This is one of my favorite t-shirt refashions of all time. For a number of reasons.
First, let me tell you that this t-shirt to tank refashion wasn’t my idea. Jen posted this on her facebook page and I jumped at the chance to have a crafty morning with her and watch her make it. Jen blogs at Upcycled Education— a blog I recommend you peruse, especially if you’re an educator– formally or informally. She’s full of good ideas and fun finds and her enthusiasm is catchy. And I’m so excited to share this.
Second, it is soooo quick and easy that it takes less than half an hour.
Third, it uses tees you probably already have a million of and don’t enjoy the fit of but have a hard time discarding. For example, I have a pile of camp tees. And tees for walks, races, fundraisers, vacation spots. I like the graphics or the message, but don’t find the boxy shape so flattering. This makes a boxy tee sooooo much more flattering. (Without adding much embellishment. A camp tee that’s been bedazzled has not necessarily been improved, in my book.)
Fourth, this t-shirt to tank only requires a tee, scissors and thread. All things you likely already have. Overall cost? Nothing. And now you’re wearing shirts that have just been sitting!
So my girls and I spent a lovely morning yesterday with Jen and her daughter. There was play time, craft time, snack time, crafty blog chat time…. everything I could want in a morning. I got to photograph Jen making a tank from start to finish. And when I was packing up I scrolled back through the photos to find that most of the in-process photos were gooone. It appears that my 2yo photographer’s assistant had done some editing while I was distracted. I’m totally bummed that I don’t get to show you Jen’s photos. But the saving grace about this project is… it only took half an hour today to recreate it.
Are you ready to see? Just four steps!
One of Jen’s tips for this project is that you can use a tee that already fits well. It doesn’t have to be oversized because you’re not removing any width. That said, if the tee is quite roomy, you might decide to take in the side seams a bit. Which would add a whole 3 minutes overall.
In step 1 you’re making five cuts. Each sleeve just inside the seam, one straight across just underneath the collar, one that trims the bottom hem off and one that creates a drawstring just above where the hem is removed. Like so:
So many options for the straps. Tied on one side or two sides? Knots or bows? Or if you’re ready to commit to one length, you could easily trim and stitch the two ends together and slide the joined spot into the casing– probably the safest bet if you’re going to wear this BACK to camp with boys who’d untie it. Gotta watch out for those boys…
And to make the straps? Twill tape, ribbon, knit from another shirt in a contrasting color, multiple strips that are braided… so many possibilities. And comes together so quickly.
Thank, you Jen, for sharing! (And thanks for play, snacks, lunch, chatting!)
Can you post a link to the actual tutorial that includes the sewing part ?
Thanks bunches
This was a great project and we didn’t even sew a thing!! We used fusible bonding web for light fabrics and it worked perfectly! It took minutes to iron! Love it!!
Love it! I have so many tees from a number of things and I never wear them. I’m going to try this immediately. Thanks!
Hi Amanda! I just added a photo of the pinned tank with lines indicating where the stitching goes. Since this tank will be ruched by the drawstring, you can just use a plain ‘ol straight stitch and not worry about the seam stretching. Hope that helps!
That’s pretty brilliant! What a good idea!
Esther.
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I LOVE this! I wonder if it will be warm enough the rest of the summer to justify making one right now??
My 8-year-old daughter and I are making one right now in the middle of winter…just to make something we can handle on the sewing machine. It’ll be warm soon enough, I’m sure. :)
Hey anonymous did they turn out good??
How did you leave the bottom hem? Just raw? Add some elastic?
it would not be cut. its only the top of the tshirt that was cut. the bottom would stay as it was.
wait on… just looked again. saw what you meant. that would be a standard hem.
me ld just leave the bottom un cut
oh my gosh. as soon as i saw this i literally stopped everything i was doing and hurried to make one of these out of an old tee-shirt of my husband’s that’s sentimental to me. And i LOVE the way it turned out! thank you!
Thank you for that idea!! My husband passed away in December and I’m not quite ready to go through all of his clothes yet to make the memory quit. I wear a few of his shirts that I really like when I sleep – but I would love to wear a couple during the day…. This is a wonderful idea! I don’t have to go through all of the shirts but I could put a couple of them to practical use. thanks! =)
Oh my goodness what a sweet idea! Do you mind if I steal it as a sympathy gift for someone I know? I am so sorry for your recent loss, my thoughts are with you.
Done!! Thanks so much! wipped up two of these this morning with my girls summer reading oversized T’s…perfect!! they are full of smiles!!
Hi Susie! Yep, we just left the bottom edge raw. But elastic would be super-cute, too!
i ended up reattaching the original bottom hem. but i like the elastic idea : )
Thanks. I have loads of t-shirts that sit in the back of my wardrobe gathering dust (mainly concert ones that seemed like a good idea at the time!). I will definitely be using this.
SO weird! Here I am reading your blog from Romania (where I’m a Peace Corps Volunteer) and I see a t-shirt from my hometown of Aiken, SC! Craziness! Love your blog and can’t wait til I have a sewing machine to try some of your ideas out!
I reading from Toronto, Canada and had a similar thought when I saw “Camp Gravatt” on the tee. Craziness that I found a bit of my home state SC in a random pin on Pinterest. Will definitely be making a few of these!!
Veronica, Too funny! I was just thinking the same thing. I stumbled across this idea on Pinterest, and then I see the pic of Aiken, SC where I live now! Haha. Small world after all? :)
Me, three! :) I’m a South Carolinian by birth living in Ohio courtesy o the Air Force, and when I found this on Pinterest I did a double-take because I went to Camp Gravatt several summers as a kid! :)
Veronica You don’t have to wait for a sewing machine! All you have to have is a travel iron. (even a flat iron would work in a pinch!) There is something called “Stitch Witchery Regular Tape” all you do is iron it! And it satys and really works! And its cheap as well! I’ll try and post a link if they will let me where you can read some reviews. I my self have used this and love it! Good luck! http://www.amazon.com/Dritz-Stitch-Witchery-Regular-Tape/dp/B0001DSIHI
i love this! thank you so much! i have lots of T’s that i just want to toss because, they just don’t look good in a t-shirt. this is perfect!
What a cute idea – thanks for sharing!
Fab idea, and so simple! Will have to hunt down some tees in the end of summer sales now :o)
OK, here’s a link to the tee-shirt I turned into a tank yesterday. Thanks again!
http://www.blackandwhiteandlovedallover.com/2011/08/before-after-tee-to-tank-and-dresser.html
awesome Ellen! I love your tee!
So cute! I have plenty of old tees that need new life… I can’t get rid of them yet! I just found a way to repurpose my old tube top into a toddler tunic and I will definitely try this one too. Pinning it now!
Yeah! I so love this idea. I have a whole slew of t-s just waiting to be revamped. Utterly brilliant!
This would be a fun way to make a tee into pjs!
cool idea & I have a LOT of t-shirts I’ve been hanging on to but don’t wear because of the fit. I’m a novice sewer though, so can you please explain about the straps? How are they created with the hem piece? Thank you. :)
Hi Michelle!
The hem piece is actually discarded as a scrap. Just above the hem you’re cutting another strip. This is a knit shirt and knit fabrics don’t fray like a non-knit might, like plain cotton non-stretch fabrics. More the stuff dress shirts or sheets are made from– you’d need to do something to those edges to keep them from becoming a mess in a hurry. So with this by just cutting a strip you’re kind of making your own ribbon. You’ll need to cut it once to make a long length that will tie on one side or twice to make two shorter pieces that would then make ties on each side. (I hope this is helpful and not more confusing!) Feel free to e-mail me! crafterhours@live.com
Susan
You can also use some type a thick cord, I have a blouse that has it and I think it would be a good idea.
I found that because I’m tall, if I cut off the hem AND an additional strip, the shirt then becomes too short (for my style.) So instead I use a piece of scrap fabric or ribbon. This way I get to keep the length of the shirt the same!
I’m tall, too, so I just turn the cut off hem inside out and use that as my tie.
I found this on Pinterest and made two yesterday morning, which took me all of 15 minutes total. I plan on attacking two more t-shirts today. I did a test shirt first before I held my breath and cut up one of my favorite t-shirts. I love them! One thing I did though, I used the actual hem scrap on my second t-shirt as the shoulder straps, it didn’t pull and become super thin like the strip that I used on the first one (the strip cut above the hem)and gave me a bit of extra length. I am going to try another two of them today and use the hem strip from the other shirt for a contrast color. Thank you so much for the great idea!
That’s what I did, too! :)
Wow I love this!! I made it just now and even my husband was like “wow, honey, that looks great!” Thanks!
Just made one of these for tailgating tomorrow! It’s adorable!
Ingenious! Can’t wait to try this idea. I bet this would be great for college girls. I’m going to try it with my dd. I love anything I can sew! Thanks for sharing.
http://justgivemeaneedle.blogspot.com/
You should know that while this tutorial works great with big t-shirts, it does not work well with t-shirts that fit you well. I am 5’3 and when I cut off the bottom of the t-shirt as shown, the thing was way to short on me after. Maybe it was just me. I tried it again with a longer t-shirt and it worked great! ;)
cool!
thanks for the tutorial! I took an 11 year old shirt and transformed it into a tank :) Look forward to doing more … SUPER easy and fast … probably took me 10 minutes from start to finish (I’ll have to time myself next time – hehe)
Just tried this and it was awesome. Thanks so much
Virtual high-five!!! This is awesome! I can’t wait to make some of these :)
Megan K.
Hi, i love it !!!!
Here is mine
http://my-wayof.blogspot.com/2011/11/refashioned-t-shirt.html
Thanks for the great idea
ah! super cute!! love your tank and braided straps! great idea!
shannon
Do we need to haul out our sewing machines, or will stitch witchery work?
Depends on your experience with stitch witchery. When I’ve tried it on knits, because it stops the knit from being stretchy, it’s looked odd. Hand sewing a zig zag might be better. But depending on how/where you use it… I just don’t know. Let us know if you try it!
WONDERFUL!! I just starting running and have amassed an ungodly amount of t-shirts from running in races!! What a great way to re-showcase them!! Can’t wait to try this!!
Love this idea!!! It would be so perfect for the crappy fitting college tees that I want to wear to show support/team pride but I don’t because they look so bad on me. So looking forward to trying this as soon as I get a sewing machine! One question though… How did you thread the strip of fabric/drawstring to make the straps? Seems like it would be hard to thread, but maybe not?
Jenny, the easiest way to thread through is put a safety/diaper pin on the end of the material that you are threading through. Push the pin through the “barrel” created by the hem. HTH!
Did you put the drawstring in before or after you did the 2 lines of stitches?
Hi Becky! After. Stick a safety pin (or if you want to be fancy, a bodkin: http://crafterhours.blogspot.com/2011/06/bodkin-really-thats-word.html ) in one end of the tube you’ve stitched and use that to thread it through.
i tryed this and it was really easy. made my t-shirt super awesome!
Cute idea! And love the Camp Gravatt t-shirt….went to camp there for years!
Incredibly cute idea! I do not have much sewing experience, but seriously…how easy!!! Thank you SO much for sharing!!!! I know what I’ll be working on next!!! Absolutely can’t wait to try this!
You two are so cute and have the BEST tutorials!
muy buena idea!!
we used a zip tie to thread ours through when we made these yesterday. http://jasjourney.blogspot.com/2012/01/making-crafts-with-amanda.html
Hooray! We jump up and down a little bit when people send photos. I just pinned them to the “Inspired by Crafterhours” board and will be sure to point it out to the Upcycled Education CEO, Jen. So fun! Thaaaank you! -Susan
What a GREAT idea!!!!
Thanks, I’m going start them tomorrow
Just wanted to thank you for this great tutorial! I LOVE it! And I pinned it on pinterest a few months ago and it has been repinned almost 6000 times since! Thanks for the great idea!
OMGSH!! This is AWESOME!!!! Thank you so much! I cant WAIT to try this on my GIANT BAG of old Tee’s I was going to throw out! LOL I knew there was a reason to hold on to them!!! this is Awesome!! :-)
…. Has anyone tried using Ribbon?? I can’t help but think that would be super CUTE?
I used ribbon and it’s epic :)
I used the lace you can get a ball of for a dollar at walmart on a black tshirt and it’s super cute! Plus if you have a long torso like I do you don’t have to remove any length from the shirt
so cool!
SOOO EASY!!!!!! and sososo cute!!! I love this idea. Thanks so much for sharing. I can’t wait to share this with all my friends.
Rather than cutting the bottom hem, I cut the hemline on the sleeves and stitched them together before threading through the casing. Once threaded I stitched the 2 ends together and hid the sea, inside the casing. The t-fabric stretches to the perfect length and the stretched coding looks great!
Wow. This is so simple $ so cute!
I had to try this! Your tutorial was great! Check out photos of mine here http://poppyjuice-poppy.blogspot.com/2012/02/another-upcycled-t-shirt.html . It was so quick and easy! I plan on making my little girls a few sundresses in the same fashion.
Have a great day!
Can you do this with a v neck shirt???????
Yes. But you’d either cut a line beneath the bottom of the “v” or cut around the “v” which will make more of a “u” shape when it’s threaded and gathered. Depending on the depth of the v and cleavage (or lack thereof) it could be flattering. Or not. Or not even noticeable. Variables, yay! – Susan
UGH! How do u get everything so straight! I need to learn to sew better!
You could sew along a dotted line(:
UGH! How do u get everything so straight! I need to learn to sew better!
This is such a great idea Thanks!!!!
Hahahahaah…..the shirt on this one did not actually catch my eye (although very cute idea). The fact that it was a GRAVATT shirt did! :) Made me smile a little and remember camp days! :)
I made this today. I am by no means a Seamstrist, and have never used a sewing machine, but looking at all the feedback, I decided to give it a try! It came out AWESOME. I used the zig zag stitch as suggested above.
Really fun, can’t wait to sport it this Summer. I plan on making many more. Thanks so much for the Crafty idea :)
Thanks for the inspiration. Here’s my version, posted today.
http://confessionsofadesperatemom.blogspot.com/2012/03/lets-go-tu-lo-t-shirt-refashion.html
love love love this!!!!!!!!!!!! I used the free t from last years st. paddy’s day to wear to this years st. paddy’s day….hahaha….I also cut two strips from the sleeves and used for hair ties it was A W E S O M E can’t wait to do another one!!! thanks so much for the great idea.
I can’t wait to try this. I needed a revamp on my tees and since i might be moving to sun, I will need some tanks. Thank you!!!
hey! i live in aiken, sc! LOL. this is a neat idea! i was wondering what i was going to do with all these old clothes i just pulled out of the closet haha. great idea!
This was so easy! What a great idea. I made 2 today. One for me and one for one of my daughter-in-laws. I absolutely love this idea!
Is there a way to make the straps without a sewing machine?
Just made this in 15 minutes- thanks, I have TONS of youth group t-shirts from mission trips, camps, retreats… and I do not like t-shirts, this is better than a t-shirt quilt!!
I’m not very good at sewing. Could you use heat & bond tape or would that make it to stiff?
The answer is… I’m not sure. There’s the stiffness and then there’s the pucker-factor that that might have on knit, and then there’s the possibility that if/when it goes through the dryer, without any stitching the adhesive might get hot enough to let go. So if *I* were going to try it with the tape, I’d still stitch some on top. But if you try it and it’s fabulous, tell me about it! -Susan
I love this idea! I made one today and it turned out great. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so I can wear it.
My do I need to discard the hem from the bottom. Can’t I just use that as the straps?
Entirely an aesthetic choice. Go for it! We’d love to see it!
This looks so cool! I’m gonna try it!
This looks amazing and so simple! Can’t wait to try it out on some old tees I’ve got lying around. Thanks for sharing!
The Chapstick Wrangler
http://www.chapstickwrangler.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for the idea! As a teacher I have tons of tees from school- now I can make the, cute!
This is just too cute. I love tank tops and frankly have been getting tired of the same old, same old ribbed tank. Love it!
i definitely will be making this one!
Fantastic idea! Thank you so much the cute idea!
i love this! cant wait to do it!
This looks so neat and I can’t wait to make some of these. I’m thinking a thick rope or something instead of cutting the bottom off I like long shirts. My biggest issue is I always use me mom’s sewing machine and I moved away and haven’t gotten my own yet.
Thanks for the GREAT idea, love it sooo much, I think my sewing machine needs some work so I am gonna do the sewing by hand. There isn”t a lot of it and I can”t wait to get started. What great gifts! I’m gonna make some play dresses for my granddaughter out of her mommy’s old shirts from when she was little. Yayy! What a wonderful way to repurpose as well. Very cool!
This is so great…love it!
So, my only question is, how is the one scrap piece from the bottom of the shirt long enough to be the ties for the shirt itself? It’s the one aspect that I can’t seem to wrap my head around. Can you explain?
Ah, yes. Good question. There are two reasons this works. First, the hem circumference is longer than the neckline. There’s more to work with. Second, when you cut t-shirt knit into skinny strips, it can stretch a loooooot. Knit is magical. Some people stretch it and roll it into balls and knit or crochet with it!
Depending on how stretchy your t-shirt fabric is you may decide you have enough to tie a nice bow on both sides, or only one side, or you don’t want a bow at all, or you’d rather use ribbon or something else instead of the knit strip. Infinite possibilities.
Susan
For the bottom “raw” edge: If you stretch the bottom of the shirt it will roll the edge, saving you from having that nasty line (for those with OCD, like me) but without having to hem!
I love this! I just made one for my 9 y/o daughter from a tshirts she never wore because it was too ugly! She wants to wear it now! Yayyyyy! Thank$ for $aving me $$$!!!!!!!
can’t wait to make mine! great idea! :)
WOW, i used to make these in the 70’s, great idea!!!!
Any ideas on how to make the straps a bit wider so you can wear a regular bra with the shirt? We don’t all look like the model in the picture. LOL
I would take another shirt and cut a larger strip. I think it would be cute in a complementary color. You may have to make more space in the flap that’s going to hold the strap, so it won’t be too bunched up and will hide your bra. Hope that helps.
I was thinking the same thing. I’m going to try just layering it on top of a ribbed tank.
Just did my first one and I used a mens XL t. Only problem was the arm pits are low for a MAN…so I just sewed them a little higher and cut in a slight curve for my armpit. AND I totally used the very bottom hem cut right along it with my rotary cutter and saved that middle piece for something else. LOVE this will be dissecting many a shirt for this summer!!!
I used a big man’s shirt too (which is why I never wore it) and had the same issue with huge arm holes. My solution was to wear the shirt higher with a shorter strap which is cute too. I didn’t want to complicate it with sewing under the arm.
Just made 3 of these in about an hour! Thank you! They are SO cute :)
I just made one. Took some time (had to hand sew), but way worth it.
Here is my crack at it.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/p480x480/529712_10100340761572936_6518928_42479305_662709392_n.jpg
how the heck do you attach the straps? im going to had sew as well, im totally confused
im not understanding how the straps are attached, im not a sewer so i will be hand stitching…. im totally confused
Hi Anonymous! They’re not actually attached. They’re threaded through the top edges and they float in there. The lines of stitching at the top form a tube, and the straps are pulled through.
Super cute! I love looking at everyone’s pictures of their finished tanks. For those who don’t want to sew you always cut several slits along the top edge of the shirt(front & back) and then thread your strap through the slits. Since the fabric won’t fray it shouldn’t be a problem. You just won’t get quite so much gathering at the neckline but who knows, maybe it would be a whole new adorable look!
I love this idea! I have a 1 yr old daughter and we just bought her a tee From our youth group even though it was too big for her. I did this and made it into a dress for her (had to take in the sides too)! It’s so cute and unique. Thanks for the idea!
Wow! This is such a simple and cute idea, ideal for summer :)
Very nice!! I just made this… and for a person like me who can’t sew, this was fantastically easy ;-)
you could do it as a halter top too. just sew the back part down to where its parallel with the there the base of the arm holes are
I was able to make one of my favorite Tshirts (that I shrunk) fit me again by doing this! Great tutorial, thanks! I let out my bottom seam and used my sleeves to make the rope at the top instead (since I was worried about the shirt being too short). It looks and fits perfectly! Thanks for posting this!
Hi! Found this tutorial on Pinterest and today I’ve refashioned 2 of my t-shirts that were just sitting in my drawer forever because I never liked how they fit on me (one was too snug at the top and another too big altogether). Took me 30min to do each (I also sewed the arm hole hem) and they are so much better looking on me now! One has one tie and the other has 2 ties. Thanks for the tutorial!
– Farrah
Pinterest: /farrah1230
thanks for this tutorial. i made one for my daughter in 10 minutes with one of her dad’s t shirts and she loves it. in fact i think she is wearing it for the second day in a row
So I understand what to do with the top stitch but what do you do with the second stitch?
There’s one line of stitching on the front side and one line of stitching on the back side. You’re doing the same thing twice. Susan
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I’m 28 and haven’t sewn since I was 8/9 and I MISSED it. I just got my grandmother’s sewing machine up and running and made two shirts in less than 20 minutes. HOLY COW! Thanks for the tips.. Can’t wait to see what else I can make :D
Oh Angela, you are on a slippery downward slope! We’re glad for our small part in getting you sewing again :)
I would love to try this; however, I have never sewed anything before except a button back on a shirt. Can you give me instructions on how to hand sew the tubes for the straps?
So cute! Know I know how I’m going to make a day or two a little less “boring” for my tween daughter!
I should be sleeping! I meant – “Now I know” geesh!
I have so many random t shirts that I have a pile I’ll be making into tanks! Already made 2: the first I used the hem and threaded it and had one tie, the second unused the hem, cut along the fold so I had two strips then I twisted those together and threaded them then cut and knotted so I had 2 ties! My husband and son were skeptical at first and then impressed!
If there ever was a life saver for T’s, this is it. Was sent from a relative some nice ones, but alas, too large across the shoulders, this is the answer to be able to wear them after re designing them. Now they will be wearable and not drawer bound..Thank you for showing how it is done. Sure wish I was that smart…………
This is so great!! My 12 year old daughter and I went to a thrift store and bought a bunch of cute T-shirts they sell for 99 cents each. We came home and made tank tops all weekend and now she has plans to make more and sell them because her friends are all asking her to make some for them! Thank you!
this will be great! My husband has so many tshirts that he has worn to the point of holes all along the armpits and neckline. I am in need of maternity sized tank tops….I can use his old shirts that are normally huge on me, turn them into tank tops and have room for my giant belly! Thanks!
Love love love this! Thank you. I hate buying new clothes and having piles of unworn clothes around the closet but now I can keep my closet less full!
I made two this morning and timed it – 20 minutes for one of them (but that did include having to wind a bobbin in the middle). I have about 12 t-shirts I’ve saved over the years (I don’t really wear them anymore) and yesterday I was thinking I’d have to finally give them up. But I found this blog and voila! Everything can stay now – just as a new shirt.
I also think my daughter will enjoy making some and practicing her sewing. Thanks for the great idea!!
Love doing these. Takes no time and turned out so cute!
I love this idea and already have two t-shirts in mind, the only problem is that I don’t have a sewing machine. Can I still do this without one?
We theorize that you can use a fusible tape (attach with an iron) like Heat n’ Bond or Stitch Witchery, but we haven’t tried it ourselves. Yet. It’s on the work table. Susan
Just made one of there with XL T-shirt to use as a swimsuit cover-up. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
I loved your tutorial! I found it on Pinterest, and it was the first thing I shared on my new blog! If you want to check it out, here is my link- I posted a picture of my daughter there. I turned a size 7 long-sleeved Wall-E shirt into a tank for her. She is such a big Wall-E fan, but is such a girly girl, she refuses to wear “boys” clothes. So she was just THRILLED with this. THANKS! http://dirtstompinhippies.blogspot.com/
I love this idea. It’s so simple and fast. I am linking to this on my blog, I hope that’s okay!
I LOVE this tutorial! I’ll be making a few of these- and ironically, know EXACTLY where Aiken, SC is! My hubby is from Allendale, and I’ve been there a few times. :D
OMGOSH I just tried this for my very first sewing project and it’s fabulous, thank you, took one of my fiance’s tshirts that I liked but found the arms were tight and this just made it even more cuter on me than him ;) now to hunt down every top I like and turn it into something I love
I made one and LOVE IT! What a good idea!
I’ve wanted to make one of these for MONTHS (found your page awhile ago) and finally did today! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=203398633122761&set=a.129734257155866.21975.128718323924126&type=1&theater I shared the link to your “how-to” on my blog’s FB page–so creative and cute! Thank you!!
This is a great Idea, I did alter mine alittle, I didn’t cut off the hem as i really like the length, I added a small slit in the back middle part that you sewed over and used a piece of silk ribbon so the bow hangs down my back instead of on the side as not to get funny tanlines.
This is by far the cutest DIY t-shirt refab I’ve seen. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, I have to agree with everyone else! This is FABULOUS!! I had a T-shirt I liked, but far to boxy and manlyish and I re-vamped it tonight after finding your tutorial and it is SO CUTE! As soon as my six year old daughter saw it she ran to her room and found a t-shirt and asked me to make one for her too! :D Looks like I will be making a few more!
THANK YOU!!!!!
Love this!!!! My coworker and I just did one as a practice and it turned out awesome!!! We live in Texas and its just too hot to wear tshirts! We are super excited about this!! Thank u so much for this!!!
Can I do this with a 100% cotton tshirt?
I discovered your blog via Pinterest and finally gave this a try last night. I used some scrap fabric for the straps for one of them but for the other ones I cut off the bottom hem of the shirt and turned it inside out. This was soooo easy and my shirts look super cute! Thank You so much!
Thanks for the great idea! I made one and put the results on my blog (I linked back to you, of course!). Check it out here:
http://barbshobbyhighlights.blogspot.com/2012/08/pinterest-sewing-project.html
So cute!
I’d love it if you shared this with the Fun Family Crafts audience.
FFC is similar to Craftgawker but it only features kid friendly tutorials.
Looking forward to seeing what fun crafts you submit!
http://funfamilycrafts.com
I just finished making this shirt and it is now a favorite. I did things a little differently. Instead of cutting the arms off, I seam ripped them off. Then, I seam ripped the stitching in the sleeve. Pinned the sleeves together and cut them evenly on both sides, using chalk as my guide. Then I cut those pieces in half and cut another inch strip and cut that in half (6 pieces). I sewed 3 together and then the other 3 together. Threaded them through using a pin attached to the string fabric, one on each side. The middle piece is hidden and I tied both sides together.
I hated the sleeves when it was a regular t-shirt and didn’t wear it because they were awful. Now, my “Trix are for kids” shirt is going to be worn for a long time! Thank you for your idea and your creativity!!!
I’m so excited about this! I just finished one for my daughter using one of her old t-shirts that didn’t fit anymore, and guess what? It fits again!!!! I, myself have a lot of t-shirts that I haven’t worn for ages because they were too boring, and plain. I’m totally going to take advantage of this idea to bring my t-shirts back to life! GREAT IDEA! Thank you for sharing!
Love this! I just made two of these and it was so easy. The stitching took me the longest but only because I don’t sew. Thanks again!
running to the t-shirt drawer right now!! love this idea!
Too cute! :)
i have no experience sewing or doing anything crafty but I just made this tshirt. My only problem is now that I have sown the neck line I have no idea how to threat the sleeves through. Any help please.
My husband works in the oil industry. He is given many shirts with company logos. He gets two of each, one for him and one for me, the problems is that he wears a 3X. Now instead of the shirts collecting dust in the closet, or heading to the goodwill, I can enjoy them also. I left one long for sleeping and another for a swimsuit cover, the rest are perfect and much more flattering now. Thank You so much for this idea, I’m going to share it with my daughter. p.s. I used fine grit sandpaper to distress the logos so they have a vintage look, like I’d been wearing them for years ;)
Its really a great post.
Really T-shirt
Ball So Hard T-shirt
I like t-shirts, but I don’t like the necklines. I’m always pulling at them. I don’t like anything snug around my neck. This will solve that problem and allow me to enjoy all my t-shirts.. Also, living in southern Alabama gets mighty hot so anything without sleeves is welcome!
I also want to try this on a color t-shirt with no graphic. Put a notch in the front center and tie there With a ribbon for a bow on the front. Maybe something a little nicer for when a graphic tee might not be appropriate? There are so many possibilities with this idea. Love it.
Awesome change! It was nothing special before but now it’s a really great tankt top.
I recently moved and literally donated 20+ t-shirts I would have done this with! I loved the idea so much though that I went to TJ MAXX and dug through the clearance racks and found some awesome shirts. I plan on cutting up my surplus of tank tops to use as contrasting material to string through the neck! I cant wait!
I featured you today on Blissful & Domestic. Stop by and check it out!
-Danielle
http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/2013/05/10-summer-tutorials-feature-friday-link.html
Such a great idea for turning old big brother shirts into cute little sister shirts
I made this yesterday with a men’s small t shirt and found that wearing a strapless bra with the bottom part wrapped lower around your torso eliminates any bra exposure.
That was fabulously easy! I just made two shirts and love the results. Great instructions.
This was fabulous! I just made two shirts and it was so easy! Good and simple instructions. Thanks!
Great idea! You helped me to “save” a couple shirts that I didn’t want to part with. I blogged about it, too :) http://glitterrs.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/singlet-from-old-t-shirt.html
I just made my niece an adorable dress from a very old large boys’ tee in no time at all! The bottom hem made a cute headband for her too. Thanks!
I just made an adorable and comfy dress for my little niece out of an old lg boys’ tee. It took no time at all and the bottom scrap made a cute headband.
Next time I’ll try it on a nicer shirt!
Mine came out great. Thanks!!
Pinned this ages ago and just made one! SO easy and cute. I made it from a men’s XL tee (I’m medium) and put elastic on the bottom. I love my new shirt and can’t wait to make more! Thanks!
I just gotta say. I went to that camp when I was younger!! What a small world!!
OMGosh! Just did this with a stiff, boxy TEDTalks t! Love!!! Thank you for sharing:)
My mother and I made this shirt for me and wow!! I LOVE it!! I used a Aeropostale shirt that was a little bit long on me and the shirt turned out great!! We are going to make more of these shirts. We also sewed the original hem back on the bottom of the shirt, we were going to make a new hem but looking at the shirt and the type of material the shirt is made of it still would of rolled up so the original hem was the best option.
I did this and also made a band around the bottom to make it more of a blousy top. The tshirt I used was one size bigger than I normally get.
Love this idea and tutorial! Your tees look so cute. These would be great to make for little girls as well. :) Thanks for posting this.
Supercute! I know that camp ;)
Question: How do I get the drawstring through the top? Very new to sewing….
Thanks!
Use a safety pin! Stick it through the end of your string and close it up. The wider end of the safety pin goes in first and you just wiggle it through to the other side. Have fun!
So I was hunting pinterest trying to find creative ways to repurpose old t-shirts. I came across yours and I am in LOVE!!!! I made 2 this morning and hubby dug through all his old t-shirts and came with like 12 of them for me! I am so excited. I absolutely hate the round neck on t-shirts on me. I have a few that I love but never wear because of the necks…..now :) I am in love with them all over again. Thank you so much for this great tutorial :)
I just made my first tshirt redo. I love it and it was so easy. I’m going to hit up the thrift store and get sewing. Thank you for the easy tutorial pictures.
Love this idea! I wanted to make it a no sew project so instead of folding over the top’s & sewing it down I cut small slits every 1/2 inch & threaded the strip through & tied a bow on the side! Turned out super cute!
Hi, I just have to say THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My 8yr. old grandson play’s baseball and I think, between my daughter and I we have at least 10 different T-shirt’s supporting the teams he play’s on. I did one t-shirt in to a tank top tonight and I can’t wait for morning to start all of them into tanks. We live N.C. and this time of the year it’s between 90 and 100 degree’s at playing time, so at least now will be a little cooler. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reading from Kauai. Love this idea. It is getting into summer here and trade-winds die down making it warmer. I love to wear cami type t-shirts but they make them too tight for my round body. This would be great to take some t-shirts that are just too warm and revamp them. Thanks for posting this tutorial.
Thanks for awesome instructions! Too bad I had to hand sew (no machine in house) and I sewed the back crooked. BUT, I can say I gave it a try.
Fantastic! I’m certainly going to try this.
Hi. Can you tell me when to add the straps. Do you add them before you do the stitching? Thanks!
Thread them through after you do the stitching!
I just made one of these. I thought for sure it’d end up like all the other things that are “super easy and cute” that I find in the crafty corners of the internet. Nope. Cutest tank in my wardrobe now. I’m going to have to raid my boyfriend’s closet for more shirts he never wears. I NEED MOAR!
I absolutely love this! I have a bunch of t-shirts, but I hate collars and sleeves, so I rarely wear them! I can’t wait to try it out!
I don’t get how you put the drawstrings in. Do you lay the string where you fold the neck parts, then pin it?
After you’ve sewn it you thread the drawstring through. The easiest way to do that is to attach a safety pin to one end of your string and close it up – and then use the safety pin to help you squish the string through the “casing” you’ve already sewn at the top of the shirt.
Hi! Greetings from Finland. I saw this in Pinterest.This is awesome idea. I made one and I love it! Thanks! Maybe I have to do one or two more… :)
I tried this today and it took a while because I don’t have a sewing machine but the shirt turned out great! I’m going to do this to a few more shirts I have. Thank you for posting the “how to” on this shirt!!
My dear friend brought this project at our annual Creative Girls camping trip! She shared how the leftover sleeves can be sewed up and in a few minutes you have sweet little drawstring gifts bags!
https://www.facebook.com/HealingExpressionsbyLani/photos/a.530250047014168.1073741825.329976890374819/756902021015635/?type=1&theater
Super easy! I just made two in about 20 minutes! I’m excited to actually get to wear some of the hometown t-shirts i bought in men’s sizes. How do they hold up in the wash with all the raw edges? Guess I’ll see…Thanks!
I am going to try this with all my grand daughters long sleeve shirts….get a little more use out of them!! I hope…
I made four of these 2 years ago. still love them and wear them!
Hey, I tried this project and it turned out great. Thanks so much. Sending love all the way from Trinidad and Tobago!
Loved it!!! specially the Green one:)
I don’t have a sewing machine so I did it the old-fashioned way and sewed it by hand! Not sure how well it will hold up….but my daughter tried it on and absolutely loves it! She gets upset that so many tank tops hang low on her….this was perfect! Thank you for the great idea!
Love this idea! Used it for a few of my shirts. Also, I grew up going to camp gravatt!!