I once purchased a vintage men's Guayabera shirt from eBay and loved it. But it wasn't exactly flattering to my figure because of its boxy shape.

Another item on my bummer list: I needed a vertical laptop bag for traveling, something I could easily whip out of my carry-on when passing through airport security.

Rather than scour the retail aisles, I decided to use my beloved shirt. I know it seems crazy to cut up a perfectly good item of clothing, but what good was it sitting in my closet? Now I can enjoy it on a regular basis. That is what a crafty life is all about, tailoring everyday objects to our personal style!

If you don't have a shirt you are willing to snip, check out your local thrift store.

DRESS SHIRT DRAWSTRING LAPTOP BAG

Supplies: 1 men's dress shirt, 1/2-yard of contrasting fabric for lining, sewing machine, 1 yard of cording, chopstick and clear tape

DIRECTIONS

1. Determine whether you want your bag to hold your laptop horizontally or vertically. Measure your laptop, and then cut the front and back of the shirt so it extends two inches around the sides and bottom, and five inches from the top. Cut two pieces of lining to match.

2. Take the front and back of the cut shirt, line them up face in, and straight stitch around the sides and bottom. Add another row of stitches.

3. Repeat for the lining. Insert the lining, face sides in, inside the shirt. Line up the inside corners at the bottom, and the side seams so they match. Pin the top raw edges in on both sides and sew a straight stitch all the way around. On one side, cut two snips (3/4-inch each) at the top and sew over the raw edges. Now fold the top of the bag outward to create a 1-inch hem all the way around, pin in place and sew. This is the casing for the drawstring.

4. Fold the cording in half, take the folded end, tape it around the end of the chopstick and feed it through the casing. Tie a knot at the end of the cording.