largely forgettable comedy that lives on as cable TV filler, this is an amusing medley of barbecue-themed Christmas songs. Hartman even reprises some of his most famous “Saturday Night Live” impressions, including Frank Sinatra and Bill Clinton.

“Little Drum Machine Boy” — Beck (1996)

“The Little Drummer Boy” gets morphed into an odd dance and rap flavored Chanukah anthem featuring “the holiday Chanukah robot of funk.” Beck is a chameleon-like musician who blends different genres with amazing skill. It is hardly traditional, but certainly original and memorable.

“The Night Santa Went Crazy” — Weird Al Yankovic (1996)

Don’t be fooled by the sweet guitar strumming of the open, this Christmas carol turns humorously sour fast. Yankovic turns his twisted mind on Christmas in the story of the night Santa finally snapped and became a “big, fat, disgruntled yuletide Rambo.”

“I Won’t Be Home for Christmas” — Blink 182 (1997)

Goofball pop/punk rockers wrote this anthem for all those who are driven up the wall by the holiday season. The song features bitter, but funny lyrics like: “It’s time to be nice to the people you can’t stand all year/I’m growing tired of all this Christmas cheer.”

“I Want an Alien for Christmas” — Fountains of Wayne (1997)

Years before Fountains of Wayne recorded its breakup out “Stacy’s Mom,” the band recorded this cheerfully loopy song that seems to be a modern riff on “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.” It is hard not to smile at such lyrics as “I want a little green guy/About three feet high/With seventeen eyes.”

“O Holy Night” — Eric Cartman (1999)

“South Park” dedicated a whole episode to satirizing holiday music back in 1999. This is one of the tamer songs from the episode with the spoiled Cartman butchering the holiday classic to hilarious effect.

“Lonely Christmas Eve” - Ben Folds (2000)

Faith Hill’s “Where Are You, Christmas?” got all the attention, but this song is probably the best thing to come out of Ron Howard’s bloated film version of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Written from the perspective of the Grinch, the tongue-in-cheek piano-man perfectly captures the Dr Seuss tone in a way the movie it appeared in never did while also adding his own quirky sense of humor.

“Bizarre Christmas Incident” — Ben Folds (2002)

Folds hasn’t done a Christmas album, but based on this and the above song, it would be one of the funniest ones ever recorded. This aptly named song unfolds a dark tale of a man encountering Santa in the night. The song answer the question of what would happen if Santa got stuck in the chimney. Needless to say, it doesn’t end pretty. Best enjoyed by those who like their humor black.

“Jingle Bells” - Brian Setzer Orchestra (2002) Setzer reinterprets “Jingle Bells” with his familiar swinging rockabilly stamp. It is a hoot to hear him change the “one horse open sleigh” to a “57 Chevrolet.”

“Elf’s Lament” — Barenaked Ladies (2004)

On “Barenaked for the Holidays” the Ladies presented a collection of Christmas favorite as well as original songs featuring their quirky sense of humor. On this song an elf complains “I make toys, but I’ve got aspirations.”  Bonus: this song features vocals from Michael Bublé.

“Mr. Heat Miser” — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (2004)

The song first appeared in the 1974 stop-motion animation special “The Year Without Santa.” Thirty years later the swing revival group Big Bad Voodoo Daddy recorded the definitive version of the song for their holiday album “Everything You Want for Christmas.”

“Christmastime for the Jews” — Darlene Love (2005)

Robert Smigel contributed a series of animated shorts to “Saturday Night Live” called “TV Funhouse.” This was one of the best with soul singer Love providing the vocals to a song that describes what Jews do while gentiles “stay at home and party with their goyish family.”

“Dick in a Box” - Lonely Island and Justin Timberlake (2006)

When it first aired on “Saturday Night Live” Dec. 16, 2006, it was clear it would become an instant classic. A parody of ‘90s R&B was an ideal fit for Timberlake, but when you got to the punchline, it was the last thing you expected.

“I’m Getting Nuttin’ for Christmas” — Relient K (2007)

Christian punk/pop band Relient K’s do a fast, rocking cover of the novelty song “I’m Getting Nuttin’ for Christmas.” The snarling punk attitude and crunching guitars suit lyrics like “I broke my bat on Johnny’s head/Somebody snitched on me” quite well.

“Another Christmas Song” — Stephen Colbert (2008)

Stephen Colbert did a hilarious parody of holiday specials in 2008. The special’s songs either subverted preexisting songs or, in this case, are something completely new. Lyrics like “The tree is frozen, the winter’s bright/Who’d have thought the wise men look so white” are made all the funnier by Colbert’s authentic crooning.

“Present Face” — Garfunkel and Oates (2008)

This female comedy-folk duo combines disarming charming and simple hooks with goofy and/or raunchy lyrics. In this case the duo leans toward the silly side as they sing about the all too familiar face people make when they get a present they don’t like.

“Christmas Tree” — Lady Gaga featuring Space Cowboy (2008)

Leave it to Lady Gaga, the reigning pop queen of weirdness, to co-write a Christmas song filled with dance beats and dripping with sexual innuendos. It is most definitely not family friendly, but the audacity is admirable.

“Merry Something to You” — Devo (2009)

Yep, Devo, those quirky new wavers recorded a song for the holidays. Blending cheery, generic holiday music with the synthesizers and drum beats they are known for, the band creates an infectious little ditty. Devo often used their songs to satirize society and that’s most definitely the case here as they proclaim: “Believe what you want nothing’s really true.”

“Oh Shit, It’s Christmastime!” — Mad Tea Party (2009)

This uke-abilly band vents their frustration for Christmas in this infectious two-minute ditty. The cynical lyrics include sentiments that anyone can relate to, if only fleetingly: “It’s Christmas, forgot about the pagans and Jews/It’s Christmas and it makes me blue.”

“Christmas Night of the Living Dead” — MxPx (2009)

It was perhaps inevitable that there would be a zombie-themed Christmas song. Punk rockers MxPx present this bloody tale of Christmas carnage featuring the chorus: “Christmas night of the living dead/My face is green and the snow is red.”

“I Wish It Was Christmas Today” — Julian Casablancas (2009)

Originally a goofy tune performed on “Saturday Night Live” by Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan, Casablancas, the lead singer of The Strokes, fleshes it out into a full-fledged rocking Christmas song. The added production value manages to enhance the simple charms of the skit rather than undermine it.

“All I Need Is Love” —  CeeLo Green Feat. The Muppets (2012)

The Muppet’s classic “Mahna Mahna” becomes the spine for this joyous collaboration with CeeLo Green, in which Green proclaims all he needs is love for Christmas. Slick modern pop production combined with the silliness of the Muppets make this hard to resist.

"The Season's Upon Us" — Dropkick Murphys (2012)

Boston’s beloved Celtic punk band offers up their take on the holiday season. The song gleefully embraces familial dysfunction and chaos with such  lyrics like “My sisters are wack jobs, I wish I had none/Their husbands are losers and so are their sons.” 

“I Fucking Love Christmas” — Rob Scallon and Doug Walker (2014)

Doug Walker has been providing irreverent movie reviews on the Internet as the Nostalgic Critic since 2007. He loves Christmas. He really loves Christmas, which he makes abundantly clear in this gloriously over-the-top song. The hilariously explicit lyrics definitely require parental discretion.

“Sump’n Claus” — Kenan Thompson (2014)

“Saturday Night Live” delivers again with yet another hilarious satire of Christmas. Here Kenan Thompson plays Sump’n Claus, who, unlike Santa Claus and his judgmental list, declares “everybody’s gettin’ sump’n” and that something is cold hard cash in a white envelope. Just don’t ask where it came from.

“Text Me Merry Christmas” — Straight No Chaser and Kristen Bell (2014)

A cappella group Straight No Chaser is joined by actress Bell for a perfect mix of sincerity and satire in looking at love and the holiday season in the modern age. Playful lyrics like “I don’t care if you spell things right/I just want to hear from you tonight/Stroke those keys with your delicate touch/And type those little words that mean so much” are delivered with a charming sweetness.

“Santa’s Coming For Us” — Sia (2017)

Every year, a new crop of artists release Christmas-themed albums. Typically, they are filled with covers of the same holiday standards with a couple originals thrown. Refreshingly, Sia’s “Everyday is Christmas” features all new songs that perfectly blend Sia’s idiosyncratic pop sensibilities with the upbeat sounds of the season. Lead single “Santa’s Coming For Us” is effervescent and catchy in way that never becomes insufferable.

[juliusgermani]

22 Creative and Fun Ways to Repurpose Your Old T-shirts

When I was in seventh and eighth grade I was a cheerleader. As time went on and I went to high school and then college, I accumulated a ton of T-shirts from different activities that I attended and participated in.

I saved them all, not sure of what to do with them. When I got married, my mother-in-law saw all of my T-shirts and offered to make me a T-shirt quilt.

I still use that quilt fourteen years later.

When you have a shirt that a child has outgrown, husband doesn't wear anymore, or you just can't bring yourself to get rid of it, what do you do?

Here are Some Great Ideas to Repurpose Old T-shirts:

1. Turn Them Into a Dress

Over at Coffee, Love, Travel Tiffany shows you how to make a T-shirt dress out of shirts that have become too short for your little one.

What makes it extra fun is that she sews it inside out on purpose, to give it a frayed look.

This little girl was so excited to get this dress because it had some of her favorite shirts she could no longer wear.

2. T-shirt Quilt

Here's a picture of the T-shirt quilt that my mother-in-law made me. There are so many T-shirts on there that have special meaning from my cheerleading days to my husband's senior prom and my sorority days.

It's a great way to preserve your memories and stay warm! We are already saving shirts for my daughters.

If you are like me, you will probably want someone else to make the quilt for you. I recommend finding someone that does good quality- these are your memories you are preserving. However, if you enjoy quilting, there is a tutorial on how to do it over at Wiki How that is worth taking a look at!

3. T-shirt Bag

This is another thing my daughters and I have done with old T-shirts. We used one that from a dance recital in 2009 and now we take it to the farmers market when we go.

The how-to comes from Heather at Mommypotomus and it's super easy, and you don't even have to sew it. Plus? Your kids can help make it, making it a fun project for the whole family.

4. Crochet Rug

How cute is this rug? To give it the length, the author bought 2XL T-shirts in the colors that she wanted from Goodwill. What a great way to use T-shirts that might otherwise become unloved. The bright colors in the end really make this one pop!

To see more head over to One Dog Woof.

5. Tie-Dye T-Shirt Headbands

Tie-Dying is such fun that kids of all ages love it. Turning those old white T-shirts into a tie-dyed wonder and then braiding them and adding some elastic at the end makes this something most females would love to wear.

To see the full project, head over to The Pretty Life Girls.

6. T-Shirt Pom Poms

The first time I saw pom poms like this they were hanging off the ceiling in a perfect manner in the high school math teacher's classroom. I was extremely jealous- her room was so cute.

Now that I know how to make these, thanks to Craftaholics Anonymous, I might make some for myself!

7. Baby Romper

Oh my goodness. How cute is this? Daddy or Mommy's T-shirt turned romper for a baby. The tutorial makes it look fairly easy, the hardest part being the snaps, which if you have the right tool it won't be too bad.

This great tutorial can be found at The Seamery.

8. Turn It Into a Workout Shirt

So you like the T-shirt but just want to do something different with it? Over at Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth, the author shows you how to take the said T-shirt and turn it into something you can enjoy while you sweat. Perfect.

9. Make a Wreath

Blair came up with this project. She is smart enough to realize that the way she had first intended to do, with twisted roses, was not only going to take up more time than she had but use up all the extra clothing she set aside for this project.

Having realized this, she came up with a new way to do it. And it looks super cute, with all of the pops of color. What a great way to welcome people into her home.

For the full tutorial, check out Blair's Blessings.

10. Braided Bracelets

This one, created by Stephanie over at Hello Glow, is one after my oldest daughter's heart. She loves bracelets. Currently has nineteen spread out between her two arms. Only takes them off to shower.

So taking a T-shirt she loves and adding a cord or two to make a beautiful braided bracelet is perfect.

What I love about these bracelets though, is the magnets she used to secure them together. Why don't we do that with more jewelry? It sure would be a lot easier!

11. Dog Toy

Some of us have animals as our babies and instead of making onesies, they take their T-shirts and turn them into a dog toy. I have to laugh a bit at this one though because one of these toys would last fifteen minutes with our dog.

Yet if you love to give your pets some homemade love, this one looks pretty easy to do and, hopefully, will provide lots of entertainment for both you and your pooch!

For the full tutorial, check out Stacie's article over at Bark Post.

12. Raglan T-shirt

Here's one for when you have a T-shirt you love but cannot wear it because it doesn't match up with your dress code. Maybe you can change it up.

A writer over at Spoonflower shows how she made the sleeves different for her t-shirt, making it prettier and more girly. Essentially taking it from jeans and a T-shirt to something you can dress up. The decorative accent does a lot for this plain jane T-shirt.

13. Apron T-shirt

I gave you one for my tween daughter- this one is for me. I love it! Cute and perfect for my favorite place in the house to be- the kitchen.

She used a button down shirt but the pop of color and style really comes from the pockets and the wrap. This is not a new sew so be prepared to get the machine out or go old school and use a needle and thread. Either way- how fun and super cute.

For the full details, check out Beth Huntington's post on eHow.

14. Shag Rug

I gave you a crocheted rug ten steps up but this one is much more my style. Amanda over at Crazy Mom Quilts made this for her front door but I, personally, think it would be great for the bathroom.

Think about how comfortable T-shirts feel- then think about that feeling on your toes as you get out of the shower. Yep- I just sold you.

15. Swing Dress

I actually made these dresses and sold them for a while. It was so much fun to see the little girls twirl in them. What I would do is purchase five or six shirts from Children's Place for five dollars a piece, make a circle skirt, and stitch them up. Sold them for about twenty dollars apiece.

This tutorial comes from Erin at Francois et moi.

16. T-shirt Yarn Baskets

This Do-It-Yourself tutorial is super cute and would be so useful to put things around the house in so you can carry it around to put the items away. I love the big loops in the design and the fact that the baskets are able to hold themselves up. This would also be a great project to give as gifts. Shoot, I want one.

17. Old T-shirt to New Stuffed Toy

I'll be honest, the Cthulhu is something I am not familiar with and it's a bit odd to me. That being said, this stuffed animal is pretty neat to watch on being made on Instructables because they take it from a drawing into a real stuffed animal, using T-shirts and some creativeness.

If I make one, I'll stick to a bear.

18. T-shirt Shoe Laces

How cute are these? Good news is- they are fairly simple to make. Cheryl over at Tidy Mom shows you exactly how to make thin layers of your shirts and turn them into shoelaces. The laces even have those sealed ends that I loved as a kid.

We could color coordinate now between all of the awesome items we've made and there is even more stuff we can make so let's keep going!

19. T-shirt into Pillows

I showed you how to make a T-shirt quilt (or at least, I directed you to the right place) but here's another way to personalize to your bedspread – make T-shirt pillows.

Your bed will truly be your own! The tutorial created by Corrina Johnson can be found at Hometalk.

20. T-shirt Necklace

How cute is this? You could take a simple shirt and jazz it up with this T-shirt necklace. You could also mix and match the colors for more of a pop.

Added bonus that it is super easy to make and soft. So many big necklaces weigh me down, this would feel great against my neck, especially in the winter!

The full tutorial can be found at Max and Me Designs.

21. T-shirt Skirt

Take that oversized shirt and turn it into a skirt. I love soft, flowy skirts like this because they are comfortable and girly while still being comfortable.

For us ladies that is a win-win.

To see the full tutorial, be sure to check out gwyl.io

22. T-shirt Pants

I understand that not everyone who comes to Morning Chores is not female though, so here's a tutorial for the men. Hi guys!

I would imagine these would be better for little boys, but some adjustments could be made to turn these into boxers.

The full tutorial could be found at Hammer and Thread.

Conclusion

At this point, we really could deck out our whole wardrobe with T-shirt themed stuff. We have T-shirts made several different ways, T-shirt shoelaces, T-shirt rings, T-shirt headbands, T-shirt bracelets, and necklaces.

We can also deck out our house with T-shirt pom poms and T-shirt rugs among other things. So the next time you are thinking about throwing away or donating the old shirts in your closet- think about all the other things they could be used for. And if you have an idea I didn't share, please let me know. I find it fun and fascinating to see how people transform items into something else!

This article first appeared on morningchores.com Original Article

The post 22 Creative and Fun Ways to Repurpose Your Old T-shirts appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.

22 Creative and Fun Ways to Repurpose Your Old T-shirts posted first on https://homesteadingalliance.com/

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22 Creative and Fun Ways to Repurpose Your Old T-shirts

When I was in seventh and eighth grade I was a cheerleader. As time went on and I went to high school and then college, I accumulated a ton of T-shirts from different activities that I attended and participated in.

I saved them all, not sure of what to do with them. When I got married, my mother-in-law saw all of my T-shirts and offered to make me a T-shirt quilt.

I still use that quilt fourteen years later.

When you have a shirt that a child has outgrown, husband doesn't wear anymore, or you just can't bring yourself to get rid of it, what do you do?

Here are Some Great Ideas to Repurpose Old T-shirts:

1. Turn Them Into a Dress

Over at Coffee, Love, Travel Tiffany shows you how to make a T-shirt dress out of shirts that have become too short for your little one.

What makes it extra fun is that she sews it inside out on purpose, to give it a frayed look.

This little girl was so excited to get this dress because it had some of her favorite shirts she could no longer wear.

2. T-shirt Quilt

Here's a picture of the T-shirt quilt that my mother-in-law made me. There are so many T-shirts on there that have special meaning from my cheerleading days to my husband's senior prom and my sorority days.

It's a great way to preserve your memories and stay warm! We are already saving shirts for my daughters.

If you are like me, you will probably want someone else to make the quilt for you. I recommend finding someone that does good quality- these are your memories you are preserving. However, if you enjoy quilting, there is a tutorial on how to do it over at Wiki How that is worth taking a look at!

3. T-shirt Bag

This is another thing my daughters and I have done with old T-shirts. We used one that from a dance recital in 2009 and now we take it to the farmers market when we go.

The how-to comes from Heather at Mommypotomus and it's super easy, and you don't even have to sew it. Plus? Your kids can help make it, making it a fun project for the whole family.

4. Crochet Rug

How cute is this rug? To give it the length, the author bought 2XL T-shirts in the colors that she wanted from Goodwill. What a great way to use T-shirts that might otherwise become unloved. The bright colors in the end really make this one pop!

To see more head over to One Dog Woof.

5. Tie-Dye T-Shirt Headbands

Tie-Dying is such fun that kids of all ages love it. Turning those old white T-shirts into a tie-dyed wonder and then braiding them and adding some elastic at the end makes this something most females would love to wear.

To see the full project, head over to The Pretty Life Girls.

6. T-Shirt Pom Poms

The first time I saw pom poms like this they were hanging off the ceiling in a perfect manner in the high school math teacher's classroom. I was extremely jealous- her room was so cute.

Now that I know how to make these, thanks to Craftaholics Anonymous, I might make some for myself!

7. Baby Romper

Oh my goodness. How cute is this? Daddy or Mommy's T-shirt turned romper for a baby. The tutorial makes it look fairly easy, the hardest part being the snaps, which if you have the right tool it won't be too bad.

This great tutorial can be found at The Seamery.

8. Turn It Into a Workout Shirt

So you like the T-shirt but just want to do something different with it? Over at Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth, the author shows you how to take the said T-shirt and turn it into something you can enjoy while you sweat. Perfect.

9. Make a Wreath

Blair came up with this project. She is smart enough to realize that the way she had first intended to do, with twisted roses, was not only going to take up more time than she had but use up all the extra clothing she set aside for this project.

Having realized this, she came up with a new way to do it. And it looks super cute, with all of the pops of color. What a great way to welcome people into her home.

For the full tutorial, check out Blair's Blessings.

10. Braided Bracelets

This one, created by Stephanie over at Hello Glow, is one after my oldest daughter's heart. She loves bracelets. Currently has nineteen spread out between her two arms. Only takes them off to shower.

So taking a T-shirt she loves and adding a cord or two to make a beautiful braided bracelet is perfect.

What I love about these bracelets though, is the magnets she used to secure them together. Why don't we do that with more jewelry? It sure would be a lot easier!

11. Dog Toy

Some of us have animals as our babies and instead of making onesies, they take their T-shirts and turn them into a dog toy. I have to laugh a bit at this one though because one of these toys would last fifteen minutes with our dog.

Yet if you love to give your pets some homemade love, this one looks pretty easy to do and, hopefully, will provide lots of entertainment for both you and your pooch!

For the full tutorial, check out Stacie's article over at Bark Post.

12. Raglan T-shirt

Here's one for when you have a T-shirt you love but cannot wear it because it doesn't match up with your dress code. Maybe you can change it up.

A writer over at Spoonflower shows how she made the sleeves different for her t-shirt, making it prettier and more girly. Essentially taking it from jeans and a T-shirt to something you can dress up. The decorative accent does a lot for this plain jane T-shirt.

13. Apron T-shirt

I gave you one for my tween daughter- this one is for me. I love it! Cute and perfect for my favorite place in the house to be- the kitchen.

She used a button down shirt but the pop of color and style really comes from the pockets and the wrap. This is not a new sew so be prepared to get the machine out or go old school and use a needle and thread. Either way- how fun and super cute.

For the full details, check out Beth Huntington's post on eHow.

14. Shag Rug

I gave you a crocheted rug ten steps up but this one is much more my style. Amanda over at Crazy Mom Quilts made this for her front door but I, personally, think it would be great for the bathroom.

Think about how comfortable T-shirts feel- then think about that feeling on your toes as you get out of the shower. Yep- I just sold you.

15. Swing Dress

I actually made these dresses and sold them for a while. It was so much fun to see the little girls twirl in them. What I would do is purchase five or six shirts from Children's Place for five dollars a piece, make a circle skirt, and stitch them up. Sold them for about twenty dollars apiece.

This tutorial comes from Erin at Francois et moi.

16. T-shirt Yarn Baskets

This Do-It-Yourself tutorial is super cute and would be so useful to put things around the house in so you can carry it around to put the items away. I love the big loops in the design and the fact that the baskets are able to hold themselves up. This would also be a great project to give as gifts. Shoot, I want one.

17. Old T-shirt to New Stuffed Toy

I'll be honest, the Cthulhu is something I am not familiar with and it's a bit odd to me. That being said, this stuffed animal is pretty neat to watch on being made on Instructables because they take it from a drawing into a real stuffed animal, using T-shirts and some creativeness.

If I make one, I'll stick to a bear.

18. T-shirt Shoe Laces

How cute are these? Good news is- they are fairly simple to make. Cheryl over at Tidy Mom shows you exactly how to make thin layers of your shirts and turn them into shoelaces. The laces even have those sealed ends that I loved as a kid.

We could color coordinate now between all of the awesome items we've made and there is even more stuff we can make so let's keep going!

19. T-shirt into Pillows

I showed you how to make a T-shirt quilt (or at least, I directed you to the right place) but here's another way to personalize to your bedspread – make T-shirt pillows.

Your bed will truly be your own! The tutorial created by Corrina Johnson can be found at Hometalk.

20. T-shirt Necklace

How cute is this? You could take a simple shirt and jazz it up with this T-shirt necklace. You could also mix and match the colors for more of a pop.

Added bonus that it is super easy to make and soft. So many big necklaces weigh me down, this would feel great against my neck, especially in the winter!

The full tutorial can be found at Max and Me Designs.

21. T-shirt Skirt

Take that oversized shirt and turn it into a skirt. I love soft, flowy skirts like this because they are comfortable and girly while still being comfortable.

For us ladies that is a win-win.

To see the full tutorial, be sure to check out gwyl.io

22. T-shirt Pants

I understand that not everyone who comes to Morning Chores is not female though, so here's a tutorial for the men. Hi guys!

I would imagine these would be better for little boys, but some adjustments could be made to turn these into boxers.

The full tutorial could be found at Hammer and Thread.

Conclusion

At this point, we really could deck out our whole wardrobe with T-shirt themed stuff. We have T-shirts made several different ways, T-shirt shoelaces, T-shirt rings, T-shirt headbands, T-shirt bracelets, and necklaces.

We can also deck out our house with T-shirt pom poms and T-shirt rugs among other things. So the next time you are thinking about throwing away or donating the old shirts in your closet- think about all the other things they could be used for. And if you have an idea I didn't share, please let me know. I find it fun and fascinating to see how people transform items into something else!

This article first appeared on morningchores.com Original Article

The post 22 Creative and Fun Ways to Repurpose Your Old T-shirts appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.