Skip to main content

How to Upcycle a T-shirt Into an Off-the-Shoulder Top



I sewed this in less that an hour, and it turned out pretty cute.  I took one of my husband's t-shirts that he wasn't wearing anymore, and modified it into an off-the-shoulder top.

All you need is:

T-shirt
Elastic (3/4" width or less)

1.  Cut off the top of the t-shirt at the tops of the sleeves and across the chest.

2.  Cut off an inch or two from each sleeve.

3.  Put narrow hems in to finish the edges of the sections you cut off.

4.  If you'd like, you can bring the sides of the shirt in somewhat so that it has a more fitted look, and cut some off the bottom if you'd like the shirt to be shorter.

5.  Measure yourself around your shoulders.  Take that measurement, and subtract 2" from it.  This will be the length of the elastic for the top.

6.  Measure your upper arm, and subtract 1".  Cut two pieces of elastic to this size for the arm holes.

7.  Use pins to mark the off-the-shoulder top into quarters.  Mark the sleeves the same way, and mark all 3 pieces of elastic by quarters.  This is so you stretch the elastic far enough while sewing; you will match the pins up as you go along.

8.  I used the elastic stitch on my sewing maching, but zig-zag would work fine too.  Start stitching the long piece of elastic onto the inside of the off-the-shoulder top, pulling the elastic as you go to line up the pins you used as markers.  Do the same with the 2 smaller pieces of elastic and the armholes.

And, voila!



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

I will just take a quick peek at your comment before it posts to avoid getting bombarded by spam. Please don't take it personally, I'm sure you're a lovely person.

Popular posts from this blog

Homemade Drain Cleaner

To avoid clogging and bad odors, sink and tub drains should be periodically cleaned. A once a month cleaning with a non-toxic, homemade cleaner prevents needing a stronger, usually sodium hydroxide (lye) based, cleaner to remove clogs.  Sodium hydroxide is extremely caustic, and will damage the lungs if inhaled, burn skin and eyes, and can be fatal if swallowed.  In addition, the heat generated by using sodium hydroxide can soften PVC pipes, and damage old, corroded pipes.  It also changes the pH of water and can cause fish kills. A much nicer alternative to this harsh chemical is the simple combination of baking soda and vinegar, followed with boiling water.  When baking soda and vinegar are combined, they foam and expand, cleaning the sides of your pipes and dissolving fatty acids.  The boiling water then washes it all away.  This method is a great way to use up the box of baking soda in your frig that is not longer doing a good job of d...
51 comments
Read more

Soapmakers: Why You Shouldn't Use Vinegar if You Come into Contact with Lye

It was one of the first things I learned when I began making my own soap; I read it in books and on the internet: "Always keep a jug of vinegar on hand when you are working with lye.  Vinegar neutralizes lye." Soapers, have you heard this?  Do you practice the habit of keeping vinegar nearby when you make your soaps?  So did I, until recently, when I read an interesting post on a soap forum, and then decided to research the claim myself.
2 comments
Read more

Why Did My Chicken Lay That Strange Egg? {Decoding 10 Chicken Laying Issues}

What do you got? A huge egg with two yolks in it?  A wrinkly misshapen egg?  An egg with a soft shell?  Or perhaps the all-inclusive just plain weird looking egg? Whatever it is, I hope to help clear up some of the mystery behind: Why Did My Chicken Lay That Strange Egg?
10 comments
Read more